October 2007 : busy month for Linux distributions

October 2007 was marked by a great activity of the linux distribution developers.. The release of new version of different distributions.

The beginning was with the OpenSUSE 10.3 released on Thursday 4th of October 2007.
The new OpenSUSE uses:

• Linux 2.6.22
• The updated KDE 3.5.7 with a preview of the KDE 4 BETA 2.
• The newest GNOME 2.20 with the colors of SUSE.
• Start up time optimized to 24 seconds.
• The Compiz-Fusion Desktop design
• GTK YaST : a control panel for hardware, connections, packages...
• 1-Click Install, or YaST Metadata Package: the new innovation of Novell, which consists on simplifying the install process of packages from complexes codes to one click.
• OpenOffice.org 2.3.

The announcement of the new OpenSUSE.


One week later :
Mandriva Linux 2008
An RPM distribution developed by the French Firm : Mandriva
The price of this new version is 39€ and the access to the Mandriva club is free.. That means you can get free support.
The new Mandriva contains :

• Linux 2.6.22.9
• Firefox 2.0
• Thunderbird 2.0
• Compiz Fusion 0.5.2
• draknetcenter : to manage different networks and connections.

The official download page
The mandriva Club

We previously talked about the Ubuntu Gutsy gibbon 7.10 which is considered as new step to a Linux "that just works". The release was in the 18th of October 2007.

GG7.10 contains new features we already talked about them.. The most important ones are :

• The mobile and embedded version : a new step to the mobile Linux
• Linux 2.6.22
• CompizFuzion
• X.org 7.3

As a conclusion, we remark some common parts in these new versions which are the use of the new Linux 2.6.22. It's really essential for those distribution to update their Linux kernel in order to get most drivers installed which still a problem with all Linux distros. The popularity of Compiz Fusion made all distributions use it. The same thing with the new Gnome and KDE.
I think that what urges developers to release a new version is to improve compatibility with most hardware which is usually assured by the Linux and some other features like X.org.
Second, Desktop designers are making a great job to increase Linux users. There are many Linux newbies who started to explore the Linux world after watching a video about the power of Compiz or Beryl in Youtube for example. Developers are using this point to prouve that their distribution is compatible with the desktop designs and they install it for them in order to get the attention of Linux newbies.