Mandriva- Formerly Mandrake

Mandriva Linux, formerly Mandrake Linux, announced Tuesday that the ISO images of the free edition of its 2006 operating system are now available for download on public FTP mirror sites. France-based Mandriva began shipping boxed versions of its 2006 operating system on Nov. 3.

Mandriva Linux 2006 Free is a complete and comprehensive Linux distribution consisting entirely of free and open source software. It is freely downloadable and redistributable by anyone.

The newest version of the company's flagship product merges "pioneer technologies" from Conectiva and Lycoris, as well as spanning for the first time a one-year release cycle, the company said.

Mandriva 2006's key new features, as highlighted by the company, are:

• Linux kernel 2.6.12-12mdk
  
• KDE 3.4
  
• Kat desktop search tool
  
• OpenOffice 2.0
  
• Interactive firewall
  
• Official support for Intel's Centrino mobile technology
  
• Full integration of Skype
  
• Auto-installation server
  
• Smart package manager
  
• Integration of Conectiva's and Lycoris's technologies

The Kat desktop search tool allows users to track down information not only in file names but also in the content of the files, according to the company. This provides a powerful means to being permanently able to find important data on one's computer, even many months or years after having created a document, Mandriva said.

An interactive firewall lets users get real-time information on malicious actions being performed against their system, according to the company. Unlike a typical firewall, which is based on fixed rules, the interactive version allows to constantly adapt the rules depending on the actual status of the computer, Madriva said.

Some key applications included in all versions of Mandriva 2006 are:

• OpenOffice.org office suite
  
• Mozilla Firefox 1.0.7
  
• Kopete IM client
  
• Kontact contact management
  
• The GIMP, for image creation and manipulation
  
• Amarok, for digital music collection and management

Each edition of Mandriva Linux 2006 is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. In addition to an extensive selection of software, all 2006 official versions include many pre-packaged commercial plugins such as Flash and Java players, NVIDIA and ATI drivers, and many others, according to the company.

Mandriva 2006 is available in three editions:

• Discovery/Lx, for the Linux beginner
  
• PowerPack, for the advanced computer user
  
• PowerPack+, for SOHO users

Mandriva 2006 is available for purchase at the Mandriva Store. Paid downloadable versions are available here. Mandriva Club members and Mandriva official contributors have rights to simply download the software. All Mandriva Linux 2006 editions include Web-based support, printed or electronic manuals, and a free limited subscription to Mandriva Online (for easy updates) and Mandriva Club, the company said.

download link:http://frontal2.mandriva.com/en/downloads