Epidemic GNU/Linux is a Brazilian Debian-based desktop distribution with KDE

The Epidemic development team has announced the availability of the third beta release of Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.1, a Brazilian Debian-based desktop distribution with KDE and out-of-the box support for popular graphics drivers, media codecs and 3D desktop effects.
The focus of the development effort since beta 2 was on correcting bugs and polishing the system, but there have been also some important additions, such as a new boot option that allows booting directly from an ISO image located on a hard disk, speed improvements in the boot process with elimination of text messages, and integration of ESU (a user-friendly authentication module developed in-house) with KNotification.

Update:

Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.2, a Brazilian desktop distribution based on Debian's "testing" branch, has been released. New features in this version include: eMorph - a new utility which serves as a second system installation step and which allows users to install or remove selected sets of programs, extending or reducing the functionality of the system with just a few mouse clicks; eUpgrade - a new tool which makes it easy to upgrade the distribution to a newer version from the comfort of a graphical application; ePendrive - a utility that allows the user to save changes made to the distribution while running it from a USB storage device; improved, beginner-friendly installer written in C++ and Qt.... Read the detailed release announcement (in Portuguese) to find out more about the release. Download the live DVD image supporting Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and English languages from here: epidemic-3.2-1-i686.iso (1,039MB, MD5). The Epidemic development team has announced the availability of the second beta release of Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.2, a Brazilian desktop Linux distribution based on Debian's testing branch. Besides fixing bugs and adding polish, the developers have also includes a number of interesting new features: the ePendrive module of Systemsettings now includes an option that asks the user where to save changes while running in live mode; new page layout for eAsy Channel information, now written in XHTML; redesign of the eCommunity user interface which now includes a ranking system based on collaboration made by the members; improvements in support for proprietary ATI and NVIDIA video cards; the LXDE desktop, first included in beta 1, comes with many improvements for better integration with the distribution; following a number of requests, Synaptic and Gdebi-KDE are once again included as package management options.

For more information please see the release announcement (in Portuguese). Download: epidemic-3.2-b2-1-i686.iso (861MB, MD5).

Recent releases:

• 2011-04-14: Distribution Release: Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.2
• 2010-10-07: Development Release: Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.2 Beta 2
• 2010-02-22: Distribution Release: Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.1
• 2009-12-11: Development Release: Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.1 Beta 3
• 2009-11-10: Development Release: Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.1 Beta 2
• 2009-08-15: Development Release: Epidemic GNU/Linux 3.1 Beta 1

Epidemic GNU/Linux is a Brazilian desktop Linux distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux. Its main features are the KDE desktop, easy-to-use installer, 3D desktop features with CompizFusion, use of the GFXBoot bootloader, out-of-the-box support for numerous proprietary and non-free kernel drivers, and support for a variety of media codecs.

Screenshots.

Update:

Although this new version of the Epidemic has been focused mainly on bug fixing and polishing system, also brings some important new features such as:
1 – New boot parameter (bootfrom)

With parameter bootfrom=/device/path/file.iso to start the Epidemic from an ISO image located anywhere in HD. This is a good option for those who wants to learn more about the system, without the need to burn a DVD or install it on HD. It is also an excellent option for those wanting to install the Epidemic in equipment that do not have a DVD drive, such as netbooks or nettops, without the need to create a LivePendrive.

2 - Development of theESU
The ESU is a new application created by Team Epidemic in the form of a PAM (Pluggable Authentication Module) and a module for systemsettings (the Unified Control Center KDE and Epidemic), which enables the administrator system, greater freedom in the choice of how other users have to authenticate to perform actions that depend on administrative privileges.

With the ESU, the administrator can choose between three different forms of authentication for other users: a) Authentication without a password, given only when the system is rodanddo by Live-DVD b) normal password authentication is used by default when the sitema is installed on the HD c) Authentication by visual confirmation by clicking on a window Knotification (the notification system of KDE 4).

3 - Replacing GRUB Legacy by GRUB 2
The Epidemic GNU / Linux 3.1 is the first version of Epidemic using GRUB 2 instead of GRUB Legacy, both for booting the installed system and for booting the LiveDVD, which undoubtedly is a very important advance, since the version of GRUB Legacy has had its development process discontinued in favor of GRUB 2 and was awarded only a few bug fixes.

4 - Introduction of support Ext4
In Epidemic GNU / Linux 3.1, the ext4 file system began to be adopted by default. Ext4 is a great improvement compared to Ext3, because it changes important data structures, with direct impacts ma performance and system reliability.

5 - KDE 4.3 and Compiz Fusion (Running direct LiveDVD)
The Epidemic GNU / Linux 3.1 comes with the very latest in desktop environments, with KDE 4.3 and Compiz Fusion running directly from the LiveDVD, provides an easy and fun way to interact with the windows system, also providing speed and utility, and some stunning effects.

6 - Improvements of the eInstaller
We made several improvements and bug fixes of the eInstaller (the Graphical Installer developed by Epidemic Team ), highlighting the new options for installing GRUB.

7 - New System graphical boot (Plymouth)
Replacement Bootsplash by Plymouth, which allows the Epidemic to use the standard Debian kernel, without the need to apply any patch, increasing even more compatible with its parent distribution.

8 - New system initialization
Launch of scripsts boot-term care and in parallel, with significant reduction in boot time, especially in processors with more than one core.

9 - Unification of boot options
Unification of options Epidemic, Epidemic Epidemic nvidia and ati, from choosing the most appropriate driver to be made automatically by the system.

10 - New Kernel 2.6.32-trunk-686

New Kernel optimized for the i686 architecture, with support for the 3d drivers from Nvidia and ATI, including the drivers 173.14.xx legacy, 71.86.xx, 96.43.xx Nvidia, have all previously installed and configured, running directly from the LiveDVD.

11 - Internationalization
Added support for internationalization of the system, as with the English translation done by Otto R. Heredia de Sá.