Apple has released the sixth public beta of OS X El Capitan, which Mac users who are part of Apple's public beta program can now download through the Mac App Store.

Build number 15A278b of OS X v.10.11 has been announced through Apple's developer website. The version appears to be identical with the eighth developer beta also released to developers at the same time.

Apple does not include a change log for this new beta, and right now, it is still unclear what new improvements are included in the new build. The fifth public beta, which was released just less than two weeks ago, featured only a minor design tweak in the form a new colored OS X logo situated in the About This Mac section, along with under the hood improvements.

Meanwhile, the new build appears mostly to deliver performance enhancements and bug fixes to polish v.10.11 before Apple releases the final software to the general public.

According to Apple's developer page, the new build is available for download simply by clicking Updates on the Mac App Store toolbar for users who already have OS X El Capitan installed. For registered public beta testers who currently don't have the OS but want to install it on their Macs, they can go to the Mac App Store to receive a download code.  

"This is a pre-release update to OS X v10.11," Apple says. "If you have OS X v10.11 installed, download this update by clicking Updates in the toolbar of the Mac App Store. If you do not have OS X 10.11 installed, use your download code on the Mac App Store to get started."

The requirements for running OS X El Capitan beta include a 64-bit Mac that is running on OS X 10.6.7 or older, an Intel chipset, at least 4GB of RAM and at least 15 to 20GB of free storage. As this is still the beta version, remember not to install the software into your main Mac for everyday use, since there is always a good chance that you will run into bugs or even lose your data for good if you do not back it up before installation.

While OS X El Capitan is primarily a more refined follow-up to OS X Yosemite, Apple has several interesting new features in store for its Mac customers. These include a new Split View for multitaskers, a streamlined Mission Control, the integration of weather, sports, stocks and traffic information into Spotlight, and full-screen view for Mail. Also expected are an improved Notes app, tweaks to Safari, and third-party editing in the Photos app.