14 DAY TRIAL // Black Lab Linux 6.0 Beta 2, a distribution that is now based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and is using the Xfce desktop environment, has been released for download and testing.
Black Lab Linux started its life as a possible alternative to Windows XP. It targeted those specific users with a specialized design that aimed to provide a similar experience, but the developers have moved on since then. It looks like they are still searching for their identity, because they are jumping from one desktop environment to another with each new version.
The previous Beta in the series was based on GNOME and the devs made a few modifications to make their desktop look different from everyone else. They were successful, but it didn't last. Now the distribution is using an Xfce desktop and it's unlike anything you have seen so far.
Black Lab Linux 6.0 really wants to be different
"We are pleased to announce the availability of Black Lab Linux 6 Beta 2. As we march on to the release date of November 1, 2014 we have introduced a few new features for Black Lab Linux 6 Beta 2."
"First, this is a build of our XFCE version. We have modified XFCE so that it looks completely different different then what we have done with Black Lab Linux in the past. It has a unique deskbar feature that makes the desktop more intuitutive and functional as well as the app dock at the bottom," say the devs on their blog.
The makers of Black Lab Linux also say that they have fixed some of the issues that have been reported until now. For example, playing YouTube in full screen mode should now work properly, the strange mouse movement in virtual environments should have been fixed (we’ve noticed that some problems are still present with this one), and initial support for Steam machines has been implemented.
Check the official announcement for more details. You can download Black Lab Linux 6.0 Beta 2 right now from Softpedia. This is only the 64-bit edition and there are no plans for a 32-bit one.
A new development version, this time a Release Candidate, is expected to land on October 15 and we hope that the developers will finally decide on a desktop environment. Constantly changing it is becoming tiresome.
If you decide to test this version, please use VirtualBox or another similar solution. This is not intended for production machines.
