14 DAY TRIAL // Black Lab Linux 5.0.1, a distribution that aims to rival Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows, has been released and is now available for download.
Black Lab Linux is a distribution designed for general desktop and power users that comes with a lot of applications and features. Some changes have been made since the previous release and the developers have adopted a slightly more Mac OS X-like look. The OS is no longer Windows-oriented, but that is not actually a bad thing.
“Today we are pleased to announce the release of Black Lab Linux 5.0.1. With this release we bring some much needed overhaul and advancements to our Linux desktop to make it the most stable, and easiest to use yet.”
“First, we have rolled up all the security updates for this release so you guys are getting the latest bug fixes and application updates. With Black Lab Linux 5.0.1 we also changed the UI and included a new dock for application launching and ‘taskbar’,” reads the official announcement.
Black Lab Linux 5.0.1 is now using Linux kernel 3.5.0-51, which is actually a rather older kernel. It's a long-term support version, but it looks like the devs don't intend to implement a new one anytime soon.
According to the changelog, Docky (defined as the best dock money can buy) has been integrated, GTK+ 3.6 is available by default, GStreamer has been updated to version 1.2, OpenSSH has been updated to version 6.2, the Revelation Password Manager has been added, Mozilla Firefox has been updated to version 29, Thunderbird 24.5 is now the default email client, and Google Maps, Google Voice, and Drive Web Apps have been implemented as well.
Other applications integrated are Dropbox 1.6, Audacious, VLC, Openshot Video Editor, Audacity, Maya Calendar, Dates (32 bit), GNOME Disk Utility, Abiword, Gnumeric, and Font Manager.
The developers also allow users to purchase the distribution on a Live USB or Live DVD, if you don't want to download the ISO from an online source. Users are also encouraged to donate to the team that's making Black Lab Linux 5.0.1.
There are other Black Lab Linux releases, but some of them are for enterprise use and users will have to pay for them, which also buys them support by email or phone.
Check the official announcement for more details, features, and changes about this release. You can download Black Lab Linux 5.0.1 right now from Softpedia.