The forthcoming Linux distribution is expected to integrate technology from Brazilian Linux vendor Conectiva, which was acquired by Paris, France-based MandrakeSoft in February before the company changed its name.
It will also be the first release under the Mandriva name to be backed by the company’s support and services. An interim release, Mandriva Linux Limited Edition 2005, was released in May.
It replaced the previously scheduled Mandrakelinux 10.2, was the last of that development branch, and was designed to be transitional release for existing customers wanting to get their hands on some of the latest Linux technology updates.
Mandriva Linux 2006 will integrate technology from Conectiva and Mandrakesoft’s web services into a new product taking the best features from each of the distributions, and is expected to be generally available in August.
Not all of the new features are available in the first beta version, according to the new company, although there are changes to network management, especially Wi-Fi, and security, as well as new versions of the KDE and Gnome interfaces, and a new version of the Linux kernel.
Mandriva Linux 2006 is also the first product to be delivered as part of the company’s new annual release cycle, which is a response to requests from partners and distributors for a more convenient release cycle, as well as requests from customers for greater investment of time in new features.
Four months after the purchase of Conectiva, Mandriva also acquired Linux desktop vendor Lycoris. The development teams at Mandriva and Lycoris are also at work on a converged desktop product that will merge Mandriva Discovery with Lycoris’s Desktop/LX.
