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Simplicity Linux Changelog

What's new in Simplicity Linux 16.07

Jul 31, 2016
  • As with recent versions of Simplicity, Mini and Desktop are based on the excellent LXPup and uses LXDE as the desktop environment. However, as an experiment, X is based on Debian via the fantastic AntiX distro. It uses LXDE as the desktop environment like Mini and Desktop, but as far as features go, it is closer to Mini.
  • As with our previous releases, Mini (Previously Simplicity Linux Netbook Edition) is our heavily cut down version. It comes with Flash preinstalled along with the latest version of Firefox. Desktop is our fully featured distribution, based on the same base as Mini but rather than web based applications; it comes loaded with Flash, Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, GIMP, and Mplayer.
  • As mentioned earlier, you can test our most experimental version of Simplicity Linux to date, X 16.07. This version is still in the very early stages of development. It is based on the excellent AntiX, which in turn is Debian based. Whilst we still have a lot of love for Puppy Linux and all it’s derivatives, sometimes it’s hard to make certain packages work, especially newer packages. This is just the first test of whether or not we’re going to move to a Debian base for Simplicity, a version of Mini. For 16.10 we’re planning on building a Desktop edition. However at the moment, it is just a sneak peek at a direction Simplicity Linux may move towards in the future, and we’d love for our users to try it out and let us know what you think.

New in Simplicity Linux 16.04 (May 4, 2016)

  • As with recent versions of Simplicity, it is based on the excellent LXPup and uses LXDE as the desktop environment. Mini and Desktop come with the 4.0.4 kernel, and X comes with the 4.4.5 kernel.
  • As with our previous releases, Mini (Previously Simplicity Linux Netbook Edition) is our heavily cut down version. It comes with Flash preinstalled, the latest version of Firefox, and web versions of Spotify, Dropbox, Gmail, Google Docs and many other applications. Desktop is our fully featured distribution, based on the same base as Mini but rather than web based applications; it comes loaded with Flash, Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, GIMP, and Mplayer.
  • Also in this release, you can test our most experimental version of Simplicity Linux to date, X 16.04 dubbed as NX. This version comes with a warning as it is still in the very early stages of development. It comes with the 4.4.5 kernel, but it is an x32 64-bit kernel. NX has successfully booted on a 64-bit virtual machine and we were quite pleased with the results, although we have not yet tested it on a physical machine. X should not be considered finished or complete.

New in Simplicity Linux 16.04 Beta (Apr 21, 2016)

  • The biggest change from the Alpha to the Beta release of 16.04 is that it is now running the 4.4.4 kernel. We would love any feedback from users on how it’s performing for them, as we’ve found it to be very stable, but we only have a small amount of hardware to test on, so more feedback would be invaluable.

New in Simplicity Linux 16.04 Alpha 2 (Mar 1, 2016)

  • In this release, we have decided to change the name our trusty Simplicity Linux Netbook Edition to Mini. We feel that this new name more accurately reflects this edition. We’d love to know what you think about the change.
  • As it was usual in Simplicity Linux Netbook Edition, Mini is a cut-down version of our Desktop Edition Linux distro. Most of the local software pre-installed with Desktop is replaced with browser-based versions.
  • Desktop Edition is our fully featured release, which has software such as LibreOffice and GIMP preinstalled.
  • We have decided to do something a little different with X in this release cycle. X will still be a testing ground for experimental features, but it’s now aimed at people moving from Windows to Linux. It looks a little more like Windows XP, and it comes with a lot of the same software as Desktop, but with additional software like WINE to help users with the transition.

New in Simplicity Linux 16.01 (Feb 1, 2016)

  • Both Editions come with the latest versions of Google Chrome. To protect your privacy, in place of the TOR Browser we included in the previous version, we have installed the DotVPN plugin on Chrome. It’s an excellent option to protect your privacy and it’s entirely free to use out of the box. We have also included two of our favourite plugins AdBlock Plus and LastPass.

New in Simplicity Linux 15.10 (Oct 27, 2015)

  • The two 32 bit bit editions of Simplicity 15.10 both feature the 4.1.1 Linux kernel and are based on the excellent LXPup. LXDE is used as the desktop, and wbar is used as a dock for preinstalled software and features.
  • Netbook is our lightweight edition, which comes with fewer local apps and more cloud based applications. It’s a good starting point for anyone who might feel intimidated by Linux or people with older hardware.
  • Desktop features more local software, such as LibreOffice and Thunderbird for handling office tasks and e-mail. It is the edition we personally use on our production machine as it’s more fully featured.
  • And for the adventurous, we have X. X this time around has an older kernel, 3.4.94, but comes with the LXQT desktop, and a host of locally installed apps including WINE. This is our experimental version which we use as a testing ground for new features. It may not be complete or fully work, but it will also give you a flavour of what to expect in the future.

New in Simplicity Linux 15.7 (Aug 3, 2015)

  • Our two main editions Netbook and Desktop are available for 32 or 64 bit processors. The 32 bit version comes with the 4.0.4 kernel, and the 64 bit version comes with the 4.0.2 kernel.
  • Netbook Edition, our light-weight version of Simplicity Linux comes preinstalled with Google Chrome and focuses on cloud based applications rather than locally installing them to allow people with older computers to give them new life.
  • Desktop Edition is for users who want a fully featured distro; it contains more local applications such as Spotify, LibreOffice, and Thunderbird and it could easily become your everyday OS.
  • And if you are feeling a bit adventurous you might want to give our experimental version, X Edition a try, available only for 32 bit processors it comes with the 4.1.1 kernel and even though some features may not be complete, this is our testing ground and you will get to test awesome features that might make it to our main editions in the future.

New in Simplicity Linux 15.7 Beta (Jul 1, 2015)

  • It is based on the fantastic LXPup and uses LXDE as its desktop. All versions come with the 4.0.2 kernel and as usual Simplicity is split into two editions, Netbook and Desktop. There is no 64 bit version of Desktop, because we had some issues, but this will be resolved for the release edition. It should also be noted that these are beta releases, so some things may change, be removed, and other things may be added. It’s a stable, working version, but still unfinished and rough around the edges.

New in Simplicity Linux 15.4 Beta (Apr 1, 2015)

  • We’re basing these on LXPup and LXPup64, because it is an excellent distro with a really good implementation of LXDE.
  • As usual, Netbook is a more cloud app based Linux distro, and comes with the latest TOR Browser if you want to browse securely or Chrome if you want a less secure browser. We’ve included shortcuts to Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, Google Docs, Dropbox, and Grooveshark, as well as including a virtual assistant app.
  • Desktop is our more heavyweight edition, and comes with the latest TOR Browser, the desktop version of Dropbox, Chrome, and the full LibreOffice suite as well as a host of other apps.

New in Simplicity Linux 15.4 Alpha (Mar 1, 2015)

  • This release cycle marks the start of a new chapter for Simplicity: You can now get our releases in 32 or 64 bit versions. The 32 bit version is based on the superb Puppex, and the 64 bit version is based on LXPup64, a distro we have admired for a long time. At the moment there is no alpha release for the 64 bit Desktop Simplicity Linux because we’ve been having a few issues with it. However, there will be a 64 bit Desktop edition for the beta releases.

New in Simplicity Linux 15.1 (Feb 3, 2015)

  • Simplicity 15.1 is based on Slacko, and uses the LXDE desktop environment for Netbook and Desktop editions. Also, we are proud to announce the release of our first 64-bit Edition: X. X 15.1 is a 64-bit only release and uses KDE as it’s desktop. Netbook and Desktop Editions are our only 32 bit releases for this cycle. One thing we are particularly pleased to bring you this release cycle is the fact that Simplicity Linux can view Netflix content straight out the box. You do not need to update libraries, change agent strings, or anything else. Just use the shortcut or use Chrome to view Netflix content.
  • As always, Netbook is our cut down version of Simplicity Linux designed to run cloud based applications rather than local applications. Of course, you can add local applications from the repository.

New in Simplicity Linux 14.10 (Nov 1, 2014)

  • It uses the 3.15.4 kernel. Netbook and Desktop Editions both use LXDE as the desktop environment, and X Edition uses KDE 4.12.3.
  • As usual, Netbook is our cutdown version, with mostly web based applications, which are made easily available from the Wbar dock. Desktop is our more full featured edition which features a host of beautiful wallpaper images preinstalled, as well as a lot of locally based applications such as Firefox, TOR Browser, Thunderbird, LibreOffice and Dropbox.
  • X Edition is our experimental version, and as such not everything will work. It is intended as a glimpse into what Simplicity Linux may become in the future. As mentioned above, it uses KDE 4.12.3 as the desktop environment rather than LXDE. It also leans more towards locally based applications rather than web based applications.

New in Simplicity Linux 14.4 (Apr 22, 2014)

  • Simplicity Linux 14.4 is now available for download. It is based on the excellent Slacko Puppy 5.6.5, and uses LXDE as a desktop environment. There are three different versions this release cycle: Netbook, Desktop and X.
  • Netbook 14.4 is designed to be fast and light, for people who just want an OS, a browser, and not much else. It comes with Chrome as the default browser (Firefox is available in the package manager) and on the fully customisable dock you can also access mplayer for playing media files (VLC is available in the package manager).
  • Desktop 14.4 is designed to be a more heavyweight Linux. It also uses the LXDE desktop environment, and comes preinstalled with Dropbox, Chrome, Skype, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, and a more refined audio mixer. All these applications are available from the dock, making access easy. More applications are available via the application finder, and a large range of applications can be installed from the package manager. It also includes a range of (in our opinion) beautiful wallpapers which can be found in the Wallpaper directory.
  • X 14.4 is our experimental release. It uses KDE, and comes with Chrome, LibreOffice, Skype, Dropbox, and several other applications. X is not designed for day to day use, it is an experiment to see what can be done with Puppy Linux and if we can take things from this to use in our standard releases. After careful consideration, we decided not to move X from it’s beta form, as whilst there are a few issues (shutdown, icon problems) we think X still performs well.

New in Simplicity Linux 14.1 (Jan 28, 2014)

  • It is based on Slacko Puppy 5.6 but replaces JWM with LXDE and has Firefox ESR 24.0 as the default browser with Cocoon proxy added. If you are worried about your privacy, sign up for an account, otherwise it does nothing, and is completely optional. It’s something we personally use, and have found really useful, so we thought we would bundle it.
  • Netbook 14.1 comes with Firefox ESR 24.0, Flash, and that is about it. It is designed to be a quick booting distro that you can throw onto a USB key and use if you just want to use the Internet on a netbook device or laptop. That is how we use it, and we think it could be useful for people who pretty much just browse.
  • Desktop 14.1 is our fullest featured release to date. You get Skype, Libre Office, Java, Flash, Mplayer, Firefox 24.0 ESR, OnLive, Wine and other software preinstalled. If you are after a full featured version of Simplicity Linux, this is the version you will want to download.
  • Media 14.1 is an edition for those who use x86 machines connected to TVs. You get the latest release version of XBMC, with a lot of add-ons preinstalled. Simplicity 14.1. It boots straight into XBMC, so you don’t have to do a thing to start using the media features.

New in Simplicity Linux 14.1 Beta (Dec 25, 2013)

  • One of the big changes we have made this time around is that we have changed the default browser from Firefox to Chromium. This is based on what we have observed from CPU usage. Whilst Chromium may create a new instance per tab, we have noticed that Firefox uses far more CPU resources, which goes against what we are working towards – an efficient Linux distribution.
  • As per usual for Desktop, you get LibreOffice, Skype, Dropbox, OnLive (for all your gaming needs) and WINE. We have also included Java, which does make the Desktop version a lot heavier than before, but we think that it’s worth the added size.
  • Another change we have made is not to include VLC or any other media player. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, we think there is a shift in how people use media these days from files being stored on their computers to streaming. With Spotify, Grooveshark, Pandora and Google Music all having web based access, we’re not sure there is any need for a seperate media player. Also, if you want a media player, you can take your pick from the media players in the repositories.
  • Oh, and 14.1 has fixed the shutdown problems everyone encountered in 13.10! We hope you enjoy using this beta release, which as always is offered for free but with no guarantees that it will work 100% or that it will work at all on your system. Such is the nature of beta software.

New in Simplicity Linux 13.10 Beta (Sep 26, 2013)

  • Simplicity 13.10 Beta releases are now available for download. As with all beta releases, they’re still not the finished product, but they’re a lot closer to it than the alpha releases. We wouldn’t recommend you use this as your day to day OS (we do, but we’re used to the bugs!) but you can download it, use unetbootin to install it to a USB key and play with it without affecting your computer.
  • The biggest change we have made is getting rid of the horrible LXDE menu. We knew it had problems, so we fixed it using XFCEAppFinder. Personally, I think it’s better than trawling through menus to find what you’re looking for. It’s not perfect, but we’re working on the bugs. We’ve also updated the repos for you, so they should be up to date when you boot up. There are a few other refinements too, especially to the stability of the platform. We personally ran 13.10 Desktop Beta as our main machine OS for 15 days without a single crash or problem, so that gives you an idea about stability…
  • For those not familiar with our releases, we will explain quickly. Obsidian is a really cut down version of Simplicity. You get virtually nothing with it. So there is no Flash, no browser, no pre-installed apps. What you do get is Quickpet which lets you add what you want, a network manager, and a nice looking user interface. Obsidian is 198mb and you can get it here.
  • Netbook is our next smallest release. You get Flash, and a few other apps pre-installed. But not a lot. Again it has Quickpet, so you can add in things you want and not bother with things you’re not interested in. Netbook is 213mb and you can get it here.
  • Desktop is our full featured release. You get Dropbox, LibreOffice, VLC, Flash and a whole host of other software. We have opted not to include a browser, because we know some of you love Chrome, some love Firefox and some of you like Opera. So we give you the choice about which browser you want. Desktop is 314mb and you can get it from here.
  • Finally, for now, there is Media. Media doesn’t use LXDE as it’s interface like our other releases. Instead it uses XBMC. This is because Media is designed for computers where you’re not sat right in front of them. It’s ideal for lounge PCs or bedroom PCs. It’s kind of big, weighing in at 384mb, but it does come with a lot of plugins and addons pre-installed. You can get it from here.
  • Simplicity Linux 13.10 will have a final release around 25th October 2013. It might be earlier than this though, because we are going to Oggcamp, and we would quite like to have it out before then, so people can come talk to us about it!

New in Simplicity Linux 13.10 Alpha (Aug 26, 2013)

  • The kernel is 3.9.9.1, as you might guess, and it is a non PAE kernel, meaning you do not need a machine with PAE to be able to run it.
  • The window manager is LXDE for all releases except Obsidian which uses Openbox (released tomorrow due to unforseen problems)

New in Simplicity Linux 13.7 Beta (Jul 5, 2013)

  • The biggest change we’ve made from Simplicity Desktop 13.7 between Alpha and Beta is we have officially moved from Carolina Linux as our base to LXPup. We like XFCE, we’ve been using it for a LONG time, but we think that LXDE is a better window manager, and if nothing else, it’s more energy efficient. We’ve also made some changes to the ACPI stuff behind the scenes, compared to standard LXPup.
  • Of course, the biggest change you get because we’ve moved to LXPup is Gslapt. Personally, I think this is huge for Simplicity Linux that we now have an actual APT based package manager. PPM is fine and good, but I think APT based systems manage things a lot better, and it’s something I’ve always missed from Puppy.