For many longtime Linux users, however, there's nothing like the welcoming feel of the old, familiar GNOME 2 interface, and that's just what a new has set out to deliver.

Based on , SolusOS is a beginner-friendly desktop Linux whose next version--now in alpha--features a GNOME 3 fork designed to look and behave just like GNOME 2.

quickly sprinted up DistroWatch's page-hit rankings following the release of its first stable version, called Eveline, back in May. Now situated at No. 26 on that list, the distro just saw the release of a fifth alpha version of SolusOS 2 about a month ago.

I had a chance recently to speak with Ikey Doherty, creator of the Debian Edition and now the SolusOS project's founder and lead developer, about SolusOS and what's coming in the next release. Here are some of the highlights you can expect to find in the next version of this up-and-coming Linux distro.

1. 'The Truest GNOME 2-like Experience'