First of all, you’ll need to make sure that you’re running the latest release of Ubuntu, 11.04 – also known as Natty Narwhal. If you’re running an earlier version of Ubuntu then you can’t use Unity, so you’ll need to upgrade to the latest version via “Software Updater” before you do anything else.
If you’re using 11.04 and still aren’t getting the Unity interface, then it may be that Ubuntu has decided that your system isn’t powerful enough for the new features.
However, it may be that Unity is just turned off for some reason, so if you’re sure that your system should be capable of running it, open a Terminal window and type “Unity” into it, then press return.
This will force Ubuntu to try and load the Unity interface, if your system isn’t powerful enough then you’ll get a black screen followed by an error message telling you that the Unity Kernal couldn’t load.
If this is the case the unfortunately you’re stuck using the standard interface until you decide to purchase a newer system or upgrade your existing one.
Canonical have released the latest version of Ubuntu, version 11.04 – codenamed Natty Narwhal, to the general public for immediate download as of today.
The latest Ubuntu version features a brand new user interface including a new program launcher that extends from the top left corner of the screen to fill the left hand side of the screen. Read more
As the name suggests, Kubuntu is a variant of the worlds most popular Linux distribution, Ubuntu.
The difference with this version is that it uses the KDE Plasma Desktop as apposed to the GNOME environment that Ubuntu uses. This leads to some fundamental differences in the way KDE looks and operates, but the underlying components are more or less the same.
KDE has a bit of a reputation for being more “Flashy” than Gnome, and this is generally a lot more customizable than the original Ubuntu. Lets see how this reputation stacks up as we go through the installation of Kubuntu and then see what it’s about.
Installation
The Kubuntu installer operates in pretty much exactly the same way as the original, only with slightly more graphical flare. The cursors are better animated and the display generally has a cleaner look about it.
You’re taken through exactly the same options as with Ubuntu, first selecting language, then preparing the installation, setting up your hard disks, setting the timezone and keyboard settings before finally setting up your user settings and installing Kubuntu. Exactly as shown in the video below.
Look And Feel
Kubuntu certainly does have a different look and feel from that of Ubuntu, and it would definitely suit someone who’s more used to the Windows user experience, the menu is located in the bottom left as apposed to across the top of the screen with Ubuntu, and it’s broken down into several sections; Favorites, Applications, Computer, Recently Used and Leave.
You also have a tool box in the bottom right corner which displays time and date, network connectivity, sound options and notification messages, all features that are very similar to Windows.
Another feature that’s been, uhum, “borrowed” from Windows is the ability to add widgets to your desktop. As with Windows there are quite a few included, but many more are available online. This is a feature that many people have warmed to quickly within the Windows community, and many Linux users will find it a good way to organize themselves as well.
Performance
The main gripe that people have had with the KDE environment has historically been that it can often perform less well than GNOME, and unfortunately Kubuntu 10.10 is another example of this.
Although it was still perfectly usable, I did experience a noticeable difference in performance compared to the GNOME based Ubuntu 10.10. The boot time increased significantly, and having more than two or three programs open introduced a lag that simply wasn’t there with Ubuntu.
That being said, I’m running both systems on a virtual PC with modest specifications, those users with higher powered systems will likely not experience the same kind of degradation in performance, in which case Kubuntu’s performance will be as good as the majority of Linux distributions out there.
Included Software
Kubuntu comes bundled with the major open source applications that you would expect. OpenOffice.org and Firefox are both included, though most of the other internet, media and office tools are available explicitly for KDE based operating systems. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with them at all, in fact some surpass their GNOME equivalents in terms of features and usability.
Kubuntu also has access to a massive online repository of free additional software which is accessed via “Software Management” in the System menu.
From here you have the same kind of access to additional applications that you have with Ubuntu’s Software Center. Different applications are broken down by genre, and if you know the name or function of an application then you can search for it using the built in search facility.
There are hundreds, maybe thousands of applications that can be used on Kubuntu, all entirely free. That kind of functionality is hard to argue with.
Conclusions
Kubuntu could just be the perfect Linux distribution for the average Window user who’s looking to convert to open source software. The user experience is as close to Windows 7 as you can get without shelling out £100 for a license. Kubuntu should also run on PC’s that Windows 7 would struggle with, so it’s a great alternative to upgrading to a more powerful machine.
The customizable options of the desktop and toolbars should keep the majority of users happy, as will the masses of applications available for download for free.
If you’ve never tried Linux before, you could do a lot worse than starting off with Kubuntu 10.10. Likewise, if you tried Ubuntu but found the user interface lacking, give Kubuntu a go.
Although Ubuntu is the most well known Linux distribution available, it is one of literally hundreds of different interpretations that ordinary people can lay their hands on.
Over the coming weeks I’ll be taking a look at some of these other distributions in order to establish their strengths, weaknesses, uses and features.
In the first such review, I’ve chosen to look at Lubuntu 10.10.
Now, the shrewd amongst you will notice the similarities in the names of these two versions of Linux, and it’s not a coincidence; Lubuntu stands for “Light Ubuntu”. In essence, this version is a stripped down and streamlined version of the original which is designed to run on less powerful machines and to be more energy efficient in operation. These two attributes make it ideal for use on older notebook computers and the more modern “netbook” computers. Not only should it run faster but it should also squeeze more life out of your battery which is a neat accomplishment in anyone’s book.
Lubuntu achieves this by swapping the Ubuntu desktop environment “Gnome” for a lightweight alternative named LXDE; the Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment. Although the name is far less important than the fact that this thing runs fast…. Really fast. In fact, in testing I found it to be significantly faster to load than the original Ubuntu, as well as a lot more responsive once it had loaded.
In terms of bundled software, Lubuntu fairs well with other Linux distributions, especially when you consider that this version is designed for lower powered PC’s. A few of the names may have changed, such as the Chromium web browser in place of Firefox, but the functionality is still very much there. The picture to the right shows the bundled “Aqualung” media player suite which, although basic, offers excellent functionality in a sleek package.
Lubuntu also includes light productivity tools for office work, such as the Abiword word processor and the Gnumeric spreadsheet application, both of which offer modest compatibility with Microsoft Office.
There are also a selection of bundled games such as Freecell and Minesweeper, though few would expect to play many games on a Linux based machine.
One area where Lubuntu falls behind the competition is the lack of any social networking integration such as is found on the last two Ubuntu releases. Users of sites such as Twitter and Facebook will have to manually check their accounts via the web browser as apposed to from the desktop as in Ubuntu. That being said, Lubuntu does include the popular Pidgin instant messenger client which allows connections to multiple networks such as Windows Live, Yahoo, Google Talk and AIM. Many people won’t find this disection too much of an inconvenience, though those who have made good use of Ubuntu 10′s features may be left wanting.
Overall, Lubuntu offers a great alternative to those who want to use Linux on an older or lower specc’d machine. The cut down nature of the operating system produces some noticeable improvements in system performance, which can only be a good thing for those to whom time is money (or to anyone with little patience). It’s also worth considering Lubuntu for it’s green credentials; although no official stats have been collated (that gives me an idea), it does seem reasonable that a less processor intensive OS would lead to increased battery life.
Whatever your motivation, I encourage you to check out Lubuntu Linux 10.10 now.
Apple have kick started the market for tablet devices in 2010, and 2011 looks to be bringing an huge wave of Android based devices from pretty much every major technology manufacturer and retailer in the market, but could an Ubuntu Linux tablet PC be on the cards for 2011?
Yes, if you believe the writers over at Chinese based technology website Giz-China who definitely believe that an Ubuntu slab will soon be hitting retailers sometime in the near future.
The rumoured device is alleged to feature an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and a 32GB Solid State Disk. From the pictures it also looks like a 10″ device. It allegedly runs Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Remix.
I say allegedly as we’ve seen these kind of pictures emerge from China before, and a lot of the time it turns out to be some guy who took some screenshots of his home computer and set it as a wallpaper on his portable device. That’s not to say I wouldn’t welcome the device with open arms, though to be honest; any existing Windows tablet should be able to run Ubuntu Linux instead so perhaps it’s not something to get too excited about after all.
These days more and more people are becoming interested in using Linux on their home PC’s, the problem is that most people have a huge library of files and programs that only run on Windows. It would be difficult and expensive to get rid of Windows altogether, and besides; Linux isn’t for everyone, what if you don’t like it?
The solution is to install Linux alongside your existing Windows operating system, that way you get all the advantages of trying Linux on your home machine whilst maintaining your existing Windows OS as well.
In the video below I’ll take you through installing a Linux operating system alongside your existing Windows installation.
In this example I use a Windows XP installation and the latest version of Ubuntu Linux, but this approach should also work fine with later versions of Windows as well as most other Linux installations.
In part one of this guide I took you through the considerations for buying parts and then assembling a low cost media PC, in this part I’ll take you through the software setup for this PC and give advice on the different options available for producing your own media PC.
Operating System
If your machine is going to be used purely as a media center then the best option is to install a free operating system such as Ubuntu Linux. Linux is a good choice because it isn’t as susceptible to the threats of the internet as a Windows machine would be, which means that the PC will be more stable and require less interaction from you.
If, however, you plan to use your machine for other purposes then Windows may be a better choice, especially if you are unfamiliar with Linux.
In this case, because the machine is going to be purely for playing media, I’ve decided to use Ubuntu Linux 10.04 as my base operating system.
Media Player Software
There are many choices of media player software, both for the Windows and Linux platforms, but following our recent testing of free media center software I’ve decided to use Boxee as the basis for my media center.
The advantage of Boxee is that it’s available for Windows, Linux, AppleTV and Mac, so it can still be used even if you decide to have a Windows operating system. You can read our review of Boxee here.
If you don’t want to use Boxee, there are other options available. XBMC is an excellent alternative for Windows and Linux users, and most Windows users also have the benefit of Window Media Center.
Installation
As my media PC doesn’t feature a CD or DVD drive, I’m going to have to install the operating system using a USB pen drive, full details of how to do this can be found in our article, here
The first step is to install the operating system (in this case Linux). No matter which OS you use, the steps for creating your media PC are more or less the same:
Install the operating system (Windows, Linux)
Install all security and software updates (through Windows Update or the Software Updater in Linux)
Install virus protection software (free options include Microsoft Security Essentials and AVG Free)
Ensure all your device drivers are up to date (graphics and sound drivers are particularly important)
Install your chosen media center software (in my case, Boxee)
Set up your media center software.
Enjoy!
In the video below, I take you through these steps for an Ubuntu Linux/Boxee installation on the media PC I built in part one.
although basic, offers excellent functionality in a sleek package.
