The competition between Linux distributions enters a new age, now that Mandriva has announced the launching of the 2006 version, following the release of SUSE 10.

The press release announces a new more simplified use mode and the increased computation capacity. In addition, Mandriva 2006 includes an optimized search engine, a dynamic firewall and an auto-installation server.

The latest distribution of Mandriva is based on Kernel 2.6.12, gcc 4.0, X.org 6.9 and it includes the OpenOffice.org 1.1.5 solution and the Akregator for centralizing RSS feeds. In addition, it incorporates Opera for browsing and Skype for communications.

As for the graphical interface, Mandriva 2006 is based on KDE 3.4 and GNOME 2.10, the interface and ergonomic aspect being greatly improved at this version. Mandriva also promises a better compatibility with the WiFi networks and Intel's Centrino platform.

The members of the Mandriva club can already download the 2006 edition, the distribution being available on i586 and x86-64 platforms, through P2P BitTorrent or classic HTTP and FTP servers.