ROSA Desktop Fresh LXDE

ROSA Desktop Fresh LXDE is an open source flavor of the ROSA Fresh Linux distribution built around the lightweight LXDE desktop environment and featuring a number of modifications designed to enhance the user-friendliness of the working environment. It is derived from the Mandriva Linux operating system.

Distributed as Live DVDs for 32-bit and 64-bit platforms

The LXDE edition of ROSA Desktop Fresh can be downloaded from our website or from the project’s homepage as Live DVD ISO images of approximately 1GB in size each, designed for 64-bit and 32-bit instruction set architectures.

Boot options

While the boot menu of the Live DVDs uses a single color background, it allows the user to boot an existing operating system from the first disk, start the live environment, perform a fresh installation with default options or in safe graphics mode, as well as to run a memory test or the Super Grub2 Disk boot recovery tool.

Beautiful and lightweight LXDE desktop environment

When using the the Live DVD to try the operating system without installing it, you will be asked to choose a language to use, accept a license agreement, select a timezone, set the system clock, as well as to choose a keyboard layout. At the login prompt, just press the “Login” button to log into the live session.

While the desktop environment looks very clean and basic, in the style of the Windows 98 graphical desktop interface, it is actually pretty powerful and very fast, comprised of a bottom task bar for accessing the applications, the functions integrated in the system tray area, and interaction with running programs.

Just the right applications

This ROSA Desktop Fresh edition includes just the right application for your everyday tasks, among which we can mention Leafpad text editor, GPicView image viewer, Parcellite clipboard manager, Pidgin IM client, FileZilla file transfer client, Mozilla Firefox web browser, Claws Mail email client, DeaDBeeF audio player, LibreOffice Writer and Calc, PCManFM file manager and VLC Media Player.

Bottom line

Summing up, ROSA Desktop Fresh LXDE is a great distribution of Linux that is low on resources, which means that it supports a wide range of computers, includes a traditional and familiar desktop environment and a great set of open source apps.

What is new in this release:

• all the recent code/packages updates available by 24 December 2013
• the LXDE base components are updated to its latest stable versions: pcmanfm v1.1.2, lxpanel v0.6.1
• the XFCE power manager and XFCE notification management (including notification-daemon-xfce) with modifications for systemd adoption
• you may now easily join your computer to domains LDAP and AD using LightDM
• the release includes a new experimental icons theme and flat GUI design, the 'ROSA LXDE Flat'. You may switch to default rosa-elementary theme through LXappearance and Qtconfig.
• the compton composite manager is enabled by default. To disable it, edit the '/etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart' removing the corresponding string.

What is new in version 2012 R1:

• Versions of the major system components:
• kernel-nrj-laptop-3.8.12
• lightdm-1.6.0
• openbox-3.5.0
• GTK+2/GTK+3
• NetworkManager-0.9.8
• PulseAudio-3
• X-Server 13
• The ISO image also includes:
• DeaDBeeF music player
• VLC video player
• Firefox
• ClawsMail mail client
• Pidgin IM-client
• Parcellite clipboard manager
• qpdfview
• gparted