Imagine taking Linux Mint, placing the Cinnamon desktop on it and then theming it to not only to serve as a perfect drop-in replacement for Windows 7 but to be one of the most beautiful Linux desktops you’ve seen in a long while. That’s what Feren OS has managed — and has done so with aplomb.
Feren OS first arrived in 2015 and recently unleashed their 2017 iteration of the platform…with stunning results. This is truly one of those instances that, upon installation, you’ll find yourself doing a double (or triple) take, asking, “Is this really Linux?” Not that the state of the Linux desktop is behind the competition, in fact, I consider many of the Linux desktops to be light years ahead of other desktops. But, Feren OS has achieved something special; they’ve created a Linux distribution that anyone could use, for nearly any purpose, with zero learning curve.
Let’s take a look at this new(ish) distro to see exactly what makes it special. We’ll also dig deep to see what kind of caveats lay under the polish (if any).
That look
You cannot deny Feren OS has done their homework to create a desktop anyone would be instantly familiar with (Figure 1).
There’s so little to say about this desktop. Why? Because you already know it. At least, anyone that’s used a desktop interface in the past 10 years will know it. You have a “start” button, a bottom panel, quick launchers, a system tray, desktop icons, a clock…all the usual pieces are in perfect place to make things simple, efficient, and elegant.
Click on the “start” button to reveal a very standard menu (Figure 2) that includes all the regular (necessary) categories for Accessories, Games, Graphics, Internet, Office, and more.