Since my laptop is about to retire, I wanted to use it as a testing ground and install a distro that, when I wanted to test it, I did not have the necessary knowledge to use it: LMDE. Yet so many disappointments with "The distro that never gets updated" I was embarked on a new adventure with another Debian-based distribution. That's when I came across Snowlinux glacier.
snowlinux is a distro that, depending on which version you install (Glacier o Frosty) is based on Debian stable o Ubuntu. I leaned for the Glacier version with MATE, since it has support until 2016.
Features
This distro comes in versions with the desktop environments Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce y E17. The installation format is a live CD and, among other things, it offers us some packages not available in Debianas Firefox y Thunderbird.
To summarize, it is a distribution very similar to LMDE but with an artwork with white tones (perhaps fans of darker themes do not like this idea very much, but the good thing is that once installed there are quite a few themes to choose from) and a Plymouth almost identical to Fedora. One of the novelties that this distro offers us is the SnowMenu, a menu similar to that of Cinnamon.
Installation and Post-installation
The installer is very similar to that of LMDE y Manjaro, except that when you have to choose the time zone we are presented with a list instead of a map. The only complicated thing for a novice user would be the issue of partitions.
Once installed, you will notice that the volume control icon does not appear on the panel, but it did not cause me a problem since at least on my laptop it recognized the volume keys. If you want the volume control icon install the package turned and reboot.
To add or remove applications from SnowMenu favorites, go to the part of the menu where the application to be added / removed appears and with a simple right click on it, the relevant option will appear.
The updates in this distro are via console, that is, the classic sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade or by Synaptic. I recommend editing the file / Etc / apt / sources.list to switch Wheezy repositories to the ones closest to your zone.
Conclusions
Despite being a stable Debian-based distro, it receives updates on a regular basis, it is seen that it is inspired a bit by LMDE but they took away everything bad about this distro such as update packs or the fact that it is preloaded with a lot of applications of Gnome 3.
Snowlinux is a very nice, fast and easy to use distro, it is worth it for someone who wants to install Debian but it is difficult or lazy. I recommend this distribution to those who do not have much knowledge about GNU / Linux but are already familiar with the console and know about partitions.
For me there are many distros that do not contribute anything to the community and waste developers who could easily join distributions really contributing and minimizing fragmentation a bit. It is my point of view, perhaps many do not share it.
Greetings.
"Snowlinux is a very nice, fast and easy-to-use distro, it's worth it for someone who wants to install Debian but finds it difficult or lazy" ... I don't deny that it is one of the many, but it is a Debian Wheezy that is coming " ready to serve ”and that's what in my opinion gives it some merit.
Okay, and also, who has not ever wanted to do their own distribution? Why deny someone the joy of doing their own just for the sheer joy of doing it and knowing what is their own? Why ask him to better collaborate with another one already made?
From my point of view fragmentation is only bad when intercompatibility starts to affect, but Snowlinux is little more than a custom and preconfigured Debian Wheezy, it is still perfectly compatible with Debian and perfectly compatible with MATE, Cinnamon and all the packages it uses ; therefore, I do not see anything wrong with it, and surely there are those who like it more than Linux Mint or other more popular distributions.
Yes, without a doubt any other distribution would have been good if the creator of Snowlinux collaborated with them instead of taking their own path, but come on, this is Linux and it is freedom, as long as it is not with bad intentions, everyone is free from do what you want.
+1
I don't think it's bad at all .. ..it's almost like sharing your own configuration, and / or vision of what that person (or group of people) is interested in seeing in a distro ..
Maybe one day we will end up releasing a GNU/Linux version DesdeLinux.. ..who knows.. xD
completely agree with you, it is a waste of people, this is one of the reasons linux does not grow and is still little accepted,
SnowMenu is not similar to Cinnamon, it is MintMenu perhaps modified, but it even has the same texture in the background. In fact, not only the menu, but the Gtk theme is the same as Linux Mint just by looking at it above.
For the rest and the characteristics that you tell us, what differences does it have with LMDE if it is based on Debian Stable?
Good post.
The snowmenu is clearly a modified Mintmenu to look a bit like Cinnamon. Snowlinux differs from LMDE in the Debian versions in which they are based, in the rhythm of the updates, a bit in the artwork, that instead of using 100% own repositories it also draws on those of the mother distro and Snowlinux packages are generally newer than LMDE's even though the latter is based on the Testing branch.
.. and as a personal appreciation I would say that it is more stable since the distro's own packages interrelate well with those of Debian, which is not the case with LMDE (it does not even comply with being 100% compatible with Debian).
Thanks for commenting 🙂
That is, they use their own repository to update some applications, but they are usually based on Debian Stable. Is that so?
Yep.
Cat the MintMenu code is on Github
https://github.com/linuxmint/mintmenu
I installed the MintMenu to SoluOS 1.3 and it worked fine.
since it is written with the old PyGTK 2.4.
SoluOs 1.3 uses GNOME 2.4 (Gtk 2.4)
Elav to the MintMenu and you can download it from your Mint repository.
http://packages.linuxmint.com/list.php?release=Olivia
The code is available on Github
https://github.com/linuxmint/mintmenu
MintMenu is written in PyGTK.
Clem always uploads all Mint code to Github.
https://github.com/linuxmint
These things are good to know ... if I knew programming I would make a mintmenu similar to KDE (the only thing I like about KDE is its menu) and I would put Katmenu xD.
This distro works very well, I tried the glacier with debian mate, and I liked it a lot, but… I tried "Point Linux Mate" and I liked it much more. Anyway both distro are excellent. I said bye to linux mint that I also like it a lot but · $% & · & / $% »· $% :).
Winter is coming ...
I am surprised that no one has done the joke before; P
Unlike those who are NOT happy when a new distro appears (whatever the distro may be), I begin by THANKING the creators of Snowlinux that they exist and that they give us their work.
I don't understand the "expert analysts" who go through life telling developers where to use their time, means and talents.
It seems absurd to me that someone says that such a distro is not necessary. Are so many types of graphs necessary? So many types of processors? So many brands of beer?
If you don't like a distro, DON'T USE IT, NOBODY FORCES YOU TO USE IT.
And don't go demanding that it doesn't exist and denying the rest of us the right to use it if we feel like it.
Or go to North Korea, they only have one distro there, those who think that there are many distros will be very happy there:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Star_OS
I don't like pizza and I don't go to pizzerias telling the owners to stop making them or to switch to kebabs.
Another thing: if those who spend it demanding that developers do only what they want to spend a part of that time REQUESTING SELLERS TO OFFER US COMPUTERS WITH GNU / LINUX PRE-INSTALLED, maybe GNU / LINUX would be more popular .
Good post. Plus, it's on par with Crunchbang when it comes to repos.
I am against fragmentation when daughter distros do not contribute anything. In this case, they do contribute because it improves in a certain part what is done by LMDE and there are differences, just starting because LMDE is based on Testing and is on Stable.
It seems to me that, at least from a distance, a successful, simple distro that fulfills its objective: a Debian Stables ready to use and that many can install. So. No more. They don't want to invent the wheel again, that's it and that's it.
Greetings, good post.
From what I see, it looks better made than LMDE and SolidXK itself.
It is good to know more options, thanks for the contribution.
I installed it some time ago with XFCE, but when I turned off the netbook it did not save the changes I made: /
Do you know if it is easy to upgrade with this distro? I know that with Debian it is not a very complicated process and it usually works well, but with this distro how do you do it? And if by chance you did it, how did it turn out?
If by upgrade you mean an update, it is just a matter of typing sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade (first of all, it is essential to install the snowlinux-keyring package). On the other hand, if you mean to change the Debian version or go to Testing it could not help you much but I do not think it is a very good idea to maintain the stability of the system, remember that being based on stable Debian and even using its repos does not you can expect packages to be the latest of the latest.