Jun 24, 2011 13:06 GMT  ·  By

Porteus 1.0 has been released. The Linux distro based on Slackware has been updated with the latest upstream packages and also includes several new features, such as an experimental package manager. Another change is the switch to LZMA2 compression, resulting in a smaller ISO and faster load times.

"Porteus version 1.0 has finally hit the streets! This light-weight, hard-hitting and lightning-fast portable linux distribution is now available in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions," the official announcement read.

"While aesthetically it is similar to Porteus v09, there have been vast improvements under the hood in this flagship release," it added.

One immediately noticeable change is the use of LZMA2 compression instead of LZMA, which enabled developers to pack more applications while ISO remained under 300 MB.

Modules using the new compression technology have the .xzm termination. Older .lzm modules can be converted with the provided tools.

The installation process has been simplified, Windows users can do it via the win_start_here.hta script and those running Linux can use lin_start_here.sh.

Highlights of Porteus 1.0: · Linux kernel 2.6.38.8; · KDE SC 4.6.4 - for the 64-bit version; · KDE 3.5.12 - for the 32-bit version; · Firefox 4; · LXDE; · Based on Slackware 13.37; · Porteus Package Manager introduced; · Added PXE Boot option; · Added automatic guest login; · Backup/restore MBR option during installation.

"Many new features have also been introduced, including a package manager which, while currently in the development stage, should make finding and creating working packages much easier. There are many new cheatcodes so be sure to read the 'cheatcodes.txt' file in the docs folder or on our website," the announcement also said.

Porteus is a lightweight Linux distro based on the popular Slackware Linux. It's optimized to be fast, during boot and regular operation. It uses the KDE desktop environment, but has LXDE as an alternative.

Porteus 1.0 is available for download here on Softpedia.