Also, a brand-new package management system

Feb 23, 2010 10:35 GMT  ·  By

Igelle has announced that its Linux flavor for desktops, laptops and the likes, Igelle DSV 1.0.0, is now complete and available for anyone wanting to give it a spin. The developers say the Linux distribution is production-ready and have granted it the 1.0 label. The main feature of the release is the new Esther Desktop, a customized desktop environment, which Igelle states it's lightweight enough to work on underpowered machines without compromising in the looks department.

"We are happy to announce the release and immediate availability of a distinct flavor of Igelle, the Igelle DSV 1.0.0 for personal computer desktops. Igelle DSV provides a general-purpose desktop operating system for desktop computers, laptops, netbooks and the like, and is in this release made available to personal computers using Intel-compatible processors (x86)," the official announcement read.

Unlike many Linux distributions recently, Igelle DSV 1.0.0 is not based on any major distribution, rather it is built from the ground up by the developers. It comes with a tightly knit set of packages but is designed to be flexible. All Igelle distributions are built to be "cross-platform, cross-device, and cross-featured" but, for now, Igelle DSV 1.0.0 is only available for x86 hardware, i686, to be specific.

With DSV, the aim is to create a completely customized experience and the Esther Desktop uses Gnome in combination with a Mac-style dock taskbar. The overall look is pretty stylish and clean, on par with what the developers set out to do. Igelle DSV 1.0.0 also comes with a brand-new and purpose-built system and package management tool.

Interestingly, the core system and base applications are installed in read-only mode, Google Chrome OS style, which has several advantages. For one, it provides a more secure environment, as the core files can't be modified, and Igelle says it also helps by allowing for "great flexibility in package management." And, because the core packages are compressed, it also saves some disk space.

Download Igelle DSV 1.0.0 right now from Softpedia.