Zenwalk Linux 4.6 Has Been Released

The Zenwalk Linux distro has just reached its 6.0 version, code name "Red Pill". Zenwalk is a GNU/Linux operating system available in 2 versions: Zenwalk, a complete system containing browsing, mail, chat, scanning, writing and printing documents or editing pictures media application and also offers the support for programming in C, Perl, Python or Ruby coming with a full set of development libraries and interpreters and the Zenwalk Core version, which is a Zenwalk system without X applications.

The Zenwalk 4.6 version comes at exactly one month after the latest release of a 4.6 beta version. Among the new applications there are the Gnomebaker CD-burner (replaces Graveman) and a new, fast, lightweight and very reliable Video player called Gnome-Mplayer.

Highlights:

- new tool chain, with GCC 4.1(with what all libraries and applications have been compiled)
- new desktop layout
- new desktop artwork
- new bootsplash and GDM themes
- the desktop features more panel plug-ins (including a wifi monitor)
- Zenwalk installer has been simplified
- the kernel is now configured with a suitable "swappiness" parameter to best fit your desktop system
- new init scripts resulting in faster boot times from a highly parallelized system
- the 2.6.21.3 kernel version has been optimized for performance
- use of gcc 4.1 results in better binary optimization.

Zenpanel, the Zenwalk System control center, has been updated with:

- Xkernelconf, a GTK utility for managing kernel modules and kernel flags. The kernel modules and configures are now available for the more or less experienced users where they can configure the boot process to load/unload different modules. Managed modules are also loaded/unloaded in real time.
- Xnetconf, a brand new GTK network setup tool with a very simple firewall option, suitable for desktop usage. This system also allows advanced netfilter specialists to setup a complex firewall policy and still be able to activate/deactivate it from Xnetconf.