Introducing Linvo GNU/Linux

A new distribution flew onto my radar today and I thought it might be interesting to take a quick look. Linvo is a Bulgarian hailed distribution based on Slackware featuring the GNOME 2.32 desktop. Yesterday, developers released Linvo 2010.12.6.

I say new because it's new to me and the Distrowatch database, although its version numbers go back to 2009.0. News posts on the Website start March 13, 2009 with what appears to be the first release on March 28, 2009.

From the site:

Why Linvo?

● Out-of-the-box experience
● Functionality
● Software support and installation
● Easy to configure
● Live CD
● Full multimedia support
● Compatibility
● Security and stability
● Easy to use, fast and beautiful desktop!
● Only platform-independent and function-rich applications
● Innovations that improve security, practicability and speed
● Absolutely free and open source

For new distributions especially it's an advantage to ship as a live CD/DVD and Linvo does just that. Most Slackware-based distros come as install images, so Linvo got bonus points before I even booted into the desktop. But it lost one because of being available just for 32-bit architectures.

Linvo ships with Linux 2.6.36, Xorg X Server 1.9.5, and GCC 4.5.2. A starter set of applications includes Biniax, GIMP, OpenOffice.org 3.2, Shotwell, Empathy, Gwibber, Skype, Chromium, Evolution, Brasero, Cheese, VLC, Rhythmbox, and lots of utilities such as a firewall configuration. Updates and additonal software can be installed using Gslapt with Linvo and Slackware repos. Even more applications can be installed from what some might call Linvo one-click installers on the Website. From the Website:

LinvoApp

This is the most distinctive feature of Linvo: the application management system. It allows you to:

● Multi-user, every system user can use different applications for himself
● Using applications from different kinds of media without needing installation
● Compared to other systems of that kind (for example, portableapps.org), LinvoApp does not require any special repackaging for the application to be converted into the required format
● Compared to systems like Slax's modules, LinvoApp works on an installed system rather than only on LiveCD and provides automatic dependency handling
● Synchronization with the website, an ability to restore your applications if any data loss occurs or if you install a different instance of Linvo; this is also usable if you need to synchronize a group of computers with the same selection of software (for example, in schools)
● An ability to personalize the Live CD
● Unbreakable upgrades between versions - applications and settings are (optionally) kept after reinstall, so it works as well as upgrade, only much more stable

The installer is quick and easy with just a few configuration questions. It worked well with no damage to my other partitions. The only complaint I have is that it didn't give me a choice about installing a bootloader. It installed GRUB seamlessly. I had a pretty bootloader that I liked, but Linvo's did pick up all my other installs and added them to the list. It's not very pretty though.

But the Linvo desktop is quite pretty. It uses an attractive but unobtrusive window decoration and theme as well as a really pretty wallpaper. I haven't tested all the applications or spent lengthy time stress-testing Linvo, but what I've seen I like. I'm impressed. For a relative newcomer, it seems to be holding its own against any other 1-CD distribution.

● User Forums
● Screenshots
● Download