Regarding Red Hat Enterprise Linux-based systems, the three most hyped names to date are AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and Oracle Linux. But, of course, they are far from exhausted the RHEL-based distributions competing for their share of the enterprise Linux segment.
We are glad to introduce you to one of the less popular RHEL derivatives today, thanks to the release of the EuroLinux Desktop edition. But, before we go any further, let’s make a few necessary clarifications.
What is EuroLinux?
EuroLinux is an enterprise-class Linux distribution derived from RHEL source code and distributed under the GNU General Public License. In development since 2013 and since then, four major versions of EuroLinux based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux have been released: 6, 7, 8, and 9.
Following the release of the eighth edition, EuroLinux provided the system in two business models: one paid with technical support from the manufacturer and the other free and without support.
As one might assume, EuroLinux is an operating system used primarily for server applications. However, its developers adopted a novel approach by introducing an entirely server-oriented operating system for the desktop segment. Meet EuroLinux Desktop.
EuroLinux Desktop
EuroLinux Desktop is a modern operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9. This means that it is directly compatible with it. On the other hand, it includes additional functionalities, extensions, and facilities.
It is designed for people and organizations that use Windows or macOS daily and are looking for a stable system with many years of technical support and a similar aesthetic.
In other words, EuroLinux Desktop is intended for office work, public institutions, companies, educational institutions, and private users.
As with all other RHEL 9 derivatives, the working environment is GNOME 40. In addition, we want to stress that the desktop functionality is achieved through the usage of extensions rather than modifications to GNOME code.
For example, the popular Dash to Panel extension, which provides panel functionality, comes preinstalled in EuroLinux Desktop. Night Theme Switcher allows you to switch day/night themes with a single click of the moon icon in the dock. Furthermore, the DING extension provides you with the presence of desktop icons.
Of course, multimedia has been considered, supporting nearly all common video and audio formats. In addition, LibreOffice 7.1.8 is provided for users’ office needs.
Again, as with other RHEL9-based Linux distros, under the hood, you’ll find Linux Kernel 5.14, systemd 250, PipeWire 0.3.47, etc.
It’s worth noting that EuroLinux Desktop ships with Flatpak support enabled by default. This allows you to install any of the thousands of Flathub applications with a single click using the GNOME Software app.
For more information about EuroLinux Desktop, you can refer to the official announcement or visit the company’s website. It is available for immediate download as an installation ISO image (6.8 GB) for 64-bit platforms. The download link is at the bottom of the announcement page.
Last but not least, EuroLinux Desktop is covered by ten years of technical support from the manufacturer.
