U-lite Linux

Highlights of Lubuntu 9.10 Beta 14:

· Linux kernel 2.6.31 RC8 insurance
· Openbox 3.4.7.2
· Firefox 3.5.2
· Pidgin 2.5.8
· Aqualung R-1061
· xfBurn 0.4.2

The final version is planned to be synchronized with the Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala, and is scheduled for the 29th of October, 2009.

About Lubuntu business cards

The Lubuntu project started in March 2009, with the purpose of creating a lighter and less resource demanding alternative to the Xubuntu operating system, using the LXDE desktop environment. The ultimate goal of this project is to join the ranks of Kubuntu and Xubuntu and become an officially supported derivative of Ubuntu.

The developers claim that, while Xubuntu is often represented as a lightweight distro, it actually fails to run on older hardware, so they are targeting their Linux distribution at older legacy computers and devices with less than 256 MB of RAM.

While this project hasn't received too much attention until now, the LXDE project received an invitation to become a self-maintained component of Ubuntu back in February 2009, straight from the Ubuntu founder, Mark Shuttleworth credit report.

Under the management of Mario Behling, the project received a project logo and an official Ubuntu wiki page that includes a list of desired applications, packages and components.

About LXDE

LXDE is a very lightweight and minimal desktop environment using the openbox window manager, the PcManFM file manager, and a very select list of default applications. It is compatible with basic freedesktop standards and all needed parts are already packaged in Ubuntu today customer service.

One thing that seems to work with none of the distributions (unless you're a geek or programmer) is webcams.

Please include support for that (at least the most common, like the UVC standard), so they may auto-detect and auto-configure. This is a problem area for the vast majority of Linux users (except for the geeks who really don't think it's a big deal to recompile stuff and enter a bunch of lines of cryptic code on the command line).

A lite version isn't for power use, like heavy duty graphics or 3D CAD... so users may be likely to use it for everything else, like web browsing, basic office applications, chat and webcam - keeping in touch with friends, and family abroad, through Messengers and Skype. Exactly the audience that this distro is targeting.

So please, do not overlook this very important component that will help it succeed.

supertimm
(at)
gmail dot com

I was successfully able to get the ulite alpha 2 running with 9.04 after a bit of a hassle. I had to first install 8.10 cli version, then do a dist-upgrade to Jaunty. After that the ulite destop installed fine. Thanks for the great work!

I have been looking for a lightweight, fast booting, LXDE based distribution that includes Firefox and Thunderbird from stock for such a long time! Not only does U-lite 0.9 offer all that, but it also includes a very good-looking desktop! The "single panel" setup struck me right away, this is so much better for my old XGA notebook than the usual Gnome-like dual panel setup!

I'm now curious to see whether "Consonance" will make it as default player into the final release. (That's no hidden demand, I'm just plain curious.)

And I've noticed that the translation into other languages is partially incomplete. Is somebody already going to take care of this, or are you waiting for testers to submit corrections? I couldn't dedicate enough time to seriously participate in this project, but I would be able to contribute e.g. the missing menu entries in Italian and German language. Just let me know if and how.

Dan Q

Hey man thanks for this beautiful distro ... please keep working on this :)