14 DAY TRIAL // Point Linux, a GNU/Linux distribution that aims to combine the power of Debian GNU/Linux with the productivity of MATE, has just received another stable version, 2.3.
The developers of Point Linux provide two different branches for this distribution, one stable and one in the Beta stages. The reason for this decision is quite simple. The stable version is based on Debian "Wheezy" and the development version on Debian testing "Jessie."
The stable version of Point Linux has already received a number of updates, as the version number indicates, but the developers are still working to improve it or to keep the packages up to date.
One of the most important changes to the OS is the introduction of the "debian-backports" package, which is very useful if you want updates from a different repository.
"This is a minor update to Point Linux 2.2 released in October. Point Linux 2.3 features the new 'debian-backports' package that allows you to easily enable updates from the debian-backports repository," reads the announcement from the developers.
Point Linux 2.3 is using the MATE desktop environment, which you might think makes the distribution look a lot like Linux Mint Debian. The latter also received a seizable update a few days ago.
This branch of Point Linux is a little more conservative and doesn't use the latest packages for the core components, like MATE, which is only up to version 1.4, which is more than a year old. The Linux kernel is also an older one, 3.2.0-4. Interestingly enough, the core of the distro, Debian "Wheezy," is up to its latest release, 7.4.
So, there is little to no comparison that can be made with Linux Mint Debian, even if the basic components might be roughly the same.
Other changes in the Point Linux 2.3 include Firefox 27.0.1, LibreOffice 4.1.4.2, and updates to the latest Debian packages.
The developers also implemented a very important change in the Point Linux installer, which should prove very useful for new users. Three checkboxes are now present in the installer and allow users to install Compiz, enable debian-backports updates, and get the non-free repos during installation.
Debian uses only free packages, as much as it can, which means that it doesn't ship with proprietary drivers, which are not free. If you have an NVIDIA or AMD video card you might want to check the option that will get you the non-free repositories.
A complete list of changes and improvements can be found in the official announcement. You can download Point Linux 2.3 right now from Softpedia.