SimplyMEPIS 8.5 Final Switches to KDE 4.3.4

SimplyMEPIS 8.5 is ready for the spotlight with all the bugs and rough edges remaining in the final release candidate being ironed out. No new features have been introduced since RC3, but SimplyMEPIS 8.5 has plenty to offer users who want a great Linux experience right out of the box. SimplyMEPIS 8.5 is based on Debian Lenny, the latest stable release, but also comes with newer packages when the developers believed they were stable enough or offered enough improvements to justify their inclusion. The new release also marks the transition from the KDE 3.5 desktop environment to the newer KDE 4 software compilation.

"There have been no changes to the foundation packages, since the RC3 build. We received and incorporated some translations from community members and some updated utilities from Marcos. Otherwise, we just made some final tweaks to smooth out some rough edges," Warren Woodford, creator and main developer of SimplyMEPIS, said in the official announcement.

"For 8.5 we started with the stable Debian Lenny core and then selectively introduced updated packages that make SimplyMEPIS 8.5 a more timely OS. It could be thought of as similar to a 'Lenny and a half' kind of release, but of course with the MEPIS vision," he added.

Highlights of SimplyMEPIS 8.5:

· Linux kernel 2.6.32 – for recent hardware support;
· KDE 4.3.4 – the MEPIS/KDE look and feel has been maintained to make for an easier transition to the new version of the desktop environment;
· Mozilla Firefox 3.5.6;
· OpenOffice.org 3.1.1.

About SimplyMEPIS

SimplyMEPIS is a Linux distribution based on Debian Lenny. It features an LTS (Long Term Support) kernel and provides users with upgrades for all important packages. The MEPIS Assistant tools ensure that SimplyMEPIS can be used successfully in a desktop environment.

SimplyMEPIS 8.5 Final is available for download here on Softpedia.