3MX
Encyclopedia
3MXatt's (M)ipsel (M)ini (L)inux is a Linux
based operating system
designed specifically to run on small netbooks
that use the following specifications:
A seven inch, 800 by 480 pixel screen with a 366 MHz Ingenic JZ4730 MIPS
CPU and 128 Megabytes of RAM
. Specifically developed for machines based around the Skytone Alpha-400
mini laptop.
3MX was created by one man, Matt O. known on the Internet by the username wicknix, there are a small number of versions available to download and install for free that are simply different release candidates of the core system. That means they are the same operating system but with differences and bug fixes, some users find earlier versions faster, some prefer the newest release depending on their personal preferences.
The 3MX ULTRA release features more than one web browser, unlike the original operating system, it also features a word processor, spreadsheet, pdf reader, HTML editor, email and instant chat software, video and MP3 player, internet radio, sound recorder, flash player, gameboy emulator, a number of Linux games including Tetris
, a Super Nintendo emulator and much more, giving it an extensive range of features.
There is also a retro version, again by the same person, that is essentially a faster better featured version of the default Alpha 400 operating system.
The Linux laptop it is designed for, with its 400 MHz MIPS CPU usually underclocked by the manufacturer to as little as 366 MHz, is not fast. Web browsing (depending on the web browser used) can be slow because of the small screen size and lack of processing power and so the 3MX operating system has to work within these constraints but does remarkably well providing the user with a decent mini laptop environment.
Information on the operating system, along with download links for the operating system and also additional software are available on the Small Linux Laptop forum http://linuxlaptopforum.ark2webdesign.co.uk/.
3MX 1.1 is a final rework of the original 3MX RC1. It addresses several issues that RC1 encountered. Unlike later versions of 3MX that are considered 'stable' this version comes with Pidgin as the main IM client. RC1.1 comes with Bon Echo (FireFox 2) browser.
3MX RC2.1
Although it's a major update and quite a lot of things are changed, RC2.1 is not used by a lot of people. Most people waited for RC3.1 or stayed on RC1.1
3MX RC3.1
Third major update with a lot of new apps. It now included Transmission Bittorrent, Napster, and up to four browsers: Elinks, Dillo
, Netsurf
and IceWeasel.
3MX Retro
Not an update to any previous 3MX release but instead completely based on the default OS. No applications of the default OS are removed, but a lot of apps that may be useful are added. It also uses a different theme.
3MX RC4
At the moment this is the latest version in the RCxx-branch. It's the most full-featured 3MX-version with a lot of popular games, updated applications, a working battery status monitor icon, etc.
3MX Ultra
The Ultra-series are not an update to 3MX RC4, but build on RC1.1 again. It starts faster than RC4 and it is a lot more stable than RC1.1.
3MX Ultra2
An update to 3MX Ultra. It was released silently and included a newer version of Pidgin (with Facebook-plugin), Abiword-plugins, Lynx and DosBox. Also the taskbar-icons are more complete.
3MX Ultra3
Although Ultra2 was considered one of the most stable and usable 3MX-releases, wicknix announced 3MX Ultra3 as the final 3MX-release. People could make suggestions for new programs and features on the LLL-forum.
This resulted in a lot of bug-fixes and a few new programs, like Defendguin and shareware
version of Doom (prboom). Contains:
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
based operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
designed specifically to run on small netbooks
Netbook
Netbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers.At their inception in late 2007 as smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost — netbooks omitted certain features , featured smaller screens and keyboards, and offered reduced computing...
that use the following specifications:
A seven inch, 800 by 480 pixel screen with a 366 MHz Ingenic JZ4730 MIPS
MIPS architecture
MIPS is a reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by MIPS Technologies . The early MIPS architectures were 32-bit, and later versions were 64-bit...
CPU and 128 Megabytes of RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
. Specifically developed for machines based around the Skytone Alpha-400
Skytone Alpha-400
The Skytone Alpha-400 is a Linux-based low-cost netbook with a 7 in 800×480 LCD screen. Its measurements are 210×140×32 mm and it weighs 0.65 kg....
mini laptop.
3MX was created by one man, Matt O. known on the Internet by the username wicknix, there are a small number of versions available to download and install for free that are simply different release candidates of the core system. That means they are the same operating system but with differences and bug fixes, some users find earlier versions faster, some prefer the newest release depending on their personal preferences.
The 3MX ULTRA release features more than one web browser, unlike the original operating system, it also features a word processor, spreadsheet, pdf reader, HTML editor, email and instant chat software, video and MP3 player, internet radio, sound recorder, flash player, gameboy emulator, a number of Linux games including Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
, a Super Nintendo emulator and much more, giving it an extensive range of features.
There is also a retro version, again by the same person, that is essentially a faster better featured version of the default Alpha 400 operating system.
The Linux laptop it is designed for, with its 400 MHz MIPS CPU usually underclocked by the manufacturer to as little as 366 MHz, is not fast. Web browsing (depending on the web browser used) can be slow because of the small screen size and lack of processing power and so the 3MX operating system has to work within these constraints but does remarkably well providing the user with a decent mini laptop environment.
Information on the operating system, along with download links for the operating system and also additional software are available on the Small Linux Laptop forum http://linuxlaptopforum.ark2webdesign.co.uk/.
Releases
3MX RC1.13MX 1.1 is a final rework of the original 3MX RC1. It addresses several issues that RC1 encountered. Unlike later versions of 3MX that are considered 'stable' this version comes with Pidgin as the main IM client. RC1.1 comes with Bon Echo (FireFox 2) browser.
3MX RC2.1
Although it's a major update and quite a lot of things are changed, RC2.1 is not used by a lot of people. Most people waited for RC3.1 or stayed on RC1.1
3MX RC3.1
Third major update with a lot of new apps. It now included Transmission Bittorrent, Napster, and up to four browsers: Elinks, Dillo
Dillo
Dillo is a minimalistic web browser particularly intended for older or slower computers and embedded systems. It supports only plain HTML/XHTML and images over HTTP; scripting is ignored entirely. Dillo is available for Linux, BSD, Solaris and Mac OS X. Due to its small size, it is the browser of...
, Netsurf
NetSurf
NetSurf is an open source web browser which runs on a variety of platforms including RISC OS, AmigaOS and Unix-like systems. NetSurf has features that include tabbed browsing, text selection and PDF export...
and IceWeasel.
3MX Retro
Not an update to any previous 3MX release but instead completely based on the default OS. No applications of the default OS are removed, but a lot of apps that may be useful are added. It also uses a different theme.
3MX RC4
At the moment this is the latest version in the RCxx-branch. It's the most full-featured 3MX-version with a lot of popular games, updated applications, a working battery status monitor icon, etc.
3MX Ultra
The Ultra-series are not an update to 3MX RC4, but build on RC1.1 again. It starts faster than RC4 and it is a lot more stable than RC1.1.
3MX Ultra2
An update to 3MX Ultra. It was released silently and included a newer version of Pidgin (with Facebook-plugin), Abiword-plugins, Lynx and DosBox. Also the taskbar-icons are more complete.
3MX Ultra3
Although Ultra2 was considered one of the most stable and usable 3MX-releases, wicknix announced 3MX Ultra3 as the final 3MX-release. People could make suggestions for new programs and features on the LLL-forum.
This resulted in a lot of bug-fixes and a few new programs, like Defendguin and shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
version of Doom (prboom). Contains:
- Internet Apps - Bon Echo (Firefox 2.0.0.1), Skipstone 0.9.7, ElinksELinksELinks is a free text-based console web browser for Unix-like operating systems.It began in late 2001 as an Experimental fork by Petr Baudiš of the Links Web browser, hence the name...
0.11.1, PidginPidgin (software)Pidgin is an open-source multi-platform instant messaging client, based on a library named libpurple. Libpurple has support for many commonly used instant messaging protocols, allowing the user to log into various services from one application.The number of Pidgin users was estimated to be over 3...
2.6.5, SylpheedSylpheedSylpheed is an open source e-mail client and news client licensed under the GPL. It provides easy configuration and an abundance of features. It stores mail in the MH Message Handling System. Sylpheed runs on Unix-like systems such as Linux or BSD as well as on Mac OS X and Windows. It uses...
2.7.1 - Office Apps - AbiWordAbiWordAbiWord is a free and open source software word processor. It was originally started by SourceGear Corporation as the first part of a proposed AbiSuite. Development stopped when SourceGear changed their focus to Internet appliances. AbiWord was adopted by some open source developers and AbiWord...
2.4.5, GnumericGnumericGnumeric is a spreadsheet program that is part of the GNOME Free Software Desktop Project. Gnumeric version 1.0 was released December 31, 2001. Gnumeric is distributed as free software under the GNU GPL license; it is intended to replace proprietary and other spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft...
1.6.3, ePDFView 0.1.6 - Editor Apps - BluefishBluefish (text editor)Bluefish is a web design editor focused towards the development of dynamic websites. Bluefish supports development in HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML, PHP, C, C++, JavaScript, Java, Google Go, Vala, Ada, D, SQL, Perl, ColdFusion, JSP, Python, Ruby and shell. Bluefish is available on most platforms,...
1.0.7, GeanyGeanyGeany is a lightweight cross-platform GTK+ text editor based on Scintilla and including basic Integrated Development Environment features. It is designed to have short load times, with limited dependency on separate packages or external libraries. It is available for a wide range of operating...
0.9, NEditNEditNEdit, the Nirvana editor, is a text editor and source code editor for the X Window System. It has an interface similar to text editors on Microsoft Windows and Macintosh, rather than to older UNIX editors like Emacs...
5.5, SciTESciTESciTE or SCIntilla based Text Editor is a cross-platform text editor written by Neil Hodgson using the Scintilla editing component. It is licensed under a minimal version of the Historical Permission Notice and Disclaimer...
1.71, Midnight CommanderMidnight CommanderGNU Midnight Commander is a free cross-platform orthodox file manager and a clone of Norton Commander originally created by Miguel de Icaza.Midnight Commander is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License.-Design:...
4.6.1,
External links
- Small Linux Laptop Forum http://linuxlaptopforum.ark2webdesign.co.uk/
- Little Linux Laptop forum http://www.littlelinuxlaptop.com/forum/?wpforumaction=viewforum&f=7.0