MX-14 Linux

Maybe what you've been looking for

With so many Linux distros out in the wild, there truly is something for everyone. And yet, many people spend a great deal of time "distro hopping", trying out one version of Linux after another, hoping to find the one that is the perfect fit for them.

Well, I can't promise you that MX-14 is that "perfect fit" you've been looking for. But on the other hand, it's such a little known version, you might have not even seen or heard of it, and that would be a shame if it turns out to "the one".

So what are the features of MX-14 that might help to define who would want to use it?

Ease of use

You don't have to be a command line whiz to install and use MX-14. The installation process is simple, and post-installation there are instructions and tutorials on how to use and tweak the major apps and tools.

Fast running

Because MX-14 is designed to run on older hardware, it works quite well on those PCs, and positively flies on newer models. Attention to detail ensures that the base system is easy on resources, and this is complemented by the choice of the economical XFCE desktop.

Full-featured software

You don't have to pay a price for all this speed and memory savings. MX-14 comes installed with the LibreOffice productivity suite, IceWeasel browser (FireFox clone), VLC media player, Clementine music player, and more.

MX-14 prepared packages

The MX-14 team has taken the work out of downloading and installing a wide range of the most popular applications. These are pre-packaged and ready to install with one selection from the unique MX-14 categorized package list. Here's a small sampling: Audacity, Blender, Chromium, Gimp, KDE4, Mate, Netflix desktop, Opera, Thunderbird, Wine, XMMS.

Full Debian repository

Of course, since MX-14 is ultimately a Debian derivative, you have access to all the Debian apps, using the Synaptic package manager.

Remaster

If you are into tinkering and want to customize your own version of MX-14, or just want to use it from a USB device with retention of your choices for the next session, you can do that with the remastering tool.

Codecs

Restricted codecs are available through the System menu, after appropriate self-evaluation.

nVidia driver install

A script in the System menu allows you to easily download and install the nVidia driver appropriate to your nVidia card, if present, and add to the Settings menu the nVidia X server settings app so you can tweak parameters as desired.

Friendly forum

Very knowledgeable people, always willing to lend a hand. Besides long-time users, the developers also take an active part.

In essence, you get a very fast, small-footprint OS, and still have access to full-featured software and applications. This is no accident. MX-14 is built upon the foundations of the fast, efficient antiX operating system combined with the packaging efforts of the people who helped make Mepis the choice of people looking for a user friendly entry into Linux.

But Linux Guy says it better than I ever could. Take a look at his YouTube review. (Note that he is dealing with the first release of MX-14. The second is even better!)