Reader Requested Review: Elementary OS Luna

With my first reader requested review of Crunchbang being a success I decided to do another.  This time I took on Elementary OS: Luna. I am currently on a 6 year old HP ProBook with core i5 processor and 4GB ram and do all distribution reviews on VirtualBox.

In my research I read a few random reviews of Elementary OS and found that many people are claiming that this is a good alternative to Mac OS.  Elementary OS is based on Ubuntu and it runs Pantheon for a desktop environment which is based on Gnome 3.  

If you are downloading Elementary OS directly from the website you may see a dollar amount of $10.00 above the download button but paying is an option. This is how they cleverly ask that you pay for their product if you like it. As with most Linux distributions, donations are always accepted as this work is offered for free, however that is a post for another day.

Install

The install for Elementary OS was fast and similar to an Ubuntu install.  It ran through all the basic questions regarding location and language.  After the reboot, I noticed that the system was running a tad slow.  To speed it up I installed preload and zram-config as well as ran all updates and upgrades to the system.

Kubuntu Review

After testing and reviewing Ubuntu it was a refreshing and pleasant experience getting into Kubuntu.  It was nicely laid out for easy access to pretty much anything I needed.  Kubuntu was indeed user friendly and was a good representation of their slogan; Kubuntu - the GNU/Linux distribution for everyone.

While Kubuntu is still sponsored by Canonical Ltd, they are made up of developers, programmers, and a community who volunteer their time.  Much like Debian these are people that work hard to bring open-source software to the world.  On the flip-side they work very closely with the Ubuntu team to release their products on the same day.  While I saw instability in Ubuntu, I did not see those same instability issues in Kubuntu.  There were no freezing or slow to start issues that I saw.

The desktop environment in Kubuntu is KDE, which is extremely easy to use.  The ability to personalize your desktop with the ease of finding programs quickly is a breath of fresh air compared to Unity and Gnome.  While I personally am not a widget fan I do like that they offer them as a way to easily glance at information you need.

As I mentioned in previous reviews; having a software center installed with the distribution makes it easy to locate and install programs that a user would need to go about their daily lives.  Like most distribution, Kubuntu offers many of the programs that an average user would need.  Mixed with the ease of categories offered by KDE the average user would easily be able to log in and use the computer with little to no issues.

With Kubuntu being a derivative of Ubuntu, it would be a likely assumption that it came with Zeitgeist installed.  Good news, Zeitgeist is not installed in Kubuntu.  As previously mentioned in my Ubuntu 14.04 review, Zeitgeist is a program that logs your keystrokes and sends them back to whatever company requested them.  Ubuntu comes with this program installed, but thankfully Kubuntu does not. Which means you are free to search anything you would like without having the eyes of big brother looking over your shoulder.

Overall, Kubuntu was a very nice Linux distribution. It was easy to use, easy to understand, and stable enough for the needs of an average user.  I would recommend it as a good choice in a distribution.  If you would like to try Kubuntu or learn even more about the distribution or the community please visit their website.

Kubuntu 14.04

Good Afternoon everyone! I took a couple of days to enjoy the beautiful weather that has finally returned.  Now after a short break I am ready to dive into the next distribution.  Without further ado, here is Kubuntu 14.04. This is a continuing series and due to the certain similarities I have omitted some install steps.  If you need to reference these you can look at a few of my previous posts.

Ubuntu 14.04

 

Ubuntu is one of the more popular distributions, with it's first release in 2004 and funding by Canonical LTD. in 2005.  Offering systems for cloud, server, desktop, phone, tablets and even your tv, they have their hands in pretty much every electronic device we use on a daily basis.  Unfortunately they still haven't figured out a way to do laundry, dishes and the dusting.  Who wouldn't want to learn one system for all of their electronics?

Ubuntu with Unity

 The next distribution that I am looking at is Ubuntu.  Right off the bat I can tell you it's not much different from Debian and Gnome.  The major differences come in with philosophy and focus.  I will get into those a little later.  This one will be a quick run through due to most of the similarities between the last distribution and this one. This is a continuing series and due to the certain similarities I have omitted some install steps.  If you need to reference these you can look at a few of my previous posts.

Hurdles

When I initially set out to write this post I thought the best thing I could do was show my readers how to boot Linux from a thumb drive or CD.  As I started the process of collecting information, screen shots, and whatever else I would need for the post it dawned on me.  How can I inform my readers when they may not know yet which distribution they should go with.  It was an easy choice for me, I saw and tried Mint XFCE and fell in love.  It may not be as easy for you.

After getting into a conversation about the different Linux distributions with my very patient boyfriend, who is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to anything computer related it suddenly dawned on me. The issue that Windows or Mac OS users face when making decisions about Linux distributions or Linux in general is "How do I choose?"  

It became apparent that when you are on an operating system like Windows or Mac OS you are confined to your apartment, you can go into the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, or the bathroom. When switching to Linux you realize that every apartment in the building is now accessible and each apartment has it's own pros, cons, and special amenities.  How do you choose which apartment you now want to live in?

So I am skipping the thumb drive post for at least a little while, instead I will be entering into the great wide world of distributions.  I will be testing out, comparing and writing about each of the major distributions.  Mint, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Suse to name a few.  I'll even go into their respective derivatives.  At the end of each one I will give my own personal opinion, because this is my blog and I can share my opinion.  

My reasoning behind approaching it this way instead of just putting you on my personal favorite is because I do not want anyone who reads this blog to feel like they are trapped in yet another operating system.  While I don't personally believe any distribution could really limit you nearly as much as Windows or Mac OS has, I do want you to make your own choice on what may or may not work for you.  I want you to leave your apartment, become my roomie in other apartments before you make your decision on what would be best for you.  Sorry only virtual bacon can be shared, is there anyone working on being able to get food through the computer screen yet?