Salix OS Xfce For Linux

3.0/5 56

Last updated: Aug 30, 2016 GPL

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A Linux operating system based on Slackware and the lightweight Xfce desktop environment. #Salix OS #Linux distribution #Operating system #Salix #Xfce #Linux

Softpedia Review

Salix Xfce is an open source Linux distribution based on the Slackware operating system and build around the Xfce desktop environment. It is designed to provide users with a fast and easy-to-use computing environment for common day-to-day tasks.

Dubbed “Linux for the lazy Slacker” the distribution is backwards compatible with Slackware Linux, supports both 32-bit and 64-bit, and it’s distributed as installable-only Live CD ISO images. A tentative Live CD was offered in the past.

Because it does not provide users with a way to test the system without install it, Salix is automatically categorized as a distribution for advanced users, especially users who know their way around the Slackware Linux operating system.

Its main highlights are the ability to run a single application per task, beautiful artwork, very fast package tools, as well as a collection of powerful system administration tools. The entire distribution has been optimized for desktop usage.

There’s no boot menu, just a simple prompt from where you can enter extra boot parameters or just hit Enter to boot the system and start the actual installation. It can also be used as a system rescue CD by exiting the installation at the main menu. The installation will require some Slackware knowledge and it will take some time, depending on the computer’s specs.

Xfce is the default desktop environment, and among the main applications we can mention the Midori web browser, Pidgin instant messenger, Transmission torrent downloader, Geany IDE, Meld diff and merge tool, GIMP image editor, and the LibreOffice office suite.

Salix is called by its developers ‘a bonsai’ which means that users will need to take care of it on a daily basis. It is a Linux distribution for exclusivists and/or true Slackware fans, and it shouldn’t be used by the novice and modern Linux users.

What's new in Salix OS Xfce 14.2:

The first thing you will notice, is that when booting one of the iso images you don't get a boot prompt anymore. What you get is a boot menu and the menu offers options to install Salix in several different languages. So you can now install Salix, not only in English (both US and UK), but also in Dutch, German, Greek, Italian, Spanish (both for Spain and Costa-Rica), Swedish and Ukrainian! Many thanks go to our translators who have made an amazing job with these.
The menus that the iso images boot to are provided by syslinux on systems equiped with BIOS. On UEFI systems, the 64-bit iso now boots using elilo, in place of grub, and it provides similar menus to syslinux. The minimum architecture for the 32-bit iso has been bumped from i486 to i586 now and the boot menu in the 32-bit iso now includes options to boot either the i586 non-PAE or the i686 PAE kernels.
We also have two new GUI system tools, both developed in-house. The first one, GUEFI, is a graphical boot manager for UEFI systems and therefore is only available on 64-bit installations using UEFI. You can use it to create/delete/edit/rearrange UEFI boot entries and I don't think there is any other distribution out there with anything similar. Then, we have gtkreposetup, which is the GTK counterpart to the console reposetup tool, and which you can use to select your preferred repository mirror.
With respect to other software included in this release, Xfce has been upgraded to 4.12. The main browser has been changed back to Firefox. The Firefox package now also includes langpacks for the most popular languages too, so it will most probably also be presented in your native language without having to install anything extra. Also, network configuration is now handled by NetworkManager, instead of Wicd, which would also help people connect using their mobile 3G/4G connections. Pulseaudio is now controlling the audio output by default, which should help a lot with bluetooth speakers, HDMI audio etc. Other than that it's mostly the same as in previous releases, with LibreOffice, Claws-Mail, Gimp, Parole, Transmission, Viewnior, Zim etc. Everything has been upgraded to their latest release at this point. Of course, the usual collection of Salix System Tools is included, so you can still use Gslapt and Sourcery for managing packages and SlackBuilds and also the usual tools for managing Users, System Services, the System Language and Keyboard settings etc.

Read the full changelog

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