Desktop Linux Reviews

CrunchBang 11 Waldorf

Jim Lynch — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:54:24 +0000

CrunchBang 11 has been released so it’s time for a review. I last looked at CrunchBang back in 2009. Wow! Has it been that long? I’m pleased to report that CrunchBang 11 didn’t disappoint in any way. If you aren’t familiar with it, Crunchbang 11 is a distro based on Debian. It uses the Openbox window manager. Openbox is very fast and minimalistic. You won’t find tons of useless eye candy or stupid interface glitz in CrunchBang 11. It’s not bloated and slow, nor does it try to “wow” you with things you don’t need or want. Frankly, it’s one of the most functional and efficient distros available today. You can run it on top of the line hardware, or you can run it on older, slower machines. It’s a perfect choice for anyone who prefers functionality over form. Here’s the official description of CrunchBang: CrunchBang is a Debian GNU/Linux based distribution offering a great blend of speed, style and substance. Using the nimble Openbox window manager, it is highly customisable and provides a modern, full-featured GNU/Linux system without sacrificing performance. The primary aim of the CrunchBang project is to produce a stable distribution offering the best possible out-of-the-box Openbox experience. To achieve [...]

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Debian 7.0 Wheezy

Jim Lynch — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:53:00 +0000

Debian 7.0 (Wheezy) is out and it’s time for another review of this venerated linux project. Debian is the granddaddy of Linux distros, it forms the basis for Ubuntu, Linux Mint and many other desktop linux distros. Yet many folks who are new to Linux might not even have heard of Debian. This is a shame because it has quite a lot to offer in its own right, aside from everything it provides to other desktop distros. There are three main branches of Debian: Stable Testing Unstable Debian 7 is the latest stable release. Wikipedia has a very good background article on Debian that you should read if you’re new to it. It will give you much more information than I can provide in this review. Here’s a sample: “Debian is one of the most influential open source projects known as a Linux distribution, and maintains repositories with over 29,000 software packages ready for installation. Its repositories host large numbers of software packages for multiple architectures, more in number than any other Linux distribution project[citation needed]. Debian hosts software in additional repositories called “non-free” but offers its distribution setup without it. Debian is seen as a solid Linux and has been forked many times (Debian derivatives). Debian hosts experimental [...]

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Ubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail

Jim Lynch — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:23:37 +0000

Ubuntu 13.04 has been released, so it’s time to do another review of Canonical’s popular distro. This time around Ubuntu’s code name is “Raring Ringtail.” It appears to be a reference to the ring-tailed cat. I had no idea what a ring-tail cat is, so of course I googled. Here’s some background on the a ring-tailed cat: The ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is a mammal of the raccoon family (thus not actually a cat), native to arid regions of North America. It is also known as the ringtail cat, ring-tailed cat, miner’s cat or “marv cat”, and is also sometimes mistakenly called a “civet cat” (after similar, though unrelated, cat-like omnivores of Asia and Africa). The ringtail is sometimes called a cacomistle, though this term seems to be more often used to refer to Bassariscus sumichrasti. Aaah, now that we all know about ring-tailed cats, let’s get on with the review. What’s New in Ubuntu 13.04 Here’s a sample of the new features in this release: Linux kernel 3.8.8 Unity 7 Upstart 1.8 LibreOffice 4.0 CUPS 1.6.2 Python 3.3 Simplified Details Panel in Software Updater Upstart User Sessions Friends (replaces Gwibber) Linux kernel 3.8.8 Ubuntu 13.04 includes the 3.8.0-19.29 Ubuntu Linux kernel which was [...]

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Manjaro 0.8.5

Jim Lynch — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:37:24 +0000

I’ve written lots of distro reviews over the years, but every once in a while I find a new one that turns out to be a delightful surprise. Manjaro 0.8.5 is definitely one of those. Manjaro is based on Arch Linux, and promises to provide an easy to use distro that is still highly customizable. Arch Linux has a reputation for not being as accessible for non-technical users as some other distros, so I’m happy to see Manjaro 0.8.5 change that and offer an alternative that combines the power of Arch with ease of use. Like Arch, Manjaro is a rolling release distro. So once you install it, you won’t need to install another release later on to keep it updated to the latest version. Here’s the official description of Manjaro: Manjaro is a user-friendly Linux distribution based on the independently developed Arch operating system. Within the Linux community, Arch itself is renowned for being an exceptionally fast, powerful, and lightweight distribution that provides access to the very latest cutting edge – and bleeding edge – software. However, Arch is also aimed at more experienced or technically-minded users. As such, it is generally considered to be beyond the reach of [...]

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Linux Mint Debian Edition 201303

Jim Lynch — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:24:16 +0000

I’m often asked what my “favorite” Linux distro is by readers. Well, if I have one, it has to be Linux Mint Debian Edition. LMDE has so much to offer Linux users since it combines the power of Debian with the elegance of Linux Mint. There really is something for everyone to love in LMDE. Linux Mint Debian was upgraded recently so it’s time to take another look at it. I downloaded the Cinnamon version for this review. You can also opt for the MATE version if you prefer that to Cinnamon. Before I get into the review, I want to clarify what separates Linux Mint Debian from the Ubuntu-based versions of Linux Mint. I know that this has confused some folks who are new to Linux. Here’s some info from the LMDE FAQ: 1. Is LMDE compatible with Ubuntu-based Linux Mint editions? No, it is not. LMDE is compatible with Debian, which isn’t compatible with Ubuntu. 2. Is LMDE fully compatible with Debian? Yes, 100%. LMDE is compatible with repositories designed for Debian Testing. 3. What is a semi-rolling distribution? Updates are constantly fed to Debian Testing, where users experience frequent regressions but also frequent bug fixes and improvements. LMDE [...]

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Trisquel 6.0 LTS

Jim Lynch — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:36:42 +0000

Trisquel 6.0 LTS was recently released so it’s time to give it another look. Trisquel is a popular distro for users that prefer to use only free software. You won’t find proprietary software included in Trisquel, it’s dedicated to the idea of truly free software. Here’s a bit of background from the Trisquel FAQ that explains the philosophy behind this distro: “There are literally hundreds of GNU/Linux distributions designed to fill every conceivable niche. Only a handful of them are entirely free software; Trisquel is one such distribution. That’s why Trisquel is endorsed by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation. The popularity of GNU/Linux has skyrocketed in recent years. The major distributions are attracting large numbers of new users, but their distributors are not taking the opportunity to effectively teach these same users to value and protect their freedom. Our software is being advocated on purely utilitarian grounds (such as portability, stability, security, customizability, and lack of cost), so the casual observer is led to believe that “Linux” is just another OS, albeit a useful one. While it may appear to be a reasonable compromise for big-name distros like Ubuntu and Fedora to include some nonfree firmware, drivers, and [...]

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SolusOS 1.2

Jim Lynch — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:47:52 +0000

SolusOS is a new Debian-based distro that uses the GNOME 2.3 desktop. SolusOS comes with such core applications as Firefox, VLC, and LibreOffice. It’s a relatively easy way to get both Debian and a GNOME 2 desktop in one, convenient package. Here’s the official description from the SolusOS site: SolusOS is a Linux Distribution based on Debian Stable. It’s an operating system for your computer, that provides the base system that allows you to do things like listen to music, browse the internet and create documents. It does so by being based on Debian, which is a GNU/Linux distribution SolusOS uses the GNOME 2.30 Desktop Environment, providing you with a traditional desktop. What’s New in SolusOS 1.2 Since this is pretty much version one of SolusOS, there really isn’t a what’s new list available. Here’s a list of reasons on why you might want to use SolusOS from the SolusOS site: SolusOS inherits much of its stability from it’s Debian Stable base. On top of that, we keep core user applications, such as Firefox, VLC, etc, up to date as much as we can. To ease the use of SolusOS many codecs are preinstalled allowing MP3 & DVD playback, Flash Player [...]

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Ultimate Edition 3.5

Jim Lynch — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:06:18 +0000

Does size matter when it comes to Linux distros? Well, it very well might when it comes to Ultimate Edition 3.5. There's nothing subtle about this distro. Everything about it screams over the top, from the color scheme to the range of software included with it.

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Linux Mint 14 MATE

Jim Lynch — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:03:56 +0000

I recently took a look at Linux Mint 14 Cinnamon. Now it's time to review its counterpart Linux Mint 14 MATE. The MATE desktop environment is a fork of GNOME 2. It offers a more traditional desktop experience than Cinnamon.

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Linux Mint Cinnamon 14

Jim Lynch — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:50:31 +0000

Linux Mint 14 was recently released. Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, and offers the Cinnamon or MATE desktop environments. This review covers the Cinnamon version, I will try to get a separate review up for the MATE version soon.

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Ubuntu 12.10

Jim Lynch — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:49:51 +0000

Ubuntu 12.10 has been released. So it's time for another review to see what's in it, and if it's worth considering as your preferred desktop distro. In keeping with Canonical's past tradition, Ubuntu 12.10 has a cute animal nickname. This time around it's called "Quantal Quetzel." You're probably wondering what the heck a "quetzel" is, right? I was too, so I googled it and here's what I found:

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Peppermint OS 3

Jim Lynch — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 21:02:53 +0000

Peppermint OS 3 has been released. If you aren't familiar with it, Peppermint OS is a cloud-oriented distribution. It's based on Ubuntu 12.04 (it's actually a fork of Lubuntu 12.04). Unlike most other distributions, it's geared toward letting you use your favorite web apps as well as desktop software. Web apps such as Editor by Pixlr run in the Ice SSB framework, which makes these applications a part of your desktop rather than running them in a browser. This makes them feel like they are running locally rather than in the cloud.

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Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon

Jim Lynch — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:52:45 +0000

In my last review, I covered Linux Mint 13 MATE. However, there's quite a bit going on with Cinnamon so I decided to do another review to cover it in a separate review. The Cinnamon desktop is quite different than MATE, and it's worth looking at in its own right.

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Linux Mint 13 MATE

Jim Lynch — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:31 +0000

Woohoo! It's Linux Mint time again! Linux Mint 13 (wow, not exactly a lucky number!) has just been released, so I hopped right on it. Linux Mint has long been one of my favorite distros. We'll find out in this review if the latest version measures up to its previous incarnations.

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Ubuntu 12.04

Jim Lynch — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:35:05 +0000

Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) is out. By now there are a zillion reviews of it already, but I wanted to take a little more time to use it before writing one of my own.

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Trisquel 5.5

Jim Lynch — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:35:44 +0000

When it comes to Linux distributions, it's truly different strokes for different folks. Some folks want software that is truly free, meaning that they can do with it as they please. That's where distros like Trisquel come in. Trisquel is based on Ubuntu, but it provides only free software. You will not find proprietary software included with it.

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Siduction 11.1

Jim Lynch — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:44:31 +0000

Siduction 11.1 is a fork of the Aptosid distro. Siduction comes in KDE, Xfce or LXDe spins. You can get 32-bit or 64-bit versions of each spin. Siduction is based on Debian Sid and includes Linux Kernel 3.1-6 and X.Org server 1.11.2.902. For this review I opted for the Xfce version.

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Fedora 16 KDE

Jim Lynch — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:57:26 +0000

Fedora 16 was released a while back, and I've finally gotten around to checking it out. For this review though I've opted for the KDE version of Fedora. As you may already know, Fedora comes in multiple spins including GNOME, Xfce, KDE and others. If you're interested in checking out other versions of Fedora, you can see a full list on the Fedora Spins page. There are ten different versions of Fedora listed there, so chances are that you'll be able to find one that might work well for you.

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Linux Mint 12 MATE

Jim Lynch — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:53:30 +0000

The recent release of Linux Mint 12 has gotten quite a bit of attention. Most reviews of Linux Mint 12 have focused mainly on the GNOME 3 desktop (as pointed out in the comments of my Linux Mint 12 GNOME 3 review by reader liquidkermit). But there's another desktop environment included in Linux Mint 12 called MATE.

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Linux Mint 12 GNOME 3

Jim Lynch — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:21:42 +0000

The moment so many have waited for is finally here. Linux Mint 12 has been released! This update to Linux Mint has had many people on edge since it marks the move from the older version of GNOME to GNOME 3.2. GNOME 3.2, as you might already know, has had many detractors. Linux Mint users have wondered how on earth such a popular distribution would make a transition to such a reviled and hated desktop interface.

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