Ubuntu Tips n Tricks

Friday, September 25, 2009

Kahel Linux: Yet Another Philippine-made Distro

Posted: 25 Sep 2009 03:45 AM PDT

A proof that Linux on the desktop is very much alive and is growing in popularity here in the Philippines is the birth of yet another distro named Kahel. In English, the word "kahel" means orange, which explains the orange t-shirt, beak, and feet of its Tux mascot found on the distro logo.

Unlike AMA Desktop and Bayanihan that are both derived from Debian, Kahel is proudly based on Arch Linux and utilizes GNOME for its desktop environment. Kahel adapted the rolling-release model to give its users the most up-to-date FOSS applications without having to rely on a new version of the OS.

At present, here are some of Kahel's features:

* uses the most recent Linux Kernel (2.6.30)
* support for NILFS2 and BTRFS by default
* utilizes Pacman and Package Kit
* GNOME Applications for Office, Multi-Media and Web- Browsing
* applications are optimized for i686 and x86-64

Here's an interesting note from Kahel's project website:

"Kahel OS is not just an Operating System so to speak. IT is not just a Technology Product on a Linux and Open Source Platform added to the thousands of FREE Distros already available in the community. IT does not explicitly want to be different or to be set apart from the rest. However, among others, we simply would like Kahel OS (just like our team) to be the embodiment of our IT Values and Philosophy.

It is also a gift and a manifestation of the collaborating Filipino spirit that believes in the competence of the Global IT Community."

Some screenshots: