* Mandrakesoft changes name and releases the latest version of its Linux OS
Mandriva (formerly Mandrakesoft) announced the latest version of its Linux operating system for machines based on IA-32 and PowerPC processors.
Mandriva Linux Limited Edition 2005 is the first product release since the company merged with Connectiva, the Brazil-based Linux distributor, and the first to come after the vendor changed its name in early April.
The name change, the vendor says, is meant to reflect the integration of Mandrakesoft and Connectiva; the move is also in acquiescence to an agreement with Hearst Holdings, which owns the copyright to the vintage “Mandrake the Magician” comics brand that dates back to 1934. Two years ago, Paris-based Mandrakesoft S.A. asked a French court to cancel Hearst’s trademark on the Mandrake name, but the court ruled with Hearst, owner of the well-known King Features Syndicate and publisher of several U.S. newspapers.
“The long-winding trademark lawsuit with Hearst Corporation has reached a point where we decided it is more reasonable for us to move forward,” the company said in a statement.
Getting back to technology issues, Mandriva Linux Limited Edition 2005 includes many features and popular open-source packages that should keep Linux enthusiasts interested, if not enchanted and spellbound, the vendor says.
Included in the 2.6.11-kernel-based software are the KDE 3.3 and GNOME 2.8 desktop environments, as well as Firefox for Web browsing, GIMP 2.2 for image editing and OpenOffice.org 1.1.4. A MySQL database is also thrown in, as well as dozens of other open source packages.
