SolydXK is a Debian-based Linux distribution that offers a choice of two desktops: Xfce and KDE. It is a very new Linux OS, but do not push this new kid aside assuming stability and performance need a lot of maturing. In fact, SolydXK is already a solid and very impressive distro. It has more polish and smoother performance than many older Linux OS counterparts. Released in late February by “Schoelje,” a key developer of two discontinued desktop options within the Linux Mint distro, SolydXK picks up where the Linux Mint line leaves off.
I found SolydXK to be exceptional. Great user interface. An excellent replacement for Windows - especially XP. Would have been nice if Linux had at the beginning been as usable as the SolydXK OS
Thank you for an interesting review. I like distros that come in more than one DE flavor, as I prefer my DE to be on the lightweight Xfce/LXDE/Razor-QT/E17 side of things. I find it less satisfying when no lightweight spin is available. Here the option of Xfce scratches the lightweight itch.
The only two things this review left me wondering are whether the distro comes with all the various multi-media codecs, or makes them easy to install, and how seamlessly the wi-fi works. Nowadays, that's almost a non-issue with most distros, but I do run into some distros that could do a better job of making the user's task easier on both scores.
SolydXK sounds like a great system. I am glad to see you review a lesser-known distro.
In terms of future reviews, I'd be interested in a survey of the lightweight portable-media-friendly distros. Most folks know Puppy, Knoppix and even Porteus (my current o/s on a stick favorite), but I'd like to learn of any others out there.
Thanks for your interest in my reviews of Linux products. Sorry I did not include initial details about the multimedia codecs and such. It sometimes requires tough decisions on what to leave out of a review to stay within the space requirements.
So far I have not had any trouble with multimedia codecs. But I am still transitioning into SolydXK and have not been able to check it out on all of my gear.
I can tell you, though, that on my newest Dell laptop I have not been able to get a wireless connection. Neither SolydXK DE version sees the wireless card. But I have been able to get Z wireless connection on some of my older gear. I did not test SolydXK on all of my gear due to the time constraints. I only discussed that big disappointment afterwards. But I have since contacted the developer and am hoping that the missing hardware support will be included in an upcoming update. Otherwise, I will try to work around this glitch by getting a compatible USB wireless device.
Thanks for your suggestion about reviewing more lightweight portable-media-friendly distros. As you probably know, I have reviewed Puppy and KNoppix and use both, although I prefer Puppy still. But I will check out Porteus and plan a round up other similar portable and distros and lightweight DE distros as well.
I hope my enthusiasm for SolydXK is evident. I am really enjoying both versions on two different computers. I am starting to favor the K edition as I was an avid KDE user a few years ago. But the X edition really plays nicely on my other gear. I like the clean and fast approach the Xfce version delivers. Good luck with the distro's acceptance.
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SolydXK: New Kid on the Linux Block Delivers Rock-Solid Performance
Posted by: Jack M. Germain June 26, 2013 05:00 AMSolydXK is a Debian-based Linux distribution that offers a choice of two desktops: Xfce and KDE. It is a very new Linux OS, but do not push this new kid aside assuming stability and performance need a lot of maturing. In fact, SolydXK is already a solid and very impressive distro. It has more polish and smoother performance than many older Linux OS counterparts. Released in late February by “Schoelje,” a key developer of two discontinued desktop options within the Linux Mint distro, SolydXK picks up where the Linux Mint line leaves off.
The only two things this review left me wondering are whether the distro comes with all the various multi-media codecs, or makes them easy to install, and how seamlessly the wi-fi works. Nowadays, that's almost a non-issue with most distros, but I do run into some distros that could do a better job of making the user's task easier on both scores.
SolydXK sounds like a great system. I am glad to see you review a lesser-known distro.
In terms of future reviews, I'd be interested in a survey of the lightweight portable-media-friendly distros. Most folks know Puppy, Knoppix and even Porteus (my current o/s on a stick favorite), but I'd like to learn of any others out there.
So far I have not had any trouble with multimedia codecs. But I am still transitioning into SolydXK and have not been able to check it out on all of my gear.
I can tell you, though, that on my newest Dell laptop I have not been able to get a wireless connection. Neither SolydXK DE version sees the wireless card. But I have been able to get Z wireless connection on some of my older gear. I did not test SolydXK on all of my gear due to the time constraints. I only discussed that big disappointment afterwards. But I have since contacted the developer and am hoping that the missing hardware support will be included in an upcoming update. Otherwise, I will try to work around this glitch by getting a compatible USB wireless device.
Thanks for your suggestion about reviewing more lightweight portable-media-friendly distros. As you probably know, I have reviewed Puppy and KNoppix and use both, although I prefer Puppy still. But I will check out Porteus and plan a round up other similar portable and distros and lightweight DE distros as well.
Thank you for this fantastic review, and I'm happy you like SolydXK.
I blogged a link to this review. So, let's see if we can get more people to visit LinuxInsider.
I hope my enthusiasm for SolydXK is evident. I am really enjoying both versions on two different computers. I am starting to favor the K edition as I was an avid KDE user a few years ago. But the X edition really plays nicely on my other gear. I like the clean and fast approach the Xfce version delivers. Good luck with the distro's acceptance.
Thanks for the link to LinuxInsider.