After several days trying to download it, I was finally able to try Solus OS 1.1, a distribution that was created with the objective of filling the empty gaps that LMDE has left in many users. But the question is, will he be able to do it?
To answer that question to myself, I put SolusOS in a flash memory with the help of UNetbootin and I set out to review it thoroughly, every element and every detail, and here are the results.
Appearance
The first thing that stands out is the first thing we see and it is a very well-maintained appearance from the start of the system. For SolusOS they chose to use one of the best themes out there for Plymouth, which comes from the hand of Debian, and that the boys of SolusOS They knew how to modify and adapt perfectly to their needs, and once the Desktop starts up, I confess that the first thing I thought was that they had stopped using Gnome 2 to replace it with KDE.
The desktop layout has been inherited from LMDE, a panel at the bottom where we find Menu like application menu and the usual items, the list of windows, an applet for the time, the system tray and an almost unnecessary Indicator Applet Complete in its version 0.4.6, which, almost by the hair, only serves as a decorative element, since the Message Indicator only calls Pidgin and the other thing we have left is the sound indicator, that at least that one works as it should.
El gtk theme chosen for SolusOS default is Victory, a very beautiful theme ideal for Gnome 2, which is accompanied by the icon theme Elementary and typography Droid Sans. As an alternative we have the Gtk theme Zuki blue y Faenza, as it is so used by many, it could not be missing. The selection of wallpapers has also been excellent.
Applications
As many of us know, SolusOS is based on debian-squeeze (for now)However, its creator has been able to intelligently add the latest versions of many of the applications most used by end users.
I'm talking about Firefox, LibreOffice, VLC.. among other. The Softwares included in the LiveCD are not the ones I use the most on a daily basis, but I must accept that they have been chosen wisely, even though some may seem somewhat poor (GNU Paint). Curiously it is added in the games section PlayOnLinux, and I just discovered Gnome PackageKit o Service Pack Creator whatever you want to call it, which helps us create Backups of installed applications, among other things.
SolusOS offers Nautilus Elementary, another super successful decision and yes, as is logical to think the basis of all this is nothing more than a decadent and every day more obsolete Gnome 2, which for nostalgics is fine, but at least I, the more I use it (just like MATE), the more I am convinced that it was an unfinished Desktop in many respects.
Other applications that we could talk about: OpenShot, Wine, Leave Dup, but many of us already know them and I don't think I can contribute anything new. Coincidentally today has been included Opera 12 y ownCloud in the repositories and the application for Skype or Whatsapp has been updated.
Unlimited
As expected, the combination between the stability of debian-squeeze and the updated versions of most of the applications, make the perfect amalgam. He LiveCD it starts up at surprising speed, so I imagine once installed it should literally fly. The only problem I've had on multiple machines where I've tried SolusOSIt is at the time of turning off that you feel dizzy, but nothing that has no solution. So about this section I don't have much to say, SolusOS it can be an excellent choice for computers with modest hardware.
An announced death?
As many know (they have even been seen in various comments), SolusOS, at least until its version 1.1 it is based on debian-squeeze, which within a year or so, should become OldStable. Should this concern us? Well, no. Already the developer of SolusOS is working hard on the RC of the next versions, which will be based on debian wheezy and includes as desktop environment Gnome Classic Desktop Environment 3.4 (not fall back). They can have more information and see the screenshots of how it looks here..
So can SolusOS unseat LMDE? In my opinion I think yes, in the end, SolusOS is providing users of LMDE what they have longed for so much, a distro that, while it may not be Rolling, at least has most of the applications (including the kernel) updated. All easily and very beautiful as in the boys' version of Mint. But of course, that's what I think, I don't know about you.