TooMuchGreen

Check this out, it’s a Windows XP themed Ubuntu distro from China. Microsoft are “apparently” not going to take any legal action against the producers (Ylmf), although I’ll wager that’s said through clenched teeth

So, what’s the lowdown. Well, Ylmf is built on the latest version of Ubuntu (9.10) and includes all the standard goodies + a few extra niceties to compliment the blend. Here’s a brief run through of the install and a few added shots from the end desktop..

Initial splash, already nicely themed..

 Read more... (estimated reading time 2:05 mins)

Up and away from the industrial depths of server side technology and groupware the lighter side of the “home-user” Linux desktop continues to offer a changing face of optional identity. Obviously at ground level we have base GNOME, KDE and XFCE window managers but around the big three rotate a whole array of tweaked distros all claiming to offer the definitive desktop interface of today. Some are barely functional, some are too functional, some try too hard and are confusingly neither and some have completely missed the point, but, there are an odd one or two which actually survive the statutory 60 minute evaluation period and for me gOS is one such release.  Read more... (estimated reading time 2:10 mins)

I attended an Ubuntu evening this week at the Met Hotel in Leeds. Organised by the West Yorkshire fraction of BCS the seminar was hosted by Ubuntu’s Matthew Barker and was a promotional awareness event held to present an overview of the company, product and current/future direction.

Matthew’s presentation was incredibly positive and I was most warmed by the parallels with TooMuchGreen’s corresponding ideals, it was also nice to see a couple of fun new acronyms pop up – JEDI & UFO. As we all know the I.T world loves its acronyms however these two are particularly choice. JEDI stands for Just Enough Desktop Infrastructure and UFO is the complimentary solution – Ubuntu + Firefox + Open Office (OK yes, that’s UFOO, but you get the idea).  Read more... (estimated reading time 1:23 mins)

There’s no doubting the ubiquitous predominance of Microsoft® Active Directory™ (AD) across business enterprise networks of the world (well done Microsoft), however in the emerging new age of browser based cloud application delivery an Ubuntu Linux desktop client is a distinct no brainer, why pay good money for software licensing and expensive high end hardware to (basically) just run Firefox?  Read more... (estimated reading time 1:42 mins)

Back end systems don’t really move at the same pace of the front end (or the pace it thinks it does) and most major developments are less flighty to instigate and adopt, there’s too much at stake and it’s invariably such a mammoth undertaking to totally replace or migrate a full business enterprise platform it’s done only when absolutely necessary, i.e when the back end dies or available system resource restricts adoption of newer enterprise functionality with a resulting impact on cross-business integration and communication.  Read more... (estimated reading time 2:50 mins)

Mobile server development can be tricky, or do I mean mobile development for servers? A few weeks ago it would have been the latter however thanks to the superb little Dell Mini 9 I can now deliver both whilst simultaneously sipping a nice latte in the Cafe “Tous les Jours” across the street  Read more... (estimated reading time 3:24 mins)

Mint 7 RC1 then…..(codename ‘Gloria’)

Firstly a touch of background. Mint is a rather slick derivative of Ubuntu (and thus Debian) running a tweaked and optimised window manager (predominantly GNOME), it proffers a functional *out of the box* experience geared toward the home user with a range of media codecs pre-installed (flash for example) and a tailored application suite & accompanying easy menu system aimed at generic web & media computing, it also boasts a full range of ready to roll Wi-Fi drivers to get you connected from the word go, side stepping all that potentially confusing command line jiggery pokery you still need to delve into with some of the less amiable desktop distros.
It’s Dad, plain old lovely Ubuntu, is undoubtedly a firm favourite of mine but admittedly would still be (more) at home in the business enterprise than on the media hungry streaming, burning, ripping, synching desktops of the home user fresh out of PC World, this will obviously change however (it already is, for one you’re reading this right?).  Read more... (estimated reading time 2:24 mins)