PR: Terra Soft Launches Most Polished Yellow Dog Linux, v4.1

[ Thanks to Kai Staats for this release. ]

Terra Soft Solutions, the leading developer of integrated Power Architecture Linux solutions is pleased to announce the release of Yellow Dog Linux v4.1.

This next evolution of Yellow Dog provides an incredible array of updates and improvements, the foundation for the most complete, integrated release to date:

• Support for backlit keys.
• PCMCIA cell phone and modem support.
• Support for Atheros wi-fi cards.
• Dual head config via the GUI.
• Install direct to and boot from FireWire drives.
• USB device auto-mount under both KDE & GNOME.
• Greatly improved sound support.
• Graphical Up2Date package install and update tool.
• Support for the latest Apple PowerBooks.
• Beta support for Apple G5 PowerMacs with dual core CPUs.
• Basic 64-bit development and runtime support.

...and a completely rebuilt KDE and Gnome "start" menu for vastly improved navigation of the graphical user interface.

Terra Soft's co-founder and CEO offers, "Looking back I count eight years and a dozen releases since we powered-on Terra Soft. An additional six months prior were our first experiments with MKLinux... [It would be] two years before the graphical installer was common-place. The following year we shipped our first pre-installed Apple computer.

"Over the years we integrated support for USB cameras, FireWire drives, wireless, 970 CPUs, SATA, InfiniBand and BlueTooth. They said it would never be done, but this fall a dedicated few produced beta support for Airport Extreme. A dizzying array of challenging complexity made simple in order that we may, through Linux, further our knowledge of the human DNA, improve the safety of our commercial aircraft, and deliver an email to a friend.

"And now from the top of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix Arizona, I am launching this press release via a PCMCIA cell phone, incorporating a digital photo taken just moments ago, and editing HTML on a server one thousand miles to the north.

"While Internet connectivity via a cell phone is not new, consider that the individuals who made it possible for Linux were not likely paid to do so, or the company for which they work released the result of their effort as a contribution--a clear demonstration of the power of the open-source community.

"While press releases typically follow a template for self-promotion and product availability, I desire to instead give credit to the Linux community for what I am able to do here today. While our six months labor in producing this highly integrated, refined release was tremendous, it is the open-source developers world-wide that have provided the components to make it possible.

"Perhaps moved by my perch from this early morning vantage, I invite those Windows and OSX users world-wide who have not tried Linux to experience the pleasure of a rich, full-featured operating system developed by a community of people motivated by creative expression and desire for continual improvement of the operating system... And yes, you can use your mouse."

Yellow Dog Linux v4.1 is immediately available from YDL.net Enhanced accounts, will ship from the Terra Soft Store and Resellers by the close of January, and will be available from public mirrors two weeks thereafter.

To learn more about YDL v4.1, visit: www.terrasoftsolutions.com/products/ydl/

Related Stories:

• LinuxInsider: Terra Soft Delivers Dual-PowerPC Cluster Node(Sep 06, 2005)
• Linux Journal: The (Near) Future of PowerPC and Linux(Sep 04, 2005)
• eWeek: PowerPC Linux Vendors Are Sticking with It(Jun 08, 2005)
• LWN: Yellow Dog Linux Sticks with PowerPC(Jun 07, 2005)