SolydX is an open source operating system, a special edition of the Solyd Linux distribution that features the lightweight Xfce desktop environment. Just like its bigger brother, SolydX is based on the award winning Debian GNU/Linux distro.
Availability, boot options, supported architectures
The operating system is available for download as Live DVD ISO images, which support both 32-bit and 64-bin instruction set architectures and can be booted from USB flash drives or DVD discs. They are designed from the ground up to be straightforward, automatically booting the live environment.
This also means that the boot prompt is hidden by default and can only be accessed by pressing any key during the ten second timeout. From there, users can boot the live session in verbose mode or in compatibility mode, as well as to start an existing OS from the local disk or run a memory diagnostic test.
Another interesting feature is the ability to start the live environment with RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) enabled. Furthermore, you can check the boot medium for defects (only if using a DVD media), as well as to reboot or shutdown the computer.
Traditional desktop environment for low-end machines
It’s obvious that this Solyd edition has been designed for people who want to turn old and semi-old computers into modern workstations, mainly because of the low on resources Xfce desktop environment, which comprises of a single taskbar located at the bottom edge of the screen.
Default applications include the Exaile audio player, ClamTk virus scanner, AbiWord word processor, Mozilla Firefox web browser, Gnumeric spreadsheet editor, VLC Media Player, Xfburn CD/DVD burning software, Mozilla Thunderbird email and news client, Pidgin instant messenger, Transmission torrent downloader, Shotwell image viewer and organizer, and GIMP image editor.
Bottom line
Summing up, SolydX is the little brother (or sister) of the SolydK Linux distribution, specifically designed for low-end machines and computers with old hardware components. It provides users with a rolling-release model, which means that you will never have to reinstall the operating system to get the latest software updates.
