| Linux Mint 8 achieves final KDE version |
Feb. 09, 2010
 The Linux Mint team announced the final release of Linux Mint 8 "Helena" KDE Community Edition. Based on Kubuntu 9.10, Linux 2.6.31, KDE 4.3.4 and Xorg 7.4, Linux Mint 8 KDE CE boasts improved OEM installation, as well as "ignore updates" and multiple software selection features.
The first (RC1) release candidate of the Ubuntu 9.10-based Linux Mint 8 arrived in November. Like the RC1 release, the final KDE-desktop version is based on Kubuntu 9.10, a version of Ubuntu 9.10 ("Karmic Koala").
Linux Mint 8 KDE CE
Upstream improvements in Linux Mint 8 are said to include an Ubiquity installer that features graphical enhancements, as well as support for the ext4 file-system. Key Kubuntu 9.10 improvements carried through to Mint include faster boot times, says the team.
Linux Mint's graphical interface has been enhanced to show more content, and the Software Manager function offers an improved GUI interface, adding multiple selection capability, says the Mint team. The Software Manager (pictured below) is also now aware of the APT status of each application, letting users see the size and version number of each application and whether they have been installed. In addition, an OEM installation can now be launched from the liveCD boot menu, says the team.
Linux Mint's software manager gets a makeover
(Click to enlarge)
The Update Manager has also received a graphical makeover, and uses Synaptic to refresh the list of updates, thereby showing progress. Users can now define a list of packages for which no updates are desired, and use wildcard characters to define groups of package updates to ignore. The MintUpload feature is now split into an Upload Manager, providing upload services for FTP, SFTP, and SCP, and a File Uploader, which offers support for drag and drop and multiple-file uploads.
Default software changes include the addition of Minitube, an application that play a continual stream of YouTube videos (see image below), as well as the Tucan app, which offers upload/download services for the top file-hosting sites. Other new default choice include Google Widgets, Songbird, the KDE partition manager, Guarddog (firewall configuration), and the Wine Windows emulator. Meanwhile, knetwork-manage has been replaced with network-manager-gnome, says the Mint team.
Minitube: new default app plays endless YouTube
(Click to enlarge)
As before, Mint offers the open source Amarok, Totem, and Mplayer for multimedia display and playback, and also supports MP3, Flash, Windows Media, and encrypted DVD playback support. Bundled applications include OpenOffice, Thunderbird, Firefox, Tomboy Notes, GIMP, and Rhythmbox.
New artwork in Linux Mint 8 KDE CE "shows the confluence between KDE and Linux Mint," says the Mint team. In addition, with the KDE 4.3.4 desktop, "Air" replaces the older "Oxygen" theme, "bringing some noticeable improvements to many of the widgets," says the project.
Availability
More information on Linux Mint 8 may be found here, and the announcement and download page for the final Linux Mint 8 KDE CE version may be found here.
-- Eric Brown
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