Fedora is one of the best-known desktop Linux distros but there aren’t a whole lot of derivative distros based on it. Fusion 14 is a new distro that uses Fedora 14 as its base. Don’t be fooled though, Fusion is not your father’s Fedora at all. There’s more to it than meet’s the eye and it stands a pretty good chance of replacing generic Fedora for users who like the Fedora base but who prefer to have some value-added features that take it to another level.

If you aren’t familiar with Fedora 14 itself, please see the earlier review I wrote of it for DLR. KDE users may want to refer to the review of the KDE version of Fedora 14.

Here’s the official description of Fusion from the Fusion site:

Fusion Linux is a Fedora Remix that uses a combination of free and open-source, non-free and non-open-source firmware and software, to bring the user the most advanced experience on the Linux platform.

Fusion Linux includes an outstanding theme, multimedia functionality out of the box and added desktop tweaks for better usability.And finally, Fusion Linux is 100% compatible with Fedora.

What’s New In This Release
Here’s a sample of the new features in this release:
Custom theme
Post install welcome wizard
Multimedia support
More games
Skype removed
Better hardware compatibility
Mint menu
DockbarX
GNOME Do
The post install welcome script is a really nice touch in this distro. Once your install is finished and you reboot, a terminal window will open and you can configure your system. The script lets you update your system, install Skype, setup sudo, use Redshift, install Dropbox, or change your wallpaper. While it would be nice if it didn’t run in a terminal window, it’s still a useful tool for those who want to tweak things a bit before using Fusion. The desktop section of the review has images of the entire configuration process.

Enhanced multimedia support is always a welcome thing in any distro, as far as I’m concerned. Fusion gives you flash, MP3 and DivX support by default.The removal of Skype was done to facilitate free distribution of Fusion Linux. I don’t regard it as a big deal at all since the welcome script lets you put it back in with ease in seconds.

The inclusion of Linux Mint’s menu is welcome indeed. I know that some people don’t like it but I always have, so I never mind seeing it borrowed by other distros. It adds some extra value to any distro that uses it. I hope more distro developers will consider adding it to their offerings at some point.

Source: Linuxtoday