The Frugalware Team has announced today the ninth stable release of their Linux distribution. Frugalware 0.9 (codename Solaria) is now available for the i686 and x86_64 architectures, and brings 6,400 changes, among which there are 2,279 updated packages, 568 new ones and 926 closed tasks, as well as numerous bug fixes.

This version introduces no new features since the 0.9 RC 2 release, but about 40 adjustments to resolve some minor problems. But, now, let's see some of the highlights in this version:

· The system is updated and introduces the latest Linux kernel (2.6.26) and development tools, like the GNU C library (glibc 2.8) and the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC 4.3.1);
· The latest desktop software such as GNOME 2.22, OpenOffice.org 2.4.1 and Firefox 3.0.1;
· Some setup improvements, like the fact that the USB installer is now easier to start, the installation in vmware/virtualbox has been documented/fixed, and the support for machines with multiple network cards has been enhanced;
· The FUN update notifier now provides news notifications.

About Frugalware

The short description for it is that it's a Linux distribution suited for intermediate users who are somewhat accustomed to the terminal. It wasn't developed to meet particular needs, but is rather a general purpose OS.

Frugalware is primarily about multimedia, design and simplicity, meaning it does its best to be as easy to handle as possible, while providing the means for a great user experience. This is accomplished partly by featuring the newest and yet most stable application releases, with a determination to have them faithful to the original source.  

For package handling, Frugalware uses the versatile pacman package manager, a tar.bz2 based tool, very similar to Slackware's .tgz. However, pacman handles .fpm packages (to separate them from the usual tarbals) and is written in C, giving it extra speed. This applications also handles the task of package updating, as Frugalware doesn't have a standalone tool for this job.

Download Frugalware Linux 0.9 right now from Softpedia.