Ubuntu Derivatives News: Trisquel, elementary OS, Ubuntu Studio, Linux Mint, Peppermint, Bodhi, and Lubuntu
- Dr. Roy Schestowitz
- 2014-04-08 08:36:18 UTC
- Modified: 2014-04-08 08:36:18 UTC
Trisquel
The developers take pride in the fact that Trisquel is a completely free operating system and it will remain free forever. The Linux distribution also doesn't integrate any applications that are not completely free.
elementary OS
Ubuntu Studio
Mint
The biggest challenge for Windows XP users switching to Linux Mint is having to change the programs you've known and used for years. Fortunately, some programs are available on both Linux and Windows. In addition, there are Linux programs that duplicate the functionality of your favorite Windows programs.
Some Windows XP users might be considering Linux MInt as a replacement operating system. But just replacing the operating system isn't enough, you'll also need Linux applications that will replace the ones you used in Windows. ZDNet has a roundup of Linux Mint applications that might fill the void when making your move from Windows XP to Linux Mint.
It's been a while since I've done a review. In fact, it's been a while since I've posted in any form, because this semester has turned out to be a lot busier than I anticipated. It likely will remain so until it ends; the only reason why I can post a review right now is because of spring break, and even that has been busy for me. Anyway, I initially wanted to do a review of Frugalware because it looked intriguing, but I couldn't get the live USB to work. I'm reviewing this (which I had planned for later) instead. If you've passed by this blog, you've probably already seen my thoughts on Linux Mint, so I'll skip the introduction. I tried this updated ISO file as a live USB made with MultiSystem. Follow the jump to see what it's like. There isn't too much that has changed since last year, so I will simply link the review from then, point out any changes, and put out any other thoughts that occur to me about this.
Linux Mint is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, but that wasn't always the case. Now, the creator of Linux Mint has just announced Linux Mint 17 “Qiana,” which will be released almost a couple of months after Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) is made available.
The MintBox 2 is a small form factor, fanless PC designed to run quietly at low power.
The machine features a die-cast, solid metal case which acts as a passive heatsink and cools down components without needing any fans. While the case design adds to the weight it reduces noise, with the only sound coming from the internal 500GB SATA hard drive.
Clement Lefebvre, the creator of the Linux Mint distribution, has just announced that the next version of the Mint operating system will be called “Qiana” and it should be available by the end of May 2014.
Linux Mint is one of the most popular Linux distributions out there and it's only superseded by Ubuntu. Actually, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and makes use of its repositories, but that may not happen for very long anymore.
Peppermint
This time however I have been lucky enough to get not just one member of the team but two. I recently sent an email to the Peppermint Linux team with a series of questions and what follows are the answers provided by Shane Remington (COO of Peppermint) and Kendall Weaver (CTO of Peppermint).
When I’m introducing someone to Linux, I don’t believe the “all or nothing” approach works, so if you are new to Linux and would like to see the benefits it can offer you, download and burn onto disk the latest version of Peppermint and follow these steps.
As you may or may not know, I have recently acquired a HP Chromebook and my first article about the Chromebook looked at whether it was possible to run another operating system alongside ChromeOS.
Today I am taking a look at Peppermint 4. Peppermint 4 is designed as a hybrid operating system aimed at cloud computing and also average ordinary everyday home use.
I last reviewed Peppermint Linux in August 2012 (Peppermint 3) and my overall impression then was positive. In this review I will review Peppermint Linux from scratch and I will also look at what has changed since version 3 to show how Peppermint has moved on.
Open source makes a lot of sense in rural areas and in third world countries. Lightweight and open source systems that are easy to use, and which allow normal users to become power users and contribute back to the open source community, can be ideal for countries like Cameroon, located in middle Africa.
As the program has grown over the past years, the cost of licensing for the video editing software has grown as well, beyond the operating budget of the organization. Faced with this challenge, PAGE turned to open source technology. Elizabeth McIntosh, a member of the Steering Committee for PAGE, led the charge. "I'd heard about the open source movement through my friendship with Brendan Szulik at Duke, and thought it might be able to help us." PAGE participants historically used Final Cut Pro to document and edit their digital stories, but this year will use open source alternatives Kdenlive and Blender. Both offer a good user experience, without the heavy scale-up costs associated with non open-source solutions. The ability to rapidly learn the technology and to use it as the program continues to grow are the largest benefits.
Bodhi
One of the things I am working on for our Bodhi 3.0.0 release this summer is a simple GUI system update tool written in Elementary and the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries. Today I would like to share an early version of this tool I am calling eepDater (pronounced epp-date-er), which is written in python utilizing the EFLs.
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As promised I've put together our first Bodhi Linux disc that is built on top of the upcoming Ubuntu 14.04 release. Keep in mind this is a very early image not intended for production machines. There will be issues.
Lubuntu
Lubuntu is based on LXDE, a very light desktop environment that probably has even lower hardware requirements than Windows XP. It's a favorite for older systems and it's the lightest distro in the Ubuntu family.
Cleide Isabel! She managed to grab the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place with her photos: 'Vista Do Fitz Roy', 'Vale', 'Arvore', 'Daisie' and 'Copan02'.
Lubuntu 14.04 LTS Beta 2 (Trusty Tahr) has been officially released and it has joined its brethren from the Ubuntu family, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Ubuntu GNOME.
Recent Techrights' Posts
- EPO Will Stop Working for 10 Days to Protest Against 'Cocaine King' and His Assault on Democracy, Lawfulness, Transfer of Power at EPO
- Strikes, work stoppage, all rolled onto one
- Techrights is International
- There are many sites that focus on local communities or nations. We're not one of those sites.
- Brigading Against Women - Part X - When Actions of American Men Are Not Judged by Other American Men
- "There is not the slightest suggestion that either Dr or Mrs Schestowitz did anything to invite or deserve it. They are both clearly and justifiably angered, dismayed, distressed and hurt by it."
- European Patent Office (EPO) Series: A Source of Pride for Portugal?
- In this part our focus returns to the main theme of this series, namely the current reappointment campaign of the EPO President, as we consider whether Campinos can still expect to enjoy the same level of support from the Portuguese political establishment as he did during the earlier stages of his career
- Computers Freeze Because of UEFI Restricted Boot
- damage is also done to computers running Windows
- Linux Has Conquered Mobile, But Desktops and Laptops Matter More
- When people say the desktop "doesn't matter" they seem to be missing the point that workplaces use desktops (or laptops) and a lot of the work gets done not on skinnerboxes but "workstations" or terminals
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- Black Brit on "Pictures Comparing Me to a Monkey" Because of Brett Wilson LLP Client
- "Like Firm, Like Clients..."
- President of the EPO Should be Kicked Out, Not Have His Term Terminated in 2028
- The President is facing more scandals soon
- David Gordon at The Register MS Keeps Feeding the Pyramid Scheme With Fake Articles That Say "AI" Dozens of Times
- How can such a publisher still be taken seriously?
- The Local Staff Committee The Hague (LSCTH) at the EPO Explains the Working Conditions and Crisis of Plunder (Less for Workers, a Lot More for Dictators Who Refuse to Leave Leadership Roles)
- Next week will be epic
- IBM Brings Avalanche to Red Hat October 1st 2026 (Thursday)
- IBM is turning up the heat on staff
- Links 29/09/2026: Mass Layoffs at Microsoft and Backlash Over Data Center Policy of Microsoft
- Links for the day
- 5 Years Ago (September 29, 2021) Richard Stallman's Talk in Ukraine Noted
- Let's hope the war will end soon
- Links 29/09/2026: Acceleration, Morale, and ROOPHLOCH 2026
- Links for the day
- Links 29/09/2026: "Scam Altman Is Driving Drunk" and Anthropic Lies About Slop Usage
- Links for the day
- It is Very Expensive to Slow Down Techrights
- Garrett's expensive hearing (costing the British taxpayers about 120,000 pounds; he doesn't live here and does not pay tax here) slowed us down for a few days, but we've picked up the pace since
- Brigading Against Women - Part IX - "What Are You, a Racist?"
- Because behind every strong man is a strong opinion?
- Gemini Links 29/09/2026: "Digital Sabbath", Starting a GemCapsule, and Sterrenkijker 1.1.0
- Links for the day
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 28, 2026
- IRC logs for Monday, September 28, 2026
- Brigading Against Women - Part VIII - Misogyny Embedded; Like Firm, Like Clients
- It's about back doors
- Chaos Imminent at Red Hat (This Week)
- IBM is 'finishing the job' an ex-IBMer (Ron Hovsepian) did at Novell.
- Microsoft Can PIP Workers (Silent Layoffs) Until Almost Nobody is Left
- Microsoft is gradually vanishing
- The Cyber Show Says Truth Always Requires a Fight, a Struggle
- "Truth-tellers always face struggle and run risk"
- Maladministration at the EPO as a Crisis for the EU and for Portugal's Image in Europe
- Some time soon we'll publish a long article about what EPO leadership means to Portugal
- 3 Years of UK Hosting
- We commend the webhost for standing firm in the face of misogyny
- Tech Labeled "Smart" Does Not Make People Smart
- People who insist on making everything digital are not advancing progress
- Gemini Links 28/09/2026: Truncated Sleep, Plain Text, and Slop Problem Kept Out of Geminispace
- Links for the day
- Links 28/09/2026: "A Growing North Korea Problem" and Independent Journalism as a Lifeline
- Links for the day
- Links 28/09/2026: Microsoft Chatbot "Giving Extremely Specific Advice to a School Shooter on How to Maximize Casualties", ‘Suicidal Empathy’
- Links for the day
- Microsoft's Attacks on Courts in the Netherlands Result in GNU/Linux Growing to About 10% There
- One core issue that justified this and led to this outcome is Microsoft's interference with the administration of justice
- They Create the Conditions for People to Leave, This Way They Don't Call it "Layoffs"
- We keep seeing many stories like these
- Gemini Links 28/09/2026: Wildfire, DOS, and Backups
- Links for the day
- Brigading Against Women - Part VII - 'Trolling' Courts and Legal Systems in America and in the UK (Europe) Costs a Lot to Taxpayers
- They only attend hearings after being arrested
- European Patent Office (EPO) Series: The Portuguese Talent For Bureaucratic Empire Building
- Portugal’s success in securing senior executive appointments at the EUIPO and the EPO is a notable example of how countries seek to strengthen their influence within European intergovernmental institutions
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Sunday, September 27, 2026
- IRC logs for Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Gemini Links 27/09/2026: Writing Well, Productivity, and a Relaunch in Geminispace
- Links for the day
- Making This Site More Useful to More People
- Search engines (as a concept) are under attack
- Exposing Crimes of Americans (From the UK)
- We must ensure UK prisons are never misused to punish/silence people who expose crimes in America
- Spam and Chatbot Spam in Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
- Maintaining one's own IRC network requires some housekeeping, but it's simpler than outsourcing to malicious companies
- Search Engine of Techrights Improved for Better Signal-to-Noise Ratio
- Our growing community needs more search facilities
- Microsoft: We Love Layoffs, We Do Silent Layoffs, More Microsoft Projects/Teams/Studios Confirmed to be Shutting Down
- XBox is dying. Piece by piece.
- Brigading Against Women - Part VI - On Garrett and Lozza, Defamation, Attempts to Crack My Wife's Accounts, Social Engineering to Try to Take Sites Offline, Subscribing Us to Mountains of SPAM
- tried swatting us
- Links 27/09/2026: "Provost of Dartmouth Busted Using Hey Hi (AI) Slop for His Own Writing in Newspapers and Academic Journals" and "UK Government Enforcement Reform"
- Links for the day
- People and Sites Wish a Happy 43th Birthday to GNU (Today)
- We've collected some examples
- Dejan Panovski Outs linuxize.com as a Slopfarm, Another Site That Sold Out and Became LLM Garbage
- From what we can gather, both images and text are slop
- A Microsoft Lunduke OS (LCOS) is Not Even in Top 100 in DistroWatch, Microsoft Lunduke Just Games the Numbers Like Linspire Did (and Got 'Banned' for It)
- Linspire used to send people to 'its' DistroWatch page to make the illusion of popularity
- Links 27/09/2026: Microsoft Fired People a Day After Promotion, "Fragility of Online Journalism"
- Links for the day
- Brigading Against Women - Part V - SWATTING, Extortion Against Webhosts, and Lawfare Under Sworn Oath (Perjury Also)
- Matthew Garrett has no qualm about still collaborating with Lozza
- 20 Years Later
- There's a strong anti-democracy movement brewing in many places
- Gemini Links 27/09/2026: Telescopes/Gskyer, Writing for Writing's Sake, and Writing Tools
- Links for the day
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Saturday, September 26, 2026
- IRC logs for Saturday, September 26, 2026