Bodhi Linux lead developer Jeff Hoogland explains Bodhi's "Service Pack" system, which allows users to download kernel and distro updates and then install them offline without using a package manager. I'm not sure whether this is good or bad, since automatic package updating is one of the best features of Linux. Are there enough converted Windows users who are more comfortable with this arrangement?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Bodhi Linux Introduces Windows-style "Service Packs"
Monday, May 30, 2011
DistroWatch Weekly Highlights
Lightweight-distro related news from the new DistroWatch Weekly:
- Tiny Core Linux gets a graphic installer (from Linux Journal)
- Puppy Linux 5.1.2 "Wary" released
This issue also notes the release of Bodhi Linux 1.1.0, which I mentioned in a previous post, and points to the Mark Shuttleworth interview I talked about here.
DistroWatch Weekly Issue 407
Mark Shuttleworth's Column in Linux User #100
In the latest issue of the British magazine Linux User, the editors hand over their regular column on Ubuntu to Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of the Ubuntu project. Shuttleworth uses the column to explain the thinking behind the new Unity interface in Ubuntu 11.04. This little section caught my eye:
I had two reactions to these statements:
Linux User's Ubuntu Column #100, by Mark Shuttleworth
Touch and games are our inspiration. When we set about designing Unity, we drew inspiration from the world of consumer electronics. We wanted to produce something that felt more lightweight and easy to use than a traditional PC interface. We also wanted to take advantage of the incredible graphics technology that is found in every modern PC.We studied game system interfaces, like the PlayStation and Xbox. We studied mobile products like the iPhone and looked for ways we could embrace ideas from those environments in the desktop. In particular, we took the view that touch-centric interfaces would come to the PC, and we made sure that key pieces of Unity are touch-friendly.
I had two reactions to these statements:
- Does anybody think Unity is lightweight? In my experience, Unity, being based on GNOME, has been about as unwieldy as GNOME.
- Can an OS designed for tablets and mobile phones still be a good fit for traditional computers? If Unity trims its bloat and becomes a great OS for netbooks, tablets, and smartphones, will users of desktops and traditional laptops still be able to tolerate it? Can one OS really work on the variety of electronic devices available to the public? Or does Shuttleworth expect traditional computers to disappear entirely?
Linux User's Ubuntu Column #100, by Mark Shuttleworth
Shiki-Colors Light Menus Xfce-Look.org
Somebody on Xfce-look modified three of the famous Shiki-Colors themes to have lighter-colored menus. Here's a screenshot of Shiki-Brave Light Menus:
These themes come with window manager files for both Metacity and xfwm4, so Xfce users don't have to poke around for a window border that looks right.
These themes come with window manager files for both Metacity and xfwm4, so Xfce users don't have to poke around for a window border that looks right.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Distribution Release: Bodhi Linux 1.1.0 (DistroWatch.com News)
According to Distrowatch, Bodhi Linux 1.1.0 has been released. I enjoyed version 1.1.0, despite a few minor issues with the Enlightenment desktop, so 1.1.0 joins my ever-growing list of distros to review.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Dark Standards Xfce-Look.org
I just came on another Xfce theme, complete with xfwm4 theme. Dark Standards is supposed to be a combination of the default Xubuntu Studio theme and the standard Xubuntu theme.
Here's a screenshot of Dark Standards on my laptop. The icons are the default Xubuntu Elementary Dark. The wallpaper is Xubuntu Karmic wallpaper, which is available as an option in the Xubuntu 11.04 Desktop settings.
Dark Standards Xfce-Look.org
Here's a screenshot of Dark Standards on my laptop. The icons are the default Xubuntu Elementary Dark. The wallpaper is Xubuntu Karmic wallpaper, which is available as an option in the Xubuntu 11.04 Desktop settings.
Dark Standards Xfce-Look.org
Distro Review: Xubuntu 11.04
Late last month, Canonical released the latest version of Ubuntu, which also entailed new versions of Ubuntu's many official derivatives. This is a review of the much-maligned Xubuntu, which uses the Xfce desktop environment.
Purpose
Officially, Xubuntu is supposed to be a lighter, quicker version of Ubuntu. Critics claim that Xubuntu is far from a lightweight distribution. However, now that Unity is the default graphic interface for standard Ubuntu and GNOME 3 is radically different from its predecessors, Xubuntu may have found a new purpose in life. Since Xfce looks more like a standard Windows-style desktop than either Unity or Gnome Shell, Xubuntu may be poised to gain users who prefer a more familiar interface.
Installation
Xubuntu uses the same installer as Ubuntu, making installation an easy experience even for beginners. The whole process is seamless, and the installer will even import files from your Windows Documents, Pictures, Music, and Video folders.
Pros
Being based on Ubuntu gives any distro certain advantages. The most obvious of these is compatibility with more hardware immediately after installation. In fact, only Ubuntu-based distros will work with my laptop's built-in wireless chip.
Beyond the standard benefits shared by all Ubuntu-based distros, Xubuntu 11.04 has made several noticeable visual improvements over its predecessors. First, there is the new default desktop layout, pictured below both with and without compositing:
Apparently inspired by Unity's panel + launcher configuration, the new Xubuntu includes a bottom panel that functions more like an application launcher (or Mac OS dock). Obviously, this is a boon for Mac users who try out Ubuntu. The bottom panel also autohides, so people who don't use it can ignore it.
Xubuntu 11.04 also includes a new GTK theme, Greybird, with a matching theme for the xfwm4 window manager. The new default icon set is based on Elementary. Overall, the new look is slicker than previous versions.
Another significant visual change is the default font. Instead of the large, clunky Deja Vu Sans which is used as he default font in most GNOME and Xfce-based distros, Xubuntu 11.04 switches to the more compact and elegant Droid Sans. This change saves me, at least, the trouble of changing the default font to something less sloppy.
Xubuntu also features Xfce 4.8, the newest version of the desktop. Any user who is unfamiliar with 4.8 should read the tour at the link because some of the best features of the new Xfce aren't obvious. For example, you can move the panel anywhere on the desktop, but you have to do it by dragging and dropping. The old, detailed location options under Panel Properties are gone. Here's a picture of my desktop, with the "launcher" panel on the side like Unity (though with autohide still on).
Cons
Like Xubuntu 10.10, version 11.04 uses a different menu configuration than most Xfce-based distros. Instead of having fly-out menu options for every settings dialog, Xubuntu forces you to use the Xfce Settings Manager.
The Settings Manager isn't bad. It does give you the ability to switch back and forth between different dialogs without going back to the Menu button repeatedly. However, you also can't have, say, the Appearance and Window Manager dialogs open at the same time. It's also an unfamiliar setup for people who have used other Xfce-based distros.
And, of course, the big question about any new Xubuntu release is how slow and hungry it is. Xubuntu 11.04 seems to use a fair amount of system resources, especially if you open two Chromium windows at the same time. This may be due to my use of compositing, but I would still be wary of running Xubuntu on a truly resource-limited machine.
There are also a few resource-hungry applications installed by default on Xubuntu, most notably Gimp. Even some lightweight applications run exceptionally slow on this distro. For example, Thunar, the file manager, seems to take forever to load the first time I open it in a session. The scary thing is that this happens even though I'm running Xubuntu on a computer with a dual-core processor and four gigs of RAM. I don't run Xfce on my laptop because I need to save resources; I do it just to get better Flash performance.
Overall Impression
Though Xfce functions well as a light, fast environment in some distros, Xubuntu doesn't function well as a lightweight distribution. It's better suited to people whose computers have plenty of resources, but who prefer a more traditional interface to the more "modern" GNOME 3 and Unity.
Purpose
Officially, Xubuntu is supposed to be a lighter, quicker version of Ubuntu. Critics claim that Xubuntu is far from a lightweight distribution. However, now that Unity is the default graphic interface for standard Ubuntu and GNOME 3 is radically different from its predecessors, Xubuntu may have found a new purpose in life. Since Xfce looks more like a standard Windows-style desktop than either Unity or Gnome Shell, Xubuntu may be poised to gain users who prefer a more familiar interface.
Installation
Xubuntu uses the same installer as Ubuntu, making installation an easy experience even for beginners. The whole process is seamless, and the installer will even import files from your Windows Documents, Pictures, Music, and Video folders.
Pros
Being based on Ubuntu gives any distro certain advantages. The most obvious of these is compatibility with more hardware immediately after installation. In fact, only Ubuntu-based distros will work with my laptop's built-in wireless chip.
Beyond the standard benefits shared by all Ubuntu-based distros, Xubuntu 11.04 has made several noticeable visual improvements over its predecessors. First, there is the new default desktop layout, pictured below both with and without compositing:
 |
| Xubuntu Default Desktop |
 |
| Xubuntu Default Desktop with Compositing |
Apparently inspired by Unity's panel + launcher configuration, the new Xubuntu includes a bottom panel that functions more like an application launcher (or Mac OS dock). Obviously, this is a boon for Mac users who try out Ubuntu. The bottom panel also autohides, so people who don't use it can ignore it.
Xubuntu 11.04 also includes a new GTK theme, Greybird, with a matching theme for the xfwm4 window manager. The new default icon set is based on Elementary. Overall, the new look is slicker than previous versions.
Another significant visual change is the default font. Instead of the large, clunky Deja Vu Sans which is used as he default font in most GNOME and Xfce-based distros, Xubuntu 11.04 switches to the more compact and elegant Droid Sans. This change saves me, at least, the trouble of changing the default font to something less sloppy.
Xubuntu also features Xfce 4.8, the newest version of the desktop. Any user who is unfamiliar with 4.8 should read the tour at the link because some of the best features of the new Xfce aren't obvious. For example, you can move the panel anywhere on the desktop, but you have to do it by dragging and dropping. The old, detailed location options under Panel Properties are gone. Here's a picture of my desktop, with the "launcher" panel on the side like Unity (though with autohide still on).
 |
| Xubuntu with Side Panel |
Cons
Like Xubuntu 10.10, version 11.04 uses a different menu configuration than most Xfce-based distros. Instead of having fly-out menu options for every settings dialog, Xubuntu forces you to use the Xfce Settings Manager.
The Settings Manager isn't bad. It does give you the ability to switch back and forth between different dialogs without going back to the Menu button repeatedly. However, you also can't have, say, the Appearance and Window Manager dialogs open at the same time. It's also an unfamiliar setup for people who have used other Xfce-based distros.
And, of course, the big question about any new Xubuntu release is how slow and hungry it is. Xubuntu 11.04 seems to use a fair amount of system resources, especially if you open two Chromium windows at the same time. This may be due to my use of compositing, but I would still be wary of running Xubuntu on a truly resource-limited machine.
There are also a few resource-hungry applications installed by default on Xubuntu, most notably Gimp. Even some lightweight applications run exceptionally slow on this distro. For example, Thunar, the file manager, seems to take forever to load the first time I open it in a session. The scary thing is that this happens even though I'm running Xubuntu on a computer with a dual-core processor and four gigs of RAM. I don't run Xfce on my laptop because I need to save resources; I do it just to get better Flash performance.
Overall Impression
Though Xfce functions well as a light, fast environment in some distros, Xubuntu doesn't function well as a lightweight distribution. It's better suited to people whose computers have plenty of resources, but who prefer a more traditional interface to the more "modern" GNOME 3 and Unity.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Another GTK Theme
This theme is perfect for Xfce users. Not only does the download include four different versions of the BSM Simple theme, but all the themes come with an xfwm window manager theme. The theme's authors were also thoughtful enough to include links to matching Google Chrome themes for Chromium users.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Distribution Releases: SalineOS 1.4, 1.0 "Personal Server" (DistroWatch.com News)
DistroWatch reports the release of SalineOS, a Linux distro based on Debian stable and featuring Xfce as its desktop environment. In a way, it's like Crunchbang without the Openbox option.
One distinctive thing about SalineOS is that it also comes in a "Personal Server" edition aimed at users who want to set up network servers at home.
Distribution Releases: SalineOS 1.4, 1.0 "Personal Server" (DistroWatch.com News)
One distinctive thing about SalineOS is that it also comes in a "Personal Server" edition aimed at users who want to set up network servers at home.
Distribution Releases: SalineOS 1.4, 1.0 "Personal Server" (DistroWatch.com News)
Field+Stream Xfce Theme
I found this over at Xfce-Look. This theme may not be to everybody's taste, given that it's olive green. However, one thing it has going for it is that it's one of few themes that comes packaged with an Openbox theme, making it convenient for Openbox and LXDE users.
Field+Stream Xfce-Look.org
Field+Stream Xfce-Look.org
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