Fedora 13 (Code-named Goddard) was released on May 25 and this much anticipated release brings a few new changes.

Open source graphics acceleration

Previously, if users wanted to get hardware-accelerated 3D graphics on the Linux desktop, they would have to rely on proprietary drivers that are supplied by the graphic card vendors. The Linux community has been working long and hard towards better open source drivers and it seems that they have made progress. Fedora 13 offers open source drivers that support an assortment of ATI, NVIDIA, and Intel graphics cards, allowing many users to run a compositing window manager or play 3D games without having to install proprietary vendor drivers.

Installation

Installation screen in Fedora 13.

The Fedora 13 install process has been simplified from previous versions. The Development team has been ironing out the issues with the version 11 installer since it’s introduction; and the progress is evident in Fedora 13. Partitioning is no longer as daunting a task to new users as it has been in the past.

Development and Programming

Python programmers will have a pleasant surprise with Fedora 13. A major achievement was to allow for the use of the Python 3 stack alongside version 2.6.

Desktop Environments

Fedora 13 ships with GNOME 2.30; the latest version of the GNOME desktop environment. There is a KDE version as well for those who prefer it, and as with any distro, Any desktop environment can be installed for maximum customization.

GNOME 2.30

General Improvements

New in this release are several tools to make the end users experience more friendly; including a system that leverages PackageKit to automate the installation of printer drivers as well as improvements in color management. A new tool has been added for the adjustment of color profiles. While the general user won’t find themselves adjusting color profiles on a regular basis, advanced users will be happy with this feature.

More webcams are now supported out of the box with a special focus on “dual-mode” cameras. This is a welcome upgrade due to the minor bit of difficulty getting webcams to function properly in previous releases. Fedora 13 features also improve PulseAudio integration in KDE’s Phonon and KMix.

A concise list of the most notable improvements are:

• Automatic printer driver installation
• Automatic language pack installation
• Redesigned user account tool
• Color management to calibrate monitors and scanners
• Experimental 3D support for NVIDIA video cards
• A new way to install Fedora over the Internet
• SSSD authentication for users
• Updates to NFS
• Inclusion of Zarafa Open Source edition
• System rollback for the Btrfs file system
• Better SystemTap probes
• Support for the entire Java EE 6 spec in Netbeans 6.8
• KDE PulseAudio Integration
• New Command Line interface for NetworkManager

Fedora's window system

For a full list of improvements, you can visit the Fedora documentation page at http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/13/html/Release_Notes

The mission of the Fedora project has always been to not only to contain software distributed under a free and open source license, but also to be on the leading edge of such technologies. Fedora developers prefer to make upstream changes instead of applying fixes specifically for Fedora—this ensures that their updates are available to all GNU/Linux distributions^.

There is a reason that Fedora is the #2 ranked distro behind Ubuntu; It’s devotion to open source technology and willingness to ride the cutting edge is one of it’s major strong points. It’s not exactly right to compare it to Ubuntu directly though; Ubuntu is known for being a more “candy simple” distro that chooses ease of setup and being the best Linux for beginners while Fedora has a broad focus on keeping things Open source.

If you are an advocate of the open-source desktop, or simply want an alternative to Ubuntu that’s not extremely hard to build or set up, Fedora is for you.

The first thing one will notice is the new themed interface. Gone it seems is the traditional brown default Ubuntu theme. It has now been replaced with a lovely palette of darker shades with an exotic background.

Many of the traditional features have been improved; from the base installation I was able to connect to a wi-fi hotspot, connect my blackberry to transfer files, and receive emails through the Evolution mail program. This truly is the Ubuntu for everyone, and there has never been a better time to switch to Linux.

The splash screen

New in 10.04 LTS:

• Boot speed: Noticeably quicker on almost any machine and super-fast on SSD-based machines such as netbooks, which means users can speed straight to the browser for fast web access.
• Social from the start: The new ‘Me Menu’ in Ubuntu 10.04 LTS consolidates the process of accessing and updating social networks including Facebook, Digg, Twitter and Identi.ca. The Me Menu also integrates chat channels so users can talk with friends or colleagues on Google Talk, MSN, IRC and nearly every network.
• Ubuntu One: Enhanced desktop integration for the online service means files and folders can be shared and saved on the cloud more easily. Bookmark and contacts sharing has been added, speeding the move from personal computer to personal computing.
• Ubuntu One Music Store: Music from the world’s largest labels and greatest bands available direct to Ubuntu users through the default music player. Purchase tracks, store in Ubuntu One and share DRM-free music from one location across multiple computers and devices.
  

  Software Center version 2

• Ubuntu Software Center 2.0: An easy way to find new software, and keep track of it once it’s installed in anew, sleeker interface. Users can also single out software provided by Ubuntu, by Canonical partners or by developers who use Canonical’s Launchpad Personal Package Archive (PPA) hosting service.
• Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition (UNE): As well as benefiting from the improvements in the Desktop Edition, netbook users will see even faster boot speeds on SSD-based devices, faster suspend/resume that will extend battery life -  and the industry-leading interface for these smaller screens.

Lucid Lynx's desktop screen

Installation

I found the installation to be quite fast; It installed in VirtualBox in about 10 minutes, it features ext4 as the default file system, and installs silently while pretty pictures and happy messages come and go on the screen(although this isn’t uncommon for an OS installation).

Web Browsing

As you might expect, version 10.04 comes with Mozilla Firefox as the default web browser.

Of course, it’s easy to select another browser to fit your individual tastes using either the traditional package manager or the Ubuntu Software Center. The software center is a fabulous feature, making it even easier to install programs with “point and click” convenience. Of course it’s always an option to use “apt-get” from the terminal as well.

Multimedia

Ubuntu 10.04 comes with a few of the usual multimedia programs. It still Uses RhythmBox for music playback by default. Though now it has an integrated music store; a very nice upgrade.  Brasero is still used for disk burning, and Mplayer is included for video playback.

PiTiVi

Video Editing

A nice little program called PiTiVi is installed in the default setup. It features an easy to use interface and is actually similar to Windows Movie Maker.

Office Applications

OpenOffice is installed with Ubuntu, offering users a full featured office suite right out of the box. It includes everything you’ll need for everyday tasks; a word processor, spreadsheet program and presentation software all similar to Word, Excel and PowerPoint .

Kubuntu and Xubuntu have also been released alongside the standard version, Featuring the KDE and XFCE desktop environments respectively.

The look and feel of these two Ubuntu variations have also undergone a face lift; with a smoother interface.

Kubuntu 10.04

The following areas are some of the updated features in Kubuntu 10.04:

• KDE Plasma Desktop 4.4
• Linux kernel 2.6.32
• Amarok 2.3
• Installer slideshow
• Touchpad configuration
• Firefox KDE integration
• System notification updates
• Gnome application system tray integration

Kubuntu and Xubuntu are the two “official” Ubuntu variations, but there are plenty more out there, and soon after a new Ubuntu release, the teams behind them work feverishly to release an updated version based on the most current Ubuntu release. For information on other ‘Buntu spinoffs or other distros of Linux in general, it worth a visit to www.distrowatch.com.

Conclusion

Ubuntu retains its position as “king of the distros” with this new release; providing a way for even the newcomers to Linux to experience all it has to offer without being a geek or a techie. It still may not thrill some hardcore Linux users though, but its beauty and simplicity can be enjoyed by all.

Visit the Ubuntu website to download your copy today!

KDE has been around for awhile. It has progressed into a full featured environment.  In fact, it rivals even the likes of the new Windows 7 desktop.  In this review, we’ll take a look at the current release of the KDE desktop; Version 4.4.

Plasma Desktop

The beautiful backgrounds rival Windows 7

The KDE plasma desktop offers true open source beauty for your computer.  The combined use of Visual effects and scalable graphics makes for a pleasant environment for work or play.

As with any environment in Linux, it can be customized to look and feel how you want it; it offers plasma desktop widget that can be placed on the desktop, (similar to the gadgets in Windows 7) Visual system themes that can be locally installed or downloaded from the internet, and a large number of KDE specific application that can make the user experience more enjoyable,

Applications

KDE 4.4 has many applications available. Many installed by default. Some Linux distros may leave out certain applications depending on how the distro is customized, but these programs are easily added back in using a package manager.

The KDE plasmoid selector

There are so many programs that it’s hard to list them all, but I’ll highlight a few that might be of interest.

• digiKam is an advanced digital photo management application, which makes importing and organizing digital photos quick and easy. The photos are organized in albums which can be sorted chronologically, by folder layout or by custom collections.

• KDE also has a program for partition management. If fact, a person will find an application for just about any kind of basic system adjustment already included.

• Games: Not to be outdone by Windows in the area of basic games; KDE comes with quite a few.  These range from the classic chess to KDE’s own variation of battleship.  For a full list of games and other included programs, check out the KDE projects website.

Desktop customizations in KDE 4.4

• Where KDE really shines is it’s inclusion of feature-rich multimedia applications: Dragon player for videos, K3B for burning disks, KMID- a MIDI/karaoke player, and much more! You can check out all the many programs and features at the projects website.  Linux has wonderful support for multimedia, and since KDE is one of the more full featured environments, you can find many programs for music, video, disc ripping and burning.

• Amarok is an awesome music player. It can even detect and sync with an iPod or other MP3 music device. It’s probably the closest thing that would qualify as being considered the “iTunes” of Linux.

As with any other desktop Linux environment, KDE can be customized to look and feel just how you like it. Here are some screenshots of some custom KDE environments to demonstrate customizable power of KDE.

As with every other Linux environment, KDE isn’t without it’s own resource for desktop goodies. You can find wallpapers, themes, and much more by going to www.kde-look.org.  This website has everything you’ll need even for the old 3.X series of KDE desktops.

Conclusion

Tabbed windows in the KDE 4.4 interface

KDE is truly a heavyweight in the world of Linux environments, and works well for anyone looking to have a full featured environment with a windows-like feel.

It also enjoys a decent amount of popularity among Linux users in the UK, both for business and home computing. It still may not be for everyone though, but one of the strengths of Linux is the ability to make ones desktop into a personal experience.

Many Linux desktops are as unique as the individuals that run them and this will always be one aspect that makes Linux superior to other operating systems.

In this review, I’ll focus on some of the main things that make XFCE an excellent Desktop environment.

The Thunar file manager.

Thunar File Manager

The main goal of the Thunar project is to create a file manager that is fast, clean, and easy to use. It does that wonderfully. Thunar gives the perfect balance between many full featured file managers and more slimmed down interfaces. It is designed to start up faster and be more responsive than some other Linux file managers, such as Nautilus and Konqueror.

As is typical with any different kind of Linux distro, a user will find that depending on which brand they use, XFCE will come with different variations of programs & file managers, any distro can be customized with just about anything though of course.

Most modern distros will have XFCE available to install from software repositories using various package managers; as with anything in Linux, it can be compiled from source code obtained from the projects website. The following is a list of dependencies that XFCE requires. This and other information regarding installation can be found at http://www.xfce.org/

List of XFCE dependencies:

• xfce4-dev-tools
• libxfce4util
• xfconf
• libxfcegui4, libxfce4menu, libexo
• xfce4-panel
• thunar
• xfce4-settings, xfce4-session, xfdesktop, xfwm4, xfce-utils, xfce4-mixer, xfprint, xfce4-appfinder

If using Slackware, you can find a full list of slackbuilds for installation. These can be found at Slackbuilds.org.
Slackware already comes with XFCE as a desktop option, but just in case it needs to be re-installed or the XFCE packages aren’t selected at the time of installation, you’ll find that it can be installed quickly and easily through the use of slackbuilds.

As with other Linux desktop environments, there is a website to Download wallpapers, themes, and a bunch of other goodies to customized the look and feel of your XFCE desktop. The website is www.xfce-look.org

XFCE also comes equipped with GUI controls for Sound adjustment, Changing wallpaper, and most general tweaks. Unlike minimal window managers, a user wouldn’t have to pull up the command line and go into the “Alsamixer” to adjust system sound levels.

Here is a short list of a few Linux distros that either have XFCE as a default environment or have it as an option:

• Linux Mint (XFCE Edition)
• Slackware
• Xubuntu
• Zenwalk

This of course, doesn’t even scratch the surface. If you are looking for a particular type of distro with XFCE, www.distrowatch.com has what you need, you can search from over a hundred different Distro types.

Aside from Linux, BSD distro’s can use just about any environment available as well. PC-BSD for example  uses PBI files to install applications, similar to a .deb or .rpm package for Linux. XFCE is available to that distro in such a file.

Conclusion

Linux running XFCE can breathe life into an older computer, can make a new PC run extremely fast, and has enough customizable features to satisfy just about any need.  It still isn’t for everyone though; users that prefer more “eye-candy” on their desktop may still prefer the GNOME or KDE desktops.  Linux gives a person to choose the environment that fits each person’s individual tastes, and gives the user the ability to make their desktop look and function as they see fit.  This remains one of the strengths of Linux that other operating systems Like Windows and Mac OS X can’t quite match. So feel free to experiment!

In this series, will be reviewing various window managers for Linux and pointing out some of the main features. In this review we will start with a few of lightweights; Blackbox, and it’s decendant, Fluxbox, and even newer; Openbox.

I have always been a fan of the slimmed-down windows managers. It enables easy access to the command line without all the eye candy bogging down the system. A lightweight solution is great for servers, and can make a laptop or desktop system much faster (in addition to making it look kinda cool).

Blackbox

Blackbox has been around for awhile, it is extremely lightweight, and usually a good choice for a server, though it can be used as a desktop window manager as well.

Almost everything can be accessed via Blackbox’s simple menu interface. Simply click on the desktop anywhere, and the menu comes up.

Fluxbox

Fluxbox was actually derived from Blackbox. It includes a few more features and in one of my personal favorites. It’s look and feel is similar to Blackbox at first glance, and the menu system is also similar; but there are a few extras worth pointing out.

First off, Fluxbox has a variety of themes that can be installed and it actually comes with a few by default.

It also has addon programs such as “idesk” that will allow for desktop icons if the standard menu interface isn’t enough.

OpenBox

Openbox is yet another derivative of the “box” series of window managers. It seems to be even further slimmed down from Fluxbox in some areas.

If installed from source; at first glance it may appear rather plain, but with a little tweaking, it can be very robust.

Addons for Fluxbox/Blackbox/Openbox

• Idesk: Idesk is an add-on that allows for a user to have the convenience of dektop icons in the “box” environment. It even allows for transparency of some icons.
• Conky: Conky is one of those must-have programs for most desktops running a slim window manager, it can give vital system information at a glance. It also looks really flashy on ther minimal desktop.  I have used Conky quite a bit in many different distros, but it really seems to stand out as a major application on the slimmed down desktop, in fact, some distros include this program by default in their “box” environments.  It can provide vital system information at-a-glance without pulling up the command line.
• Chestnut Dialer: This program is written in the Python programming language and is a great way to use dial up modems or 3g air cards to connect to the internet, it provides a simple easy-to-configure interface and fits in well in the “box” environment.

There are many fantastic programs that Linux has to offer, it would be nearly impossible to list them all. If your Linux distro comes with a package manager I’d suggest looking at many of the nifty programs available. You’ll find that it’s lots of fun and very rewarding!

“Box” distros

Certain distros already come packaged with minimal window managers; and usually include a few extra built in customization for changing system setting through graphical interfaces:

• Linux Mint Fluxbox CE edition
• Nbuntu
• Crunchbang

These are just a few distro’s that have a “box” window manager by default.

There are more distros out there, http://www.distrowatrch.com/ has a large listing to check out if you are looking for a specific flavor of Linux to meet your needs or style.

Another great website for system customization is http://www.box-look.org/ .

At that site you can find everything from wallpapers to system themes.

There are also sections to find upgrades for other window managers; such as IceWM and PekWM.

Whether your choice of desktop environment is extremely light, full featured, and just a Linux shell, the Linux OS provides something other operating systems don’t; the ability to make it look and work like you want it to. This aspect shows just how versatile open source computing can be. And also a ton of fun too!

Installation

The installation interface is still the same. The default journaling file system is EXT4, with XFS, JFS, REISERFS, and EXT3 as other options. There is support for setting up soft-RAID, with LVM as the default disk partitioning scheme. Disk encryption is also supported, however, Sabayon’s support is not at the same level of other Linux distros (namely, Debian or Fedora). Those distros allow for encrypting a physical volume (if you are using LVM). With Sabayon 5, however, encryption is only supported at the logical volume (LV) level. This is not a problem if you are setting up a single logical volume, which is the default, but if you are setting up multiple logical volumes (which is recommended), and want to encrypt all of them.

Package Management

Sulfur is the new name of Sabayon’s package manager’s graphical frontend. Formerly known as SpritzIt, Sulfur does not seem to be as user friendly as Synaptic (Ubuntu) or YUM (Fedora). When working with Sabayon I usually find it easier to simply pull up a terminal and use the traditional “Portage” command line interface. I usually prefer using the command line interface myself, Just simply pull up a terminal, type “emerge  [package name]” and viola!!

The Good

NVIDIA drivers are auto-configured. That means that Compiz works and all you have to do to start using a 3D desktop is to click on the Compiz icon on the desktop.

Also, the system usually auto-configures WLAN card settings. Sabayon 5.0 was able to detect my Atheros card and connect to a wireless network directly after install.

For laptop users, the good news is that Sabayon also works well with multimedia buttons. in most cases, a user will be able to adjust volume, bring up media players and much more through the touch of a button without having to configure anything.

The Bad

On Sabayon 5 GNOME, the IPTables script is not started, and you won’t find a user-friendly graphical firewall client in the default repository. It appears that Sabayon’s developers may not feel a need for a firewall in their distro, or they have an alternate application that does the job of IPTables.

Removable media still has to be mounted manually. This may even be fine with some users depending on personal preference.

Summary

Overall, Sabayon is a good alternative Linux distribution. To experience all it has to offer though, a person would need a computer with at least a decent video card, and at least 2GB of RAM – though it is worth mentioning that Sabayon also gives the option to install a “core” environment. This would allow a user to install a base system and then build the system as they see fit using Portage or one of the graphical frontends. Sabayon’s influence has been growing since it’s early versions, and only time will tell if it is able to stack to big contenders like Ubuntu and Fedora.

The splash screen in Ubuntu 9.10

Ubuntu 9.10, codenamed Karmic Koala, Was released in late October and has brought with it some exciting changes. an improved interface, standard EXT4 file system by default, and more variety of system themes out of the box just to name a few. In this review, I’ll touch on some of the main differences.

Ubuntu's installation wizard.

Installation

The new version offers a user experience that is better than its predecessors, but there is still room to streamline the process. The Ubiquity slideshow during install is a nice touch; very professionally done with nice artwork; almost reminiscent of a Windows install (where Microsoft takes the opportunity to tell you how lucky you are for using Windows). The standard install takes about the usual amount of time; I was able to install it in Virtual box in about 12 minutes. Overall, the install process is simple, easy to use, and shouldn’t cause many problems for Linux users new and old.

Interface

Version 9.10 ships with version 2.28 of the GNOME desktop environment; bringing with it an improved framework for Bluetooth.  Something that is a welcome sight for yours truly, Bluetooth support has always been a rough patch for me with Linux, and it appears to be much smoother in this release.

Ubuntu One Service

One of the most notable features introduced in this release is the Ubuntu one feature. Allowing users to connect to Canonical’s web storage and file sync service; which of course requires a Launchpad user ID and password.

Easy installation of software packages is a snap.

Software Center

And now for my favorite upgrade! I have always touted package managers as the one thing that has a huge benefit over installing Windows programs, though mind you I am a Slackware user and I usually “enjoy” the extremely entertaining experience of compiling all my programs from source code. But for those who actually have a personal life, you will find that Ubuntu has put a nifty little GUI called the software center that makes browsing Synaptic much easier than before.

The Bad

A lot of the debate over 9.10’s quality and the quality of Linux overall may have to do with the recent release of Windows 7 raising the bar for what people expect when they using an operating system. Ubuntu still has some progress to make up in the area of audio hardware compatibility and other general hardware issues. Anyone who has ever tried to use a Sound Blaster X-FI card in Ubuntu or any distro will know what I mean. I also noticed that the system has a tendency to freeze up every so often while adjusting Pulse Audio settings.

Conclusion

Ubuntu enjoys a spot at the top of the Linux food chain overall, and during its 11 release lifespan has even been an option in Dell’s open source computers. Though as always there are bugs as there were in previous versions, which isn’t surprising given the number of new innovations packaged in this release. Linux as a whole still has a long way to go to be accepted by the masses as a viable desktop alternative to Windows, but for the newcomer to the Linux world that isn’t afraid to try new things, Ubuntu remains the easy-to-use distro for everyone.