The SolusOS team is pleased to announce the release of SolusOS 2 Alpha 3. This release utilises the Gnome Classic Desktop Environment 3.4 (not fallback), which is heavily tweaked to behave and look the same as Gnome 2
Please note that this is a development release and is not intended for use on production machines.
What’s different about SolusOS’s GNOME?
In SolusOS 2 we will be using GNOME 3.4, which in its current state features a largely unusable fallback mode. We decided to patch various parts of GNOME to make our implementation look and act identically to our Gnome 2 setup seen in SolusOS 1. This has been done in a way that will ensure 100% upstream compatability
How is it different from other forks?
Our Gnome isn’t a fork. We patched certain things, like the session, the panel and the file manager to restore original interaction, such as being able to drag panels, right click to access the context menu, being able to create desktop shortcuts (launchers). Our GNOME uses around 140MB of RAM idle, doesn’t require hardware acceleration and is using nautilus, metacity and gnome-panel.
What is SolusOS 2 based on?
SolusOS is always based on Debian Stable. So in order to get ourselves ready for the next stable version, Wheezy, we’ve begun the public development process of SolusOS 2 now so that we can ensure the project will be as complete as possible
Is this replacing SolusOS Eveline(1.0/1.1)?
No! 
Eveline is still our stable branch and will remain so until Wheezy becomes stable in Debian. Eveline will still be supported until its base, Squeeze, is no longer supported (1.5 years after Wheezy becomes stable)
How can the community get involved?
We’re going to need a lot of new programs for our desktop, for example we’re missing a theme-chooser utility, but that will come later this week. We want anyone who can code to start porting Gnome 2 Applets to the new API, or even start writing new applets! Get involved, these are exciting times!
I thought Fallback Mode is getting dropped?
We’ve modified the “fallback” mode so much now it really is “Gnome Classic”. We will continue to maintain the session and components (i.e gnomepanel) even if usptream won’t. We have some really cool long-standing wishlist items coming into it very soon too (think: translucency)
Brief overview of software versions
- Firefox 13.0
- Thunderbird 13.0
- LibreOffice 3.5.4
- Linux Kernel 3.3.6(with BFS/preempt)
- SolusOS Gnome Classic 3.3.4
- Openshot 1.4.2
- VLC 2.0.1
- systemd over sysvinit
Many new applications are available in the software repository.
About this release
This a development release and isn’t meant for every-day use. We hope the community will step forward and
help us identify issues and improve the distribution
Known issues
- compiz-gtk not installed (install from repository)
- Installer due for rewrite
- GTK theme faulty in places (e.g gedit)
- Control Center Background black
- Some missing applications (skype, etc) (we’re still packaging these)
Last but not least
Thank you to everyone involved in SolusOS. Without your help none of this would be possible. We
hope you enjoy this release as much as we have enjoyed creating it
MD5:
2c1c80c62d03d62f11411fde9cf6cd1a
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I have already downloaded to test this afternoon
Thanks
SolusOS Rox
downloading right now, many thanks to you Ikey
dam you guys are fast! O.o
I did a test in Virtual Box and I think that is very promising. Some issues: the contrast in System Settings window is very low (the backgroung is too dark) and is hard to distinguish the text; I didn’t found any customization settings (themes, colors – as in ver.1); It would be very useful to have the posibility to create shortcuts on desktop using right-click on applications (not just “pin” and “Add to Side Pane”); I think it would be also useful to have preinstalled Wine and Play on Linux, and, why not, much more applications (for office, video and audio processing a.s.o.), so making possible a higher functionality on computers without connection to internet.
You can create launchers by right clicking the desktop and hitting the Create launcher item.
We patched nautilus so you could do this. As for Cardapio we’ll add it in time.
Wine/PlayOnLinux will be put in the repositories.
I’ve nearly finished the theme utility, it will be available today.
About creating launchers on desktop, I know about the method you described. But, would be much easier (and appreciated by users) to create shortcuts on desktop with a simple right-click on the desired application – like in KDE or Windows (I try to convince as many Windows users I can to go further with Linux). It is too hard to make the system this way? In the end, I want to thank you for the great job you’re doing.
Fair point. I’ll try and get Cardapio to do it
(in later alphas, not 4)
Amazing work! It is going to be most used Linux OS in coming time…stability of Debian with new kernel and new applications…I can see the future of Linux OS…this community is doing things right and filling all major gaps which many Linux users want from some time. All the very best!
Regards,
Pawan
Wow! amazing release! Can’t wait when final product comes out. For now, i will test the alpha in a VM :d
Keep up the amazing work Ikey and Solus Team!
why was my comment removed all i asked is why the jump from 1.1 to 2.0? and how long is each version of solusos is supported like ubuntu has new releases every 6 months and is support for 18 months. unless it’s an LTS release?
” why was my comment removed all i asked is why the jump from 1.1 to 2.0? ” hi David, because this question should be posted to the forums right away
nevermind 1.5 years hmm that’s not very long?
Looks promising indeed.
But please share some screenshots to allow people to get a better idea of what Gnome 3 in Solus is.
The screenshots are on the release announcement page
Got it in a virtualbox. Seems to run fine. Can’t seem to change the theme. Tried to download gnome-tweak-tool. No go. Guess it hasn’t been packaged yet. Will test further.
gnome-tweak-tool is in the repos. We don’t use it.
Use “solusdesktop” (just put in the repos today)
OK thanks.
As much as I like gnome-shell, I think this is really what should have been done in the principle for those who miss the old gnome 2 experience. Trying to mantain gnome 2 up as MATE is trying to seems really a waste of resources (that’s just my particular opinion, I think they did a good job keeping it alive but it seems they have choosen the wrong way of doing it). Whatever, all I wanted to say is congratulations on your approach, I think I may download the ISO to test it – despite me not liking Debian so much because of my unreasonable urge for using alpha-ish unstable applications.
GREAT JOB IKEY,
I like it very much, but i wonder how to remaster it with remastersys.
hope you can put remastersys in SolusOS
‘s repository.
Thanks
Thank you very much
We’ll look into remastersys in the near future
I can’t live without Synaptic Package Manager.
It’s the bread and butter program of installation, Add/Remove Software is a fancy cake, but the strengh and simplicity of Synaptic has given it many admirers.
First impressions of SolusOS-2, lovely design, Ikey.
Congratulations, it’s impressive.
Please fix the Monitor Resolution with SolusOS-1 64-bit. I cannot set the resolution to 1440×900. I just set it on this 32-bit SolusOS-2 and it works fine at 1440×900. So far anyway. I rebooted and the resolution is as I set it. Getting the 64-bit to work the same is the challenge to come.
In the bottom panel, I centrally place 3 or 4 icons: ClearDesktop, Kill, Lockscreen and Shutdown. Right clicking on the icon and selecting Move allows acceptable movement, but there is no fine control in placing the icon in a specified place in the panel. It’s no big problem, but fine control is always better.
The only computer game I play is Shogi (Japanese chess). I can download it in Debian or Linux Mint Debian and enjoy a game, but although I can download from Add/Remove Software, it doesn’t open in SolusOs-1 or SolusOS-2. The path to the Games section in the Menu is not recognised perhaps – maybe a config file is missing. Anyway, the game can be downloaded in Solus but it cannot be played.
I have just moved files from an OS on another partition to Solus-2. Also I moved some files from a 32-GB USB pendrive. SolusOS-2 recognises all other partitions and allows access, and works perfectly with the pendrive. Cool and efficient.
So it’s smart and easy to use. It’s got a bit of WoW factor. Thanks for all your hard work. Will let you know of any problems I encounter.
Best wishes.
By the way, I did a full installation: one partition for / and one for /home. The installation took maybe 9 minutes. It was fast. I meant to time it exactly but I forgot.
On the log-in screen, the user name is white font on a grey background, I think. It was difficult to see. Keep in mind that there will be some visually-impaired users and pensioners digging your OS-2 too
Overall though, the design work is excellent. A pleasure to use.
Good morning
Add/Remove Software works fine. To test it, I installed gnushogi, xshogi and Synaptic Package Manager.
Synaptic Package Manager works fine once installed. To test it, I removed gnushogi and xshogi (as they do not work in SolusOS; I will install them again if you can fix this) and I installed the great Gimp, which I reguarly use when saving or editing images or photos.
To test that Gimp is working OK, I clicked the PrintScreen key on the keyboard to take a picture of the SolusOS-2 desktop. Hmm. PrintScreen works but it hides the image in the Pictures directory in Home. Unusual. Most OS save a PrintScreen picture to the Desktop but that’s no problem.
The Desktop is to be kept clear, I presume. Is that the design idea? When I inserted the USB pen drive, nothing showed on the desktop, as it does in Linux Mint Debian. I had to go to the left panel in Home which shows the drives and partitions, and click in the USB icon to open it. If this is the intentional default, it’s not a bad design ideas, just a bit different. And it takes a few seconds longer to access files. I think Scientific Linux works the same way. I will check out if that can be changed tomorrow.
Off topic: Gimp seems to have gone like Gnome, all for changes and style above substance – the Gimp I downloaded is version 2.8 and first impressions are that that what was KISS (keep it simple) is now a lot more complicated to use. It wouldn’t let me save a picture as .jpg. I will have to start a new learning curve again and find out how to do that. Sad people. But off topic and not a Solus problem. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Good night. 01.00 hours and getting late.
SolusOS-2 will get many fans.
Wow thanks for all the feed back!
The desktop volumes issue can be resolved using “solusdesktop” tool.
It has an option to enable/disable desktop icons for volumes. I’m getting alpha 4 finished now I’d love
to get your feedback on it
Tried it and it works like a charm, can you please please provide options for installing it in LVM.
OMG, this distro is so f***ing great. This is what i am searching for a long time. I am change from ubuntu to Solus and i must say… Great job. Keep it up.