Discussion on:

Ubuntu pulls the 'official' plug on Kubuntu

Hello, just want to tell you all about the upcoming release of RhinoLINUX, built on the codebases of Ubuntu, and LinuxMint.
Our first public release, due shortly, is actually version 3.0 as there were two versions which are development builds only.
The RhinoLINUX THREE beta is codenamed "Oneiric ANJI" and as the name implies it is compatible and can use Ubuntu's "oneiric" software repositories.Of course, much of the available Debian applications will work too.
We like the idea of choice, especially with new technologies and ideas, the choice to try them, but also one should be able to reject them and continue the way you have been all along. One of the goals of RhinoLINUX, an important one, is to give users the ability to be free in another sense, where their computer operating system, OUT OF THE BOX, is able to allow them to open and edit all common documents and media types, browse the web and communicate using apps we all rely on and are familiar with such as Skype.and Firefox, and also the system itself must be robust, with BUILT-IN backup tools, disk maintenance and recovery apps that work, and do so as SAFELY as possible.
Additionally, it was important for us that backward and cross-platform application AND operating system compatibility was included.
To this end RhinoLINUX includes VirtualX, our emulation and virtual apps suite, as well as Wine, which has matured and able to run almost any MS Windows app.
Desktop environments, which we always found to be one of the most exciting Linux features, that one could have different dashboards on the same engine effectively, are very personal choices at the end of it really, we are all our own person with our own way of working, and I think it is blinkered and even a bit arrogant to try force all yours users to adopt what you like or want to be the standard, back to Bill Gates-style bullying.
So RhinoLINUX offers choice here again : Gnome 3, Classic, LXDE, XFCe, Fluxbox, Enlightenment, and the Cinnamon shell. This has become our oasis in the Unity/Gnome issue, and we are confident enough about it that Cinnamon is the default user interface.
RhinoLINUX aims to improve on, not replace, its upstream distros, by adding what we felt were essential, and necessary applications, and functionality to them, and then bundling choice, functionality and a bit of fun .
In the words of Mark Shuttleworth, we did what he did with Debian, "stood on the shoulders of giants". The RhinoLINUX distribution can ease the stress on Ubuntu users frustrated with the recent shell changes, while still remaining compatible. Please view our website and Facebook group for more information, download mirrors to be announced shortly. Website: http://www.rhinolinux.com/ - FB group RhinoLINUX (Many screenshots are here) - Hope to see you on our group/site member lists soon.

Hi Rhinolinux,

Nice alternative! With features like VirtualX it is easy to switch the different desktops out of the box. This gives a good idea of VirtualX (back in 2006)http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=271674
Of course Wine is great too to get your (supported) applications running.
PlayOnLinux has made it easier as a front-end for wine to install and run windows applications on Linux as it is explained here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayOnLinux
Surely will give it a try!

Hi Neddot, thanks for the input. RhinoLINUX already has PlayOnLinux bundled, as well as the WineTricks utility, which interestingly enough works so well I managed to install MS Office 2007 and all the apps ran except for OneNote, which of course was the only Microsoft application I planned to use out of Office. Anyway I believe others have also successfully installed even Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer, though to what benefit or additional function I dont know. Also, the VirtualX I am referring to is our own customized Virtual Machine Manager built on opensource components such as QEMU, and libvirt. Thanks again, and watch the website at http://www.rhinolinux.com for the release and download announcements. Looking forward to your feedback, and we hope you find RhinoLINUX to be the best desktop OS you have ever used.

Please also join our Facebook group called RhinoLINUX, then you will be able to find more info on features, development and there are many nice screenshots of the desktop in action.

It reads a lot like an Add which is poor form here.

I'll give you the Benefit of the Doubt but please realize that TR is not an Advertizing Forum. We truelly appreciate the involvement of people from the FOSS Community especially those who are willing to participate and answer questions that some members may have.

I point you to the New User Guide

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/techofalltrades/new-user-guide-to-techrepublic/152

And hope you take the hint. We don't mind input from Developers but what was posted above is a bit over the top.

Col

Hi Col, point taken, I apologize, it does read like an ad, but in the end I am not selling RhinoLINUX, I am just passionate about the project, and its more enthusiasm than anything else.

Is that a text-based operating system? Because I just clicked to a site with no pictures of the system. Weird.

use a hard drive switch! (Ode attempt) ! much simpler and IMHO effective than multi-boot setups. Try any variant of linux whilst keeping your windows/ other linux OS intact.

The good news is that MEPIS is still a KDE distro. Over the past few years I have tried several other distros, but I have always come back to Mepis. However the newest KDE desktop is so resource intensive. I do not now, nor have I ever seen much use for a "Gee Whiz" desktop. I am now testing Linux Mint LXDE.

reason 1 got my saitek without any problems at all
2 got my sound to actually work,
3 better interface,more customization than xp pro
everything with one exception is working after a rather difficult migration from microsoft
but that is my fail...so far ive tryed varios distros and did not like them a bit
but in kubuntu ive found a much more friendly system although the install kinda
had me scratching my head,updates etc...that and my mobo bios is dated....
over all i cant see why kubuntu was dropped.bummer im still keeping it though

I am trying to learn linux for two reasons, because I want to and I am being forced to. It is part of my required learning, and I am eager to dive in. The instructor's choice was Solaris and OpenSuse. Installed as VMS. I am trying out the OpenSuse. I did look at the links some helpful person posted here previously to get aquainted, and I did some digging of my own, and I have my cousre textbook. How is it painful? I thought I would install dropbox. It seemed to install easy enough, it returned 'success' and then synch my folder. A seemingly clear sign that something good happened, I log out and back in, then nothing. It is nowhere to be found. I ran dropbox start -i, the only command I could find and nope nothing. Dropbox is MIA. Next up a seemingly simple concept, create a script file. This one is even more perplexing because it is a fundamental concept. All I want to do is open the existing file to edit it. I was presented a list of options as cryptic as possible. And it was overwritten by me opening it. So I thought I would go and do some research. Why would such a simple thing, that we all have to do every day, need a list of options as complicated as rocket science? I have tried edit FILENAME, VIM FILENAME, only to be presented with two stupid choices. "(1) Another program may be editing the same file. and (2) An edit session for this file crashed." Then a number of choices, [O]pen Read-Only, (E)dit anyway, (R)ecover, (D)elete it, (Q)uit, (A)bort. And despite the English language, edit does not really mean edit. Edit = overwrite. Good thing it was only a few test lines of script. I am not discouraged, just venting somewhat. It is a learning experience.

KDE "is the last remaining Linux desktop that resembles that standard desktop metaphor."

You sure? I use Xubuntu and Lubuntu and like them partly because they keep the standard desktop metaphor. You sure you haven't slid into a "big names only" frame of mind, re. desktop environments?

"Kubuntu most likely will flounder and die."

Again, I don't see it. Seems pretty straightforward that Kubuntu will join Xubuntu and Lubuntu as one of the available derivatives that release regularly and are always available (but which surprisingly few people choose).

Would you like Linux to rule the desktop? Well, seal the source code and sell it to a software company. (Impossible I know but hear me out.) A private company with a mission can take Linux past Windows and definitely past MacOS. Using bright independent thinking programmers, or "code artists", this company can devise a more human way to interface with a computer. Those programmers can then develop a Linux system in that way and people will try it and love it and buy it. But a private company won't do that if the source is free for all to change it. Because Linux lovers here and everywhere will likely take this for-profit version and make it into another Windows or Mac imitator... much how Linux is now.