I am new to Linux, but heard good things about Fedora Linux. I am comparing Ultramarine Linux with Fedora Workstation. I am running the Distros on two different HP desktops. So far, UM Linux has the advantage. The Pros are easy installation, RPM and Flathub installed automatically, fast, stable, and seems secure. I am running Brave and Firefox browsers, Darktable, IDLE3 and VScodium programming environments, and Xboard(my chess game to practice for chess.com). The only difference between the two desktops is the amount of memory, 4GB versus 8GB. I hope to make one of the Distros a daily driver on the 8GB HP desktop.
Cons: None so far.
Overall impression: I like Ultramarine and Fedora. I am too new to make a recommendation, but as it stand, I favor Ultramarine Linux!
Thank you DistroWatch and Ultramarine!
Version: 36 Rating: 7 Date: 2023-02-04 Votes: 0
Easy to use as a fedora fan, but on some hardware I would lose the pointer.
love the Budgie and Pantheon desktops which worked well, along with the pre-installed non free rpms but it hasn't made me want to swap from fedora full time
if you are new to linux or want to try the stability of fedora then this is a good starting ponit, and I don't think you will not be disappointed. It uses the installer as fedora, so easy to go through and setup. though as many are saying somewhat dated now.
Overall a great distro that I will keep on the system I tested it on. and will see what happens when I upgrade it to 37.
Version: 37 Rating: 9 Date: 2023-01-03 Votes: 1
I absolutely Love Ultramarine with the ("flagship") Budgie desktop. It installed flawlessly and there are few things I'd change. I'd have folders sort before files, I'd have thought that obvious. I've been through settings and they are a nice mix. They need to add a lot more wallpaper, but functionally it's flawless. The stability of Fedora with the coolness of a budgie desktop. Only its newness and lack of bells and whistles give it a "9," otherwise, "10." Also the start menu needs to be better sorted in categories. Version 38 will probably catch all of this. Very well done.
Version: 36 Rating: 10 Date: 2022-12-06 Votes: 5
I'd been looking for a Fedora-based distro with the clean Budgie desktop for quite some time and during a cursory distro search, I fortuitously found Ultramarine. My Arch distro was giving me problems at the time, so I took a leap of faith and decided to give Ultramarine a go straightaway. Install went smoothly without any glitches. All hardware on my Lenovo is working out of the box. Suspend to RAM works too. It's relatively early days but so far, I am very impressed with this distro and it leads me to feel reasonably confident that I'll be sticking with it for the foreseeable future on both my laptops.
Version: 36 Rating: 9 Date: 2022-10-11 Votes: 5
After using Pop!_os for 6 months with many small problems, I decide to to test Budgie and after eliminated Ubuntu Budgie I selected Ultramarine Flagship and after 2 weeks using it I can tell you it has been an very good experience. Everythings works, even my Windows 10 Pro VM in Gnome Boxes works with only a small problem with the mouse pointer (nothing to do with the new distro).
Why Windows 10 VM? because I use RSAT tool for active directory management and also to give support with Quick Assist to my 30+ users.
Version: 36 Rating: 9 Date: 2022-07-14 Votes: 6
A pleasant surprise. Installing went fairly quickly, and with no hitches other than the odd prompt to set up networking on the live environment before attempting during the actual installation. That done and I was presented after the usual reboot with a very nice Budgie desktop. Plenty of software to offer for download, and all the codecs I need were right in the original installation.
Smooth and a bit unique for a Fedora based distro. It sems to be everything that AlmaLinux has been trying to be. I would give Ultramarine a 10 rating but for the inability to make the taskbar ("panel") fully transparent, which is one of my preferences.
VERY nice distro and it's staying on this machine.
Version: 36 Rating: 10 Date: 2022-07-02 Votes: 7
I love this distro. I have installed the Gnome edition and it has been flawless. I've tried it on several different laptops and had no issues installing. The same is true with the flagship edition except that I just don't like the budgie desktop much. I intend to try Pantheon and it's my understanding they are no longer working on Cutefish. I really like how they've linked to multiple respositories right out of the box, so I've had no trouble installing software that I use and need. I had my installation up and running just the way I like it in a matter of minutes. Fedora always takes longer because I have to chase down some of the odder packages I use. Not necessary in Ultramarine. I must say I'm impressed with some of the unknown distros I have tried like Storm and XeroLinux, but I have settled on Ultramarine as my go to OS for the foreseeable future.
Version: 36 Rating: 10 Date: 2022-05-30 Votes: 4
Ultramarine is the Best Linux Distro!!! I have tried out hundreds of linux distros over the course of the last year. Prior to Ultramarine my daily driver had been Pop_OS for its tiling windows feature, its software repository and it just worked though, like all other linux distros, it had some annoying attributes that I couldn't seem to resolve. Then I stumbled on Ultramarine which has all the features I loved with Pop_OS without the annoying attributes. In short, it just works, in every way that was important to the way I like to configure my desktop. I absolutely Love Ultramarine Linux!!
Version: 36 Rating: 4 Date: 2022-05-23 Votes: 1
Not recommended:
* installation issue: cannot be installed on a GPT -drive attached to a BIOS (not UEFI) machine. Other distros might warn you but will allow to proceed with the installation, at your own risk. And of course booting from the GPT does work.
* anakonda installer doesn't give the option to install Grub to a partition of choice, not even the option of not installing a bootloader at all. This is a no-go for a multi-boot machine.
* installed vlc thru DNF. Result: it's not in the task menue, can only be run from the commandline, specifying the source parameter, no GUI app. I worked around with the Parole -mediaplayer, which obviously is a weak replacement.
* memory usage after boot close to 900 MB - not what you'd expect from a low-resource DE like Budgie. Might have to do with zram swap, which I am not familiar with.
* shuting down the system takes > two minutes, because systemd is hanging at an effort to terminate some sort of user service daemon.
* no printer setup in the system tools: had to resort to good old lpadmin -cli, with the splix -package as a precondition.
* invoking Libre Office results in an error message similar to "missing components", then hangs for a while, then works.
* fonts are ugly, imho; switching from dark theme to bright one takes some effort, especially in Firefox.
Pro's:
* I guess many glitches are inherited from mother Fedora 36 and Budgie
* if you take fun in fixing problems and feel satisfied after having ironed out whatever Ultramarine QC missed - then this one might be for you. Although I am sure there are many more bugs than the ones mentioned above, after some hard work you might get a working Linux at the end of the day. However be aware that Fedora's support cycles are short, so you'll undergo the same pleasure again after approx. 13 months.
Version: 35 Rating: 10 Date: 2022-05-15 Votes: 7
Ultramarine is the best Fedora spin ever. It's way better than Fedora itself, which has always been problematic for me. Ultramarine has improve Fedora from installation to operation. I've tested Ultramarine for 5 months on an old laptop and it runs smoothly with no issues. Installation was a breeze. I'm not a big fan of the Budgie desktop, but I love how it's been adapted to Ultramarine. This distro has taken two Linux components I've never particularly liked, Fedora & Budgie and has turned them into game changers in my opinion. In fact, Ultramarine has renewed my faith in Linux has a whole. Now, I just wish someone could do the same for Slackware.
Version: 35 Rating: 10 Date: 2022-03-21 Votes: 3
Budgie Version installed on 2022-02-06 on ACER Aspire M3970 (2011) with i5 Intel processor (4core), Nvidia GT1030 and 12 Gb RAM.
After 2 weeks of use, I can say
Pros :
- No problem to install Ultramarine 35
- No problem to install Nvidia driver, Cuda and Codecs non free (RPM Fusion reposories)
- Budgie desktop environment is simple, easy to configure and really good integrated to fedora 35.
- No problem since the installation
- Good performance with photographic software (RawTherapee and darktable). That is important for me !
- Good responsiveness to kernel and software versions
Cons
- Like all distributions based on Fedora and Red Hat, it's not always easy to install software. It's not a Linux distribution for beginners in Linux
Version: 35 Rating: 9 Date: 2022-03-09 Votes: 1
I tried the Budgie version and had no problems in the live mode. So I moved forward with the install and had no problems there either. With Fedora and other Red Hat versions I've had the install sometimes get stuck halfway through without proceeding further. Even after a install I haven't been able to get any Fedora-based distro to perform hassle free since the 2014 version, so Ultramarine is a big improvement for me. It's about time. I'm going to keep using Ultramarine as a backup distro and then evaluate its long term performance, but so far so good.
Version: 35 Rating: 1 Date: 2022-02-07 Votes: 5
Same as the other 2 comments. Ultramarine 35 cutefish request live user password. NO LUCK!
Version: 35 Rating: 1 Date: 2022-02-05 Votes: 5
I tried the cutefish version and it request a password to login, and I was not able to find this password anywhere, very frustrating.
Version: 35 Rating: 5 Date: 2022-01-31 Votes: 11
I wanted to try the cutefish version in live, but it wanted a password at all costs. i tried live, root, cute, cutefish, ultramarine etc. but i couldn't log in with any of them. unfortunately i can't access the website or any of the additional services under the domain ultramarine-linux.org. An active distribution if you are up on the distrowatch site, you should expect to have the website available to the project!
I am new to Linux, but heard good things about Fedora Linux. I am comparing Ultramarine Linux with Fedora Workstation. I am running the Distros on two different HP desktops. So far, UM Linux has the advantage. The Pros are easy installation, RPM and Flathub installed automatically, fast, stable, and seems secure. I am running Brave and Firefox browsers, Darktable, IDLE3 and VScodium programming environments, and Xboard(my chess game to practice for chess.com). The only difference between the two desktops is the amount of memory, 4GB versus 8GB. I hope to make one of the Distros a daily driver on the 8GB HP desktop.
Cons: None so far.
Overall impression: I like Ultramarine and Fedora. I am too new to make a recommendation, but as it stand, I favor Ultramarine Linux!
Easy to use as a fedora fan, but on some hardware I would lose the pointer.
love the Budgie and Pantheon desktops which worked well, along with the pre-installed non free rpms but it hasn't made me want to swap from fedora full time
if you are new to linux or want to try the stability of fedora then this is a good starting ponit, and I don't think you will not be disappointed. It uses the installer as fedora, so easy to go through and setup. though as many are saying somewhat dated now.
Overall a great distro that I will keep on the system I tested it on. and will see what happens when I upgrade it to 37.
I absolutely Love Ultramarine with the ("flagship") Budgie desktop. It installed flawlessly and there are few things I'd change. I'd have folders sort before files, I'd have thought that obvious. I've been through settings and they are a nice mix. They need to add a lot more wallpaper, but functionally it's flawless. The stability of Fedora with the coolness of a budgie desktop. Only its newness and lack of bells and whistles give it a "9," otherwise, "10." Also the start menu needs to be better sorted in categories. Version 38 will probably catch all of this. Very well done.
I'd been looking for a Fedora-based distro with the clean Budgie desktop for quite some time and during a cursory distro search, I fortuitously found Ultramarine. My Arch distro was giving me problems at the time, so I took a leap of faith and decided to give Ultramarine a go straightaway. Install went smoothly without any glitches. All hardware on my Lenovo is working out of the box. Suspend to RAM works too. It's relatively early days but so far, I am very impressed with this distro and it leads me to feel reasonably confident that I'll be sticking with it for the foreseeable future on both my laptops.
After using Pop!_os for 6 months with many small problems, I decide to to test Budgie and after eliminated Ubuntu Budgie I selected Ultramarine Flagship and after 2 weeks using it I can tell you it has been an very good experience. Everythings works, even my Windows 10 Pro VM in Gnome Boxes works with only a small problem with the mouse pointer (nothing to do with the new distro).
Why Windows 10 VM? because I use RSAT tool for active directory management and also to give support with Quick Assist to my 30+ users.
A pleasant surprise. Installing went fairly quickly, and with no hitches other than the odd prompt to set up networking on the live environment before attempting during the actual installation. That done and I was presented after the usual reboot with a very nice Budgie desktop. Plenty of software to offer for download, and all the codecs I need were right in the original installation.
Smooth and a bit unique for a Fedora based distro. It sems to be everything that AlmaLinux has been trying to be. I would give Ultramarine a 10 rating but for the inability to make the taskbar ("panel") fully transparent, which is one of my preferences.
VERY nice distro and it's staying on this machine.
I love this distro. I have installed the Gnome edition and it has been flawless. I've tried it on several different laptops and had no issues installing. The same is true with the flagship edition except that I just don't like the budgie desktop much. I intend to try Pantheon and it's my understanding they are no longer working on Cutefish. I really like how they've linked to multiple respositories right out of the box, so I've had no trouble installing software that I use and need. I had my installation up and running just the way I like it in a matter of minutes. Fedora always takes longer because I have to chase down some of the odder packages I use. Not necessary in Ultramarine. I must say I'm impressed with some of the unknown distros I have tried like Storm and XeroLinux, but I have settled on Ultramarine as my go to OS for the foreseeable future.
Ultramarine is the Best Linux Distro!!! I have tried out hundreds of linux distros over the course of the last year. Prior to Ultramarine my daily driver had been Pop_OS for its tiling windows feature, its software repository and it just worked though, like all other linux distros, it had some annoying attributes that I couldn't seem to resolve. Then I stumbled on Ultramarine which has all the features I loved with Pop_OS without the annoying attributes. In short, it just works, in every way that was important to the way I like to configure my desktop. I absolutely Love Ultramarine Linux!!
Not recommended:
* installation issue: cannot be installed on a GPT -drive attached to a BIOS (not UEFI) machine. Other distros might warn you but will allow to proceed with the installation, at your own risk. And of course booting from the GPT does work.
* anakonda installer doesn't give the option to install Grub to a partition of choice, not even the option of not installing a bootloader at all. This is a no-go for a multi-boot machine.
* installed vlc thru DNF. Result: it's not in the task menue, can only be run from the commandline, specifying the source parameter, no GUI app. I worked around with the Parole -mediaplayer, which obviously is a weak replacement.
* memory usage after boot close to 900 MB - not what you'd expect from a low-resource DE like Budgie. Might have to do with zram swap, which I am not familiar with.
* shuting down the system takes > two minutes, because systemd is hanging at an effort to terminate some sort of user service daemon.
* no printer setup in the system tools: had to resort to good old lpadmin -cli, with the splix -package as a precondition.
* invoking Libre Office results in an error message similar to "missing components", then hangs for a while, then works.
* fonts are ugly, imho; switching from dark theme to bright one takes some effort, especially in Firefox.
Pro's:
* I guess many glitches are inherited from mother Fedora 36 and Budgie
* if you take fun in fixing problems and feel satisfied after having ironed out whatever Ultramarine QC missed - then this one might be for you. Although I am sure there are many more bugs than the ones mentioned above, after some hard work you might get a working Linux at the end of the day. However be aware that Fedora's support cycles are short, so you'll undergo the same pleasure again after approx. 13 months.
Ultramarine is the best Fedora spin ever. It's way better than Fedora itself, which has always been problematic for me. Ultramarine has improve Fedora from installation to operation. I've tested Ultramarine for 5 months on an old laptop and it runs smoothly with no issues. Installation was a breeze. I'm not a big fan of the Budgie desktop, but I love how it's been adapted to Ultramarine. This distro has taken two Linux components I've never particularly liked, Fedora & Budgie and has turned them into game changers in my opinion. In fact, Ultramarine has renewed my faith in Linux has a whole. Now, I just wish someone could do the same for Slackware.
Budgie Version installed on 2022-02-06 on ACER Aspire M3970 (2011) with i5 Intel processor (4core), Nvidia GT1030 and 12 Gb RAM.
After 2 weeks of use, I can say
Pros :
- No problem to install Ultramarine 35
- No problem to install Nvidia driver, Cuda and Codecs non free (RPM Fusion reposories)
- Budgie desktop environment is simple, easy to configure and really good integrated to fedora 35.
- No problem since the installation
- Good performance with photographic software (RawTherapee and darktable). That is important for me !
- Good responsiveness to kernel and software versions
Cons
- Like all distributions based on Fedora and Red Hat, it's not always easy to install software. It's not a Linux distribution for beginners in Linux
I tried the Budgie version and had no problems in the live mode. So I moved forward with the install and had no problems there either. With Fedora and other Red Hat versions I've had the install sometimes get stuck halfway through without proceeding further. Even after a install I haven't been able to get any Fedora-based distro to perform hassle free since the 2014 version, so Ultramarine is a big improvement for me. It's about time. I'm going to keep using Ultramarine as a backup distro and then evaluate its long term performance, but so far so good.
I wanted to try the cutefish version in live, but it wanted a password at all costs. i tried live, root, cute, cutefish, ultramarine etc. but i couldn't log in with any of them. unfortunately i can't access the website or any of the additional services under the domain ultramarine-linux.org. An active distribution if you are up on the distrowatch site, you should expect to have the website available to the project!
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