14 DAY TRIAL // The KDE-based Netrunner Rolling Linux distro was updated shortly after the initial release in order to correct a problem with the NVIDIA drivers, and the developers took this opportunity to also update a number of other packages.
The Netrunner Rolling version of the distribution was originally released just a few days ago and it's based on Manjaro. The regular version uses Kubuntu as a base, but the end result is not all that different. The two distros have different update philosophies. As the name of the Netrunner Rolling implies, this OS follows a rolling release model, which means that major changes are pushed with the help of regular updates and not through big releases.
The Netrunner developers had to fix the NVIDIA issue, so they figured they could make some other changes as well. Given the fact that the initial release was made on September 22, it's quite interesting to see just how many modifications have been made in such a short time.
Many, many changes
"We are releasing this maintenance shortly after our initial 2014.09 release to fix problems with the nvidia driver, and include a first fix for the bash shell vulnerability. We also updated Samba file sharing, kontact accounts and language packs installation. Laptop Mode Tools was replaced by the new TLP to give you better control of your power consumption and achieve a longer battery life with your laptop."
"With the 2014.09 version we updated Netrunner Rolling to the latest software updates from Manjaro including Kernel 3.14.18 with lots of bugs fixed and new driver support," say the devs.
As you can see from the changelog, most developers are now looking to also patch the bash vulnerabilities that affected many Linux operating systems. Netrunner was no exception. Because the devs pushed an ISO image with the old version of bash still installed, they had to regenerate it. Most likely, the bigger Linux distros out there won't do the same.
Also, KDE SC was updated to version 4.14, which is now the latest version available. In fact, this particular branch of KDE only has a few months to live, as the last supported version will be made available in November. The developers also explained that the they integrated some of the latest packages as well, such as LibreOffice 4.2.6, Skype 4.3, and Thunderbird 31.1.1.
We also have a screenshot tour of the release made a few days ago and the new version is not any different, if you want to take a look. You can download the latest Netrunner Rolling 2014.09.1 from Softpedia and give it a spin.