This operating system is based on Ubuntu 14.04.1

Sep 12, 2014 08:21 GMT  ·  By

Play Linux, an operating system based on Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS (Trusty Tahr) that focuses on gaming, has been released.

All of the major Linux distros out there can be made to run the entire Steam library without any major fuss, but some users might want something that doesn't require any prior knowledge of what they have to install in order to get the best experience possible.

A few developers have put together a Linux distro that features all the necessary drivers and all the applications that you might need, in an effort to make the open source platform a lot more attractive. Their goal is to have everything work from the get-go, with as little intervention from the users as possible.

Play Linux, what it’s made off

This is an operating system based on Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS, but it doesn't use the Unity desktop environment. The developers have ditched that DE and adopted Cinnamon, which is a little bit lighter and more friendly towards people who previously used a Windows system.

In fact, this is one of the things that the new OS wants, to stop users from dual-booting from Linux to Windows for games. This means that the system has to provide the best experience and tools possible. Some of the most important components are the drivers.

By default, Ubuntu ships with the free drivers, which are not bad, but they are not gaming-worthy. Normally, users would have to download the official drivers, for NVIDIA and AMD, but Play Linux provides them by default. It won't sit well with users who don't like proprietary software, but this OS is not aimed at them.

The other tools that can be found in this Play Linux distro are Wine, Winetricks, PlayOnLinux, and Play Linux Kosmos. With everything working in concert, there is very little reason to dual boot.

Users will also get access to a host of other applications for office, Internet, music, chat, you name it. Even if they’re not available by default, they will most likely be present in the repositories.

What's new in the latest version

Right now, Play Linux is still under development and numerous modifications are being made. According to the developers, the Play Linux User Creator has been improved, the Play Linux Search Homepage is now powered by Google, LibreOffice has been updated to version 4.3.1, GIMP 2.8.14 has been added by default, some of the GNOME apps have been updated, and the login and GTK themes have been updated.

You can download Play Linux Alpha 3 right now from Softpedia. Remember that this is a development version and it should NOT be installed on production machines. It is intended for testing purposes only.

Photo Gallery (5 Images)

Play Linux launcher
Play Linux desktopThe Play Linux file mananer, Nemo
+2more