 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 885, 28 September 2020 |
Welcome to this year's 39th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
Over the years there have been several attempts made at creating a Linux distribution that would offer a computing experience similar to Microsoft's Windows. Generally these projects aim to make transitioning from Microsoft's operating system to Linux easier by providing a similar interface and the ability to run some Windows applications. One of the more recent efforts in this space is Linuxfx, a distribution in the Linux Mint family which displays a very Windows-like interface. We talk more about this distribution and what it is like to run it in our Feature Story. Some readers have commented on how much Linuxfx looks like Microsoft's product and questioned the legal issues around this level of imitation. We talk about trademark concerns in this week's Questions and Answers column. What do you think of Linuxfx? Would you install it on computers for your friends and family to help ease their transition from Windows? Let us know in the Opinion Poll below. In our News section we are pleased to report Lenovo is now shipping consumer computers bundled with Ubuntu. Plus we share steps openSUSE is making to open up the development process with openSUSE Jump while Haiku seeks out new sounds. Meanwhile the Debian project has updated the distribution's install media for Debian Buster. Then we share the releases of the past week and list the torrents we are seeding. We wish you all a terrific week and happy reading!
Content:
- Review: Linuxfx 10.6
- News: Ubuntu shipping on Lenovo PCs, openSUSE makes Jump more accessible to contributors, Haiku runs contest to gather new sounds, Debian updates install media
- Questions and answers: Legal concerns over cloning visual elements
- Released last week: UBports 16.04 OTA-13, Puppy Linux 9.5, Univention Corporate Server 4.4-6
- Torrent corner: Bluestar, Debian, Debian Edu, DragonFly BSD, EndeavourOS, Enso, KaOS, Nitrux, OpenMediaVault, Puppy, SystemRescueCd, Tails, Univention, Volumio
- Upcoming releases: Fedora 33 Beta, Ubuntu 20.10 Beta, FreeBSD 12.2-RC1
- Opinion poll: Would you install Linuxfx for friends or family?
- New distributions: Quark
- Reader comments
Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in OGG (14MB) and MP3 (11MB) formats.
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| Feature Story (by Jesse Smith) |
Linuxfx 10.6
The Linuxfx distribution, which is sometimes referred to as "Windowsfx" on the project's website and in various applications, is based on Linux Mint and appears to have one overarching goal: to look and act as much like Microsoft Windows 10 as possible. The distribution does this by adjusting the desktop, theme, icons, and settings panel to look as much like Microsoft's operating system as possible. The project then adds in WINE, a virtual assistant application, and adjusts application launchers to resemble those used by Windows. Under the hood though Linuxfx is still very much running Linux Mint packages as its base with the Cinnamon desktop environment.
I was surprised to find the distribution's recent stable release, 10.5, has been removed from the project's download mirrors. The only edition available to me was a new version labablled 10.6 which runs on 64-bit (x86_64) machines exclusively. The download for this live media is 3.8GB in size.
Note: Following writing this review, just before publication, the Linuxfx team removed the free downloads for version 10.6 (and earlier versions of the distribution) from their website. The distribution is now a commercial offering.
Live media
The live media begins by showing us a boot menu where we can launch the distribution, start it in compatibility mode, or begin an OEM install. When launched in Legacy BIOS mode there is also a hardware detection utility. Once we choose to start the distribution's live mode the system automatically performs an integrity check on the live media. Once this passes we are brought to the Cinnamon desktop.
Right away the resemblance to Windows is clear. Linuxfx dresses up the Cinnamon desktop with a very distinct theme and icons that will be familiar to Microsoft customers. The desktop's panel sits at the bottom of the screen and holds the application menu, a search bar, quick-launch icons, the task switcher, and a system tray. On the desktop we find icons for launching the file manager and starting the install process.
Once the desktop finishes loading a display settings tool opens and offers to help us change the desktop resolution. Once this window has been dismissed another configuration window opens and asks if we want to launch the system installer. I feel it worth mentioning again that some programs and tools refer to the distribution as Windowsfx and others call it Linuxfx. I plan to stick with the Linuxfx label for the duration of this review.
Linuxfx 10.6 -- The display settings module
(full image size: 357kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Installing
Linuxfx uses the Ubiquity system installer. It begins by asking us to select our preferred language and then offers us a link to the distribution's release notes. This link, like any link I found later to on-line Linuxfx resources, opens a web browser and directs us to the project's home page. Ubiquity then offers to install media codecs for us. Next comes partitioning and we can choose manual or guided partitioning. The guided option supports working with regular partitions or LVM volumes. The manual option provides a friendly partition editor and supports most Linux filesystems, including ext2/3/4, Btrfs, XFS, and JFS. The installer does not support working with ZFS, despite its grandparent (Ubuntu) now supporting ZFS volumes.
The installer wraps up by getting us to pick our time zone and create a user account with a password. Ubiquity then finishes copying its files to our hard drive and offers to restart the computer. So far the experiment had gone smoothly and, apart from the Windows desktop theme, had felt a lot like working with Linux Mint.
While using the live session I noticed a few things I feel worth mentioning. One is that the installer shows slides which advertise the distribution's features. One of these features is running on ARM-based computers. However, I was unable to find any download options for the ARM architecture. The other issue I noticed was that Linuxfx's live session did not shut down cleanly. It reported it could not unmount the live media and then appeared to lock-up. Pressing Enter resumed the shutdown process and the computer restarted without further issues.
Early impressions
Once Linuxfx has been installed, the distribution boots to a graphical login screen. Here we find three session options we can sign into. We can sign into the Cinnamon desktop, the Cinnamon desktop in software rendering mode, or a media centre.
The media centre option loads the Kodi media player interface in full screen mode. Kodi typically allows users to play music and videos as well a stream on-line content. Kodi, as it ships on Linuxfx, does not include any media add-ons and therefore, out of the box, does not do anything. We are given the option of browsing the on-line repositories for add-ons which would allow us to play content. However, any time I tried to browse the repositories an error message appeared saying a connection could not be made with the repositories. This, in effect, rendered Kodi useless as it had no add-ons and I could not download any.
Linuxfx 10.6 -- The Helloa assistant
(full image size: 472kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Signing into the Cinnamon desktop causes the display settings module to open the first time we sign in. The Helloa assistant also launches and offers to walk us through some initial setup tasks. First Helloa offers to launch a driver manager. This actually opened the update manager instead. Linuxfx uses the Linux Mint Update Manager which does a nice job of listing available new packages and downloading them.
The Helloa assistant then offers to launch the monitor settings module (again). I'd like to point out at this point that Helloa refuses to skip steps in the initial configuration. We need to click the launch button for a given tool before we can proceed to the next option, even if we have run Helloa before. Helloa next provides a button to open network settings. Launching the networking tool causes the system to report it had to reboot for its changes to take effect and immediately shutdown in the middle of downloading new updates. Later I found that clicking almost anywhere in the Helloa window besides directly on a link would trigger a reboot with no option to cancel the action.
In short, so far I had experienced a lot of pop-ups, an unusually restrictive customization wizard, and accidentally triggered three reboots in the first ten minutes. I certainly felt like the Windows experience was being faithfully recreated.
Speaking of Windows-like features, pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del brings up the shutdown/restart dialog window. This window features a Help button which, when clicked, opens a web browser and displays the Linuxfx website. This is not helpful, but consistent with the other tools offering documentation.
Applications and settings
The Linuxfx distribution ships with some common open source applications mixed in with lesser used programs and some proprietary options. The Chrome and Firefox web browsers are included along with the Transmission bittorrent client. Spotify, Zoom, and TeamViewer are pre-installed as well.
The GNU Image Manipulation Program, Kodi, and Inkscape are present. Audacity and the Celluloid media player are featured too. I also found the Evolution e-mail client, a calendar application, and Notepad. The OnlyOffice suite is installed for us, though its launchers are labelled "Word", "Excel", and "PowerPoint". The Nemo file manager is present, though it has been themed to look like the Windows equivalent.
Linuxfx 10.6 -- The application menu
(full image size: 527kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
There is a launcher which installs Steam. AnyDesk is available along with Java and the GNU Compiler Collection. Digging further we find Linuxfx uses systemd for its init software and runs on version 5.4 of the Linux kernel.
The distribution's settings panel is set up to look almost exactly like the Windows settings panel. The layouts of most configuration tools are adjusted to look like their Windows equivalents too, like the account and network settings, system information, and update manager. We have the option of switching to the usual Cinnamon settings panel, though icons still have a Windows-like theme. The settings panel may have been what surprised (or impressed) me most when using Linuxfx. The attention to detail in making a settings panel so much like the one included in Windows 10 which launches Linux equivalent tools must have taken a lot of effort. Even the process monitor looks a lot like the Windows Task Manager, for better or worse.
Linuxfx 10.6 -- The settings panel and file manager
(full image size: 230kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
While poking around the interface I made a few other observations. For instance, the search bar works well enough. When we type words into the search bar in the panel it opens a web browser and performs the search through Google.
The desktop assistant does not do much, apart from the initial configuration options. However, it does have a file search option. I quite liked the speed and layout of the file search feature. I rarely search for files, as opposed to organizing them in a directory structure, but I did enjoy how Linuxfx set up its search functions which were straight forward to use.
Speaking of the assistant, another feature it provides is installing "Windows addons" which turn out to be WINE components, mostly, such as WINE Tricks. Bundling these as "Windows addons" feels a little deceptive, though perhaps there is a translation barrier at work in this case.
Hardware
I started out experimenting with Linuxfx in a VirtualBox environment. The distribution worked fairly well. My one serious issue was that Cinnamon was slow to respond in the virtual machine. This was somewhat helped by running Cinnamon in software rendering mode, though the desktop still lagged a bit. On a related topic, whenever I signed into my account in regular desktop mode a window would pop-up and offer to run the driver manager.
When I switched over to running Linuxfx on my laptop I found everything worked. My screen resolution was properly detected, sound worked, and wireless networking functioned without any problems.
Linuxfx 10.6 -- Exploring the settings panel and running OnlyOffice
(full image size: 143kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
Linuxfx is heavier than its parent. Where Linux Mint used about 580MB of RAM and 8.5GB of disk space (including 1GB of storage used for swap), Linuxfx consumed 690MB of RAM and 13GB of disk space. As with its parent, 1GB of disk space is reserved for a swap file while the other 12GB is programs and associated dependencies. This makes Linuxfx one of the larger on-disk distributions I have used this year, and probably puts it in the top five for memory consumption.
Software management
The distribution uses Mint's software centre as its primary package manager. The software centre begins by presenting us with a list of featured items and categories we can browse. We can also search for packages by using keywords. When clicking on an application's entry we are shown a full page of information which includes a description of the software and a screenshot. To the right of the window is a button for installing (or removing) the software. When an application has been installed a second button appears that will launch the new application.
Linuxfx 10.6 -- The software centre
(full image size: 402kB, resolution: 1366x768 pixels)
The software centre worked well for me. It is quick, easy to navigate, and can handling installing or removing multiple items in the background while we continue to browse for more applications. Alternatively we can also use the APT command line tools to manage packages.
Since Linuxfx promotes its Windows compatibility, I tried hunting down Windows applications on-line and installing a few of them as though I were a regular Windows user who expected to download and run installers directly from a project's website. The results were mixed. For example, VLC downloaded and installed with no problems. It placed a launcher on the desktop and ran smoothly. On the other hand some programs failed to either install or run. For instance, the Slack messaging software required pulling in .NET packages which failed with a garbled error message.
In short, it is probably best to still try to use software from the software centre as much as possible. Some Windows programs can be installed, though their functionality is not guaranteed. WINE, the software that allows Linuxfx to run many Windows applications, is an amazing compatibility layer, but it is not perfect.
Trademarks and other concerns
A few people have asked me about Linuxfx and expressed concerns with how the project is able to function legally since it would appear the project uses trademarks, logos, program names, and wallpapers that looks to be either copied from (or heavily inspired by) Microsoft's flagship operating system. I have written about some of these concerns in another column, but I do want to acknowledge them here. Linuxfx, which appears to be rebranding itself as Windowsfx, uses a lot of names, layouts, and themes from Windows. This could be argued as being beneficial as it could make former Windows users feel more comfortable. There is something to be said for having a familiar environment for newcomers. Looking around Linuxfx's highly customized Cinnamon desktop, I have to admit, I could believe many less experienced users might not notice they were not running Windows when using this distribution.
However, there is a distinction to be made between offering a very similar, yet distinct, tool versus tricking people into believing they are using the genuine product. Some distributions, like Zorin OS and Q4OS, do a pretty good job of being Linux distributions that are clearly Linux-based projects while presenting users with a layout and theme that is designed to be comfortable for Windows users. These projects made it obvious they are not Windows, just Windows-like in appearance. Linuxfx has branding, uses terminology, and borrows logos which make it seem like the user is actually running Windows 10.
My issue with this is I'm not sure why all this effort is being made to make it seem like we are actually running Windows. Is it a goal of the project to see how close they can make a Linux distribution to Windows? Is it an attempt to trick the user? Perhaps it is to help users who are greatly adverse to change? Is it a test to see how far an open source project can push before being sued? I don't have an answer to this and I don't see one on the distribution's website, so I'm curious and a bit wary as to why the lines are being blurred between this operating system and Microsoft's.
I had a similar wary reaction when I noticed opening either of Linuxfx's default web browsers automatically opens a second tab which loads the distribution's information page on DistroWatch. Maybe this is done to provide more information on the distribution or maybe it is a failed attempt to boost Linuxfx's page hit ranking. (DistroWatch filters such attempts from its statistics.) Either way, I question the motives and the usefulness to the user of having this second tab open.
Conclusions
I suppose whether a person is going to like using Linuxfx or not will greatly depend on how they feel about running an operating system that looks and acts very much like Windows 10. The desktop theme, settings, virtual assistant, much of the application menu, included applications, and terminology is very much Windows-like. Linuxfx reflects both some of the nice elements of Windows and its drawbacks. The accidental reboots, prompts to check drivers, and pop-ups come to mind as being too much like Linuxfx's inspiration.
Legalities aside and ignoring whether Linuxfx is able to continue the way they are without falling victim to a lawsuit, let's just look at the short-term practicalities of using Linuxfx. The distribution is probably best suited for people who very much desire to maintain a Windows-like desktop while running Linux. Or, alternatively, want to set up friends/family members to use Linux while making the transition as minimal as possible.
In short, Linuxfx, though it has a solid base in Linux Mint, seems to have one focus - to be a Windows clone running on a GNU/Linux base. If that appeals, then this project probably makes sense to use, at least in the short term. Though if one is not interested in maintaining a Windows-like desktop then they could probably be equally well served using other desktop-focused Linux distributions such as Mint, or a project that offers a Windows-like layout without the trademark concerns, such as Zorin OS.
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Hardware used in this review
My physical test equipment for this review was a de-branded HP laptop with the following
specifications:
- Processor: Intel i3 2.5GHz CPU
- Display: Intel integrated video
- Storage: Western Digital 700GB hard drive
- Memory: 6GB of RAM
- Wired network device: Realtek RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast
- Wireless network device: Realtek RTL8188EE Wireless network card
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Visitor supplied rating
Linuxfx has a visitor supplied average rating of: 6/10 from 61 review(s).
Have you used Linuxfx? You can leave your own review of the project on our ratings page.
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
Ubuntu shipping on Lenovo PCs, openSUSE makes Jump more accessible to contributors, Haiku runs contest to gather new sounds, Debian updates install media
Arstechnica is reporting that Lenovo is now selling personal computers with Ubuntu pre-installed. The announcement comes shortly after the company began shipping Fedora bundled with a selection of their machines. "Beginning today, Lenovo is offering a greatly expanded selection of OEM Linux PCs to the general public. Earlier this year, Lenovo began offering Fedora Linux pre-installed on laptop systems including Thinkpad P1 Gen 2, Thinkpad P54, and Thinkpad X1 Gen 8. Today's announcement makes Ubuntu Linux available on a considerably broader swath of both desktop and laptop PCs." These machines were previously available to enterprise customers and are now available (with support options) to consumers.
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The openSUSE project is striving to make it easier for contributors to work on openSUSE's Jump edition. "'We have some exciting news to share about the openSUSE Jump effort!' Kocman wrote. 'We will have a Jira partner setup (coming) for openSUSE this week!' Access to Jira will allow openSUSE Leap contributors to see updates on community feature requests and be able to comment on requested information or allow them to request information. The process will be tested initially by one of the community members to see if it works properly. Kocman also informed the project of a new OBS feature that will allow openSUSE Leap contributors to submit code changes 'directly' against SUSE Linux Enterprise without having Submit Requests rejected unless they failed review." The openSUSE news post has further information. Additional details on the Jump edition can be found on the project's FAQ page.
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The Haiku team is running an unusual contest. The developers of Haiku would like to have people submit sounds that can be used as notifications and feedback by the Haiku desktop. Have you ever wanted to redefine what it sounds like when a window closes or an error is displayed? Haiku would like to hear from you: "It wouldn't be wrong to say that, Haiku is a unique operating system. It takes its roots from BeOS, the OS everyone envied back in the day. Haiku continues to follow its footsteps, trying to deliver that same experience. What could be better than complementing this unique operating system with a set of unique system sounds? As R1 steadily approaches, we are looking for contestants (amateur, professional, enthusiast) to produce system sound effects for Haiku." Details on the contest can be found on the project's website.
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The Debian project has published refreshed install media for Debian 10 "Buster". The new media includes bug fixes for packages released with Debian 10, but doesn't represent a new version of the distribution. "The Debian project is pleased to announce the sixth update of its stable distribution Debian 10 (codename Buster). This point release mainly adds corrections for security issues, along with a few adjustments for serious problems. Security advisories have already been published separately and are referenced where available. Please note that the point release does not constitute a new version of Debian 10 but only updates some of the packages included. There is no need to throw away old buster media. After installation, packages can be upgraded to the current versions using an up-to-date Debian mirror."
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These and other news stories can be found on our Headlines page.
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| Questions and Answers (by Jesse Smith) |
Legal concerns over cloning visual elements
Concerned-for-copy-cat asks: This week I looked at a Windows look-a-like called Linuxfx. This one is pretty close to Windows 10 from a visual point of view, closer than Ubuntu Kylin and Kali's undercover mode. Is this not flying too close to the sun? I was wondering at what point can Microsoft go "You're using our logos and mimicking our display, stop that," and shut said distro down legally. Can they do that? Do they want to do that, given how they're currently pretending they love Linux?
DistroWatch answers: From a historic point of view there is basis for concern when it comes to Microsoft taking a Linux distribution to court in multiple countries over trademark issues. Long-term Linux users may remember the famous Microsoft versus Lindows court cases in which Microsoft argued that "Lindows" was too close to their trademarked "Windows" name. The legal battle lasted for about three years and ended in Lindows changing its name to Linspire.
Microsoft has also threatened legal action in the past over patents which it claims Linux-based products, such as Android and enterprise Linux distributions, use. Might we see a repeat of such a legal scuffle?
In my opinion, I don't think Microsoft is likely to take most projects, like Zorin OS, to court. There are a few reasons for my view on this situation. One of them is that Lindows was a commercial product and its sale arguably competed with Microsoft in the market of operating systems. There was a financial incentive for the company to legally protect its trademarks. Zorin OS, at least the community editions of Zorin OS, can be downloaded free of charge. They may look similar and may provide WINE software, but there isn't much financial motivation for Microsoft to challenge the projects. Linuxfx, which is now a commercial offering, does look much more like a possible target for legal action.
The second reason for my idea that Microsoft is likely to "sit this one out", at least where most look-alike distributions are concerned, is that, as the question asker pointed out, Microsoft has learned to co-exist with Linux distributions. Back in 2001, when the Lindows case was raging, Microsoft was still referring to Linux as a cancer and was battling to maintain their desktop dominance. These days Microsoft has learned to profit from Linux. Microsoft's royalties from Android outpaced its income from Windows phones, most (60%) of Azure virtual machines run Linux distributions, Microsoft has added the ability to install and run popular Linux distributions in a compatibility layer on the Windows desktop. In other words, Microsoft makes more money these days from working with Linux developers and projects than from fighting them. It's not that Microsoft "loves" Linux (companies don't love or hate), but Linux is a financial source for the company and they are not likely to do anything to disrupt that cash flow.
Third, Q4OS, Zorin OS, and other projects that mimic the look of Windows and macOS hold a relatively small market share. Microsoft (or Apple) would spend a lot more money challenging these distributions than they could hope to make from a court battle. A few developers working on a free product in their spare time are not going to be a threat to Microsoft's market share and suing them won't yield profits. It does not make much sense for either commercial company to send out the lawyers without hope of a profit. Large companies may sue to protect their trademarks, forcing a project to change their name or logo, but they're unlikely to try to go to the effort to wipe out a Linux distribution.
Getting back to the original questions... Can Microsoft sue Linuxfx (or a similar project) over trademark issues? Yes, they can. Just about anyone (or any company) can launch a lawsuit for almost any reason. In this situation, where Linuxfx is a commercial distribution that appears to infringe on trademarked material, Microsoft would probably have a good chance of winning the suit or forcing a settlement. However, is there enough motivation for such a lawsuit in this scenario? Small Linux distributions offer almost no threat in the marketplace, no financial competition, and there is unlikely to be any profit in it. One of the few arguments for bringing a lawsuit would be to protect Microsoft's trademark rights.
Where projects risk legal action is usually when they, as the original question put it, fly too close to the sun. That is what came to mind when I saw Linuxfx's name change. I have noticed that recently the project has rebranded itself Windowsfx in some areas. The project not only copies the desktop layout and icons of Microsoft's product, they also use the same logos, a similar product name, and related trademarked images. At this point the project seems to be actively trying to confuse people on the distinction between their Linux distribution and Microsoft's product. It wouldn't surprise me if the distribution receives, if they have not already, a cease and desist message from Microsoft's legal department. Other projects however, like Zorin OS and Q4OS, seem to be able to walk the line between offering a Windows-friendly environment (with a familiar look and layout) without producing a platform that flies too close to the sun.
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Additional answers can be found in our Questions and Answers archive.
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| Released Last Week |
UBports 16.04 OTA-13
The UBports team have announced the launch of Ubuntu Touch 16.04 OTA-13, the latest version of the project's mobile operating system. The new release includes support for six new devices, including the OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, and four editions of the Sony Xperia. QtWebEngine has been updated too which offers better web browser performance. "QtWebEngine 5.14 is here. The system QtWebEngine has now been updated to version 5.14.2 from 5.11. This brings a newer version of Chromium to our included Morph Browser and all webapps. The browser is now 25% faster across all devices in the JetStream2 JavaScript and WebAssembly benchmarks, demonstrating much faster webapp performance. You are no longer limited to selecting a single word, or an entire line, or an entire paragraph of text to copy! Now you can use the touch handles provided to pick only the text you want. It is now possible to open downloaded PDFs, MP3s, pictures, and text files in the browser via the 'Open' button in the top-right corner of the 'Open with' page. This UI will improve with future releases." Further information can be found in the release announcement.
Puppy Linux 9.5
Philip Broughton has announced the release of Puppy Linux 9.5, a major new update of the project's lightweight distribution with JWM as the default window manager. This is the first Puppy based on the Ubuntu 20.04 "Focal Fossa": "The Puppy Linux team is proud to release Puppy Linux 9.5, also known as 'Fossapup64', version 9.5. This is the fourth official release of an Ubuntu-based 64-bit Puppy. Fossapup64 Puppy, is built from Ubuntu 'Focal Fossa' DEB (64 bit) packages, hence it has binary compatibility with Ubuntu and access to the Ubuntu 'Focal Fossa' repositories. Puppy Linux is small, runs in RAM, is lightning fast, very versatile and good fun. Has everything a novice will need while giving full control to the experienced user. Features include: Linux kernel 5.4.53; modular build means you can swap out the kernel, applications and firmware in seconds; a minimal barebones Puppy available by removing a single file and rebooting; Joe's Window Manager (JWM); Rox-Filer; Hexchat; Palemoon browser...." Please see the release announcement and release notes for further information.
Puppy Linux 9.5 -- Puppy's welcome screen and menu
(full image size: 2.0MB, resolution: 1920x1200 pixels)
Univention Corporate Server 4.4-6
Univention Corporate Server (UCS) is an enterprise-class distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux. The distribution's latest release is Univention Corporate Server 4.4-6 which improves upon existing features. "We have released the sixth point release: UCS 4.4-6 contains bug fixes, security updates and improvements as well as new features. For example, our developers have enhanced the Self Service, the App Center and the UCS Portal. In this article I would like to offer a look behind the scenes and present the most important new features. UCS Self Service: New Features for the App. View of the account creation interface of the UCS app (version 4.4-6) Creating an account has become even easier than before with the new UCS version. A great advantage of Univention Corporate Server is that users can use their credentials to log into completely different computers and also have access to all services in the UCS domain. With the initial 4.4 release, we introduced the new app Self Service, which allows users to make changes to their personal data - they don't need admin rights for that. This includes changing and resetting the password as well as editing the contact information. The new UCS version 4.4-6 lets administrators customize the texts which users see in the corresponding dialog boxes." Additional information is in the distribution's release announcement (English, German).
EndeavourOS 2020.09.20
An updated build of EndeavourOS, a rolling-release distribution based on Arch Linux and featuring the Xfce desktop, is now ready for download. Besides updated kernel and packages, version 2020.09.20 also brings an improved Welcome app: "We're proud to present to you our latest release. The ISO image contains Linux kernel 5.8.10, MESA 20.1.8, Firefox 80.0.1, Calamares 3.2.26. The Welcome app has received major updates: received Chinese translations; new button to change display resolutions - this function is only available in the Live environment, especially for virtual machine installs; the button Update mirrors now ships with a check if reflector-simple is installed; two link buttons that each brings the user to the Arch repository page or the AUR page to browse for packages; an Arch Linux ARM button link; buttons that add our DE-specific wallpaper by default, so no more pop-ups that ask for permission any more; a new button to select one of our wallpapers...." Read the rest of the release announcement for further information.
EndeavourOS 2020.09.20 -- The welcome screen offering help setting up the distribution
(full image size: 641kB, resolution: 2560x1600 pixels)
KaOS 2020.09
KaOS is a rolling desktop distribution which focuses on providing a polished KDE Plasma desktop with Qt-based applications. The project has published a new snapshot, KaOS 2020.09, which provides many package updates. "With almost 60% of the packages updated since the last ISO and the last release being over two months old, a new ISO is more than due. News for KDE Applications 20.08 included Dolphin adding thumbnails for 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) files, you can also see previews of files and folders on encrypted file systems such as Plasma Vaults now remembers and restores the location you were viewing, as well as the open tabs, and split views you had open when you last closed it.Yakuake now lets you configure all the keyboard shortcuts that come from Konsole and there is a new system tray item that shows you when Yakuake is running. Elisa now lets you display all genres, artists, or albums in the sidebar, below other items. As always with this rolling distribution, you will find the very latest packages for the Plasma Desktop, this includes Frameworks 5.74.0, Plasma 5.19.5 and KDE Applications 20.08.1. All built on Qt 5.15.1." Further information can be found in the project's release announcement.
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Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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| Torrent Corner |
Weekly Torrents
The table below provides a list of torrents DistroWatch is currently seeding. If you do not have a bittorrent client capable of handling the linked files, we suggest installing either the Transmission or KTorrent bittorrent clients.
Archives of our previously seeded torrents may be found in our Torrent Archive. We also maintain a Torrents RSS feed for people who wish to have open source torrents delivered to them. To share your own open source torrents of Linux and BSD projects, please visit our Upload Torrents page.
Torrent Corner statistics:
- Total torrents seeded: 2,157
- Total data uploaded: 33.9TB
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Opinion Poll (by Jesse Smith) |
Would you install Linuxfx for friends or family?
Our review of Linuxfx this week touched on some of the project's features and efforts to resemble Microsoft Windows. The distribution further tries to provide binary compatibility through WINE in an effort to provide new Linux users with a familiar environment. What do you think of Linuxfx, would you install it for friends and family migrating from Windows? Or would you suggest they start with another Linux distribution?
You can see the results of our previous poll on how you downloaded your latest distribution ISO file in last week's edition. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Would you install Linuxfx for friends/family?
| I would install Linuxfx: | 185 (11%) |
| I would recommend another distro: | 1292 (77%) |
| Unsure at this time: | 194 (12%) |
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|
| Website News |
New distributions added to waiting list
- Quark. Quark is an Ubuntu-based distribution featuring utilities from Q4OS. The distribution offers both KDE Plasma and Trinity desktop environments.
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DistroWatch database summary
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This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 5 October 2020. Past articles and reviews can be found through our Article Search page. To contact the authors please send e-mail to:
- Jesse Smith (feedback, questions and suggestions: distribution reviews/submissions, questions and answers, tips and tricks)
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- Bruce Patterson (podcast)
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| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • Distro choice (by Roger on 2020-09-28 00:34:31 GMT from Belgium)
My answer is I would recommend another distro, there is no reason to copy anything from MS.
There is plenty of choice to better yourself and leave closed OS behind.
So copying MS or Apple is not needed.
That is what we with or GNU-Linux workgroup are telling people for years now.
We are not forcing anybody to switch just let our choice of OS do the work when we show how it works.
People how read my contrubutions on this site know that my choice is Linux Mint Mate, but in our group other menbers are using different distro and desktop, most choose the same as me.
Maybe it is the best choice, but we always leave it to menbers what they want to use.
Check our website, it is in Flemish ( Dutch ) and still only http not s
http://www.gnu-linuxwerkgroep.eu
There is a little bit of Java, so don't be alarmed.
2 • Re Linuxfx (by Romane on 2020-09-28 01:10:57 GMT from Australia)
I not only would, but will offer another distribution if/when asked. 2 main reasons
1. As Roger in @1 says. For myself, why go to such extreme lengths to cover up the fact that the person is running Linux? There are many excellent Linux distros "out there" which run as themselves not as an imitation of something else and are a good introduction to a "newbie" of the Linux eco-system.
2. I am always turned off by a distribution going commercial, though can understand the reason for doing so. If sales drop, the commercial distro is at great a risk as any other distro of, through lack of funding, collapsing and vanishing into the annals of history.
Merely my personal opinion, but Linux has come a long way since its early days when Windows was the majority choice of operating system, and Linux was too immature to be of any real competition. But it has matured massively, and the fact that a commercial entity such as Microsoft see real benefit in Linux shows just how much it has come of age. There is no reason, flat, for Linux to pretend to anything other than itself, and with pride at and for its achievements.
If I were to wish to run anything that looked like Windows, I would run Windows.
3 • Don't understand (by Jeff TIncher on 2020-09-28 01:17:35 GMT from United States)
I don't understand why Linux Distros are trying to copy Windows 10. I ran Linuxfx in a live mode and I'm impressed by how close it is to Win10. What I don't understand is why Linux distros (and there are more and more distros trying to do what Linuxfx is doing). If you want to be like Win10 you might as well stay there. I've used Linux Distros off and on for many years. I have had no problem going from Win to Linux. They both have the same desktop features, i.e. application menu, backgrounds, etc. I don't see why anyone would have a problem moving to any Linux distro.
4 • Don't understand (by Jeff TIncher on 2020-09-28 01:19:12 GMT from United States)
I don't understand why Linux Distros are trying to copy Windows 10. I ran Linuxfx in a live mode and I'm impressed by how close it is to Win10. What I don't understand is why Linux distros (and there are more and more distros trying to do what Linuxfx is doing) is bothering trying to be like Win. If you want to be like Win10 you might as well stay there. I've used Linux Distros off and on for many years. I have had no problem going from Win to Linux. They both have the same desktop features, i.e. application menu, backgrounds, etc. I don't see why anyone would have a problem moving to any Linux distro.
5 • mimics (by vern on 2020-09-28 01:36:16 GMT from United States)
I have Windows installed and use daily, also I have various Linux distros installed and use them as well.
I leave Windows as is. I like its interface. I also like Gnome, KDE, LXDE and like their interface. I don't want any of my Linux installs to look ANYTHING like Windows. I keep them in separate partitions, and they don't look anything like each other.
Why try to mimic Windows? Just use Windows then.
6 • Windows CopyCat Distros (by Rev_Don on 2020-09-28 01:38:44 GMT from United States)
I installed a couple of Window Clone/CopyCat distros for people quite a few years ago hoping to help them make the transition to Linux from Windows. What I found out what they had more problems than they did with a more conventional Linus Distros. The more it looked like Windows the more they expected it to behave exactly like Windows. They became frustrated when it didn't.
When I presented them with a more conventional Linuxwith a Gnome 2 or Mate, XFCE, KDE, or LXDE desktop there attitude changed and they were accepting to change their sinking. This was especially true when you placed the Start Menu and Task Bar on the top of the screen. They found it familiar enough to navigate around in it, but didn't expect it to act exactly like Windows. They did find OpenBox, Enlightenment, Unity and especially Gnome 3 more difficult to grasp.
Since then I haven't installed one of the CopyCat/Clone Distros for anyone since. I've found that giving them Linux Mint Mate, Ubuntu Mate, or Xubuntu gets them off to a good start in Linux.
7 • mimic UIs (by Charlie on 2020-09-28 02:00:16 GMT from Hong Kong)
Generally I hate distros copying UI directly from other OSes, it either hinders the development of good UIs in Linux,lacks of creativity or looks cheap and unprofessional.
Distro vendors should instead polishing the existing UI, contributing to upstream projects such as GNOME/KDE. I rmb the time when Linux generally looks better than Windows, i.e. the GNOME 2.x/KDE 3.x period. Today Linux Us are under some form of stagnation.
8 • reviews and Kodi (by TuxBSDfan on 2020-09-28 02:01:30 GMT from Canada)
I tried LinuxFX in a virtual machine and I must say I was bluffed. But I share your opinion about the purpose of the project. I don't know if there will be legal problems in the futur. I find it problematic that a distribution based on LinuxMint/Ubuntu so uses someone else's work to make a commercial proposal. I find it dishonest...
Your experience with Kodi is also my experience. I have never been able to do anything with this program. Big, Heavy, slow and extensions that in half the cases don't install. Finally I've been wondering for years who actually uses Kodi except the developer himself.
regard
9 • Windows copy cat with linux (by Clarence Perry on 2020-09-28 02:03:47 GMT from United States)
I haven't used Windows since '07 so I can't easily answer any questions on Windows. I think one of the main reasons someone would wish to go with a Windows clone is to easily get support.
Since I'm the known IT guy in the family, some members just can't fathom that I'm in IT and not using Windows and able to help them.
Therefore, when semi-computer literate kinfolk come around, I make sure I have a character based screen visible.
10 • Linuxfx (by Bobbie Sellers on 2020-09-28 02:42:47 GMT from United States)
I would not use this because I am already familiar with various distros that duplicate
the Windows XP look. This is a very common sort of attempt to make it easier for
the naive users to adopt Linux. Even my PCLinuxOS 64 can look like Windows
and even has accessible various copies of Windows background images.
Sooner or later the naive user must become somewhat enlightened about the use
ot the Virtual Terminal and Command Line tools. It might be disheartening to the
older users but if they go along with the effort they will improve their brain function
IMO.
bliss - 83 yoa with 70 year old clients
11 • have searched but never found (by ralph on 2020-09-28 03:13:14 GMT from United States)
> emulate the Windows XP desktop menu
Does the desktop menu of any linux desktop environemnt offer "drag to rearrange item ordering"? "drag an item to move it from one submenu to another submenu, or to toplevel menu"? Howabout "right click a menu item to view/edit its properties"?
12 • Windows and pretend to bees (by X on 2020-09-28 05:49:28 GMT from United States)
I opened Distrowatch Weekly on one system as I started to fix someone esle's Windows system.
It has so many problems that I am not sure I can do anything to improve the performance. It crossed my mind to substitute it with something like Linuxfx. However, it is not mine.
I used windows for a very brief period in 1994. Since then only to atempt to fix others' issues.
Like other commentators I would recommend something else. Why would anyone want present a Windows look alike. Do they eliminate the issues one encounters with the idol O/S? Is this a cancer spreading around the world?
13 • why imitate; it´s not that good (by Jada on 2020-09-28 06:01:29 GMT from Norway)
I ditched win10 for void 6-7 years ago on my parents pc.
With pekwm and without statusbar/taskbar, only a well put together rightclick menu to lanch and switch apps.
They are in their late 70 and had no problems adapting to a new minimalistic interface.
14 • Just install a good linux not an imitation (by Hank on 2020-09-28 07:39:38 GMT from Germany)
Having Installed antiX for many users coming from Win 10 no way I would copy.
I do put task bar at bottom, set autohide for maximum usable screen space, populate with some starter buttons. Change number of desktops to 6.
On Login: Claws mail and Palemoon autostart on desktops 1 and 2. Depending on user wishes other prime usage software on other desktops, with window size and position pre defined. I help setup internet Wifi, sound, Printer, if any problems occur, which is uncommon. Desktop is lightning fast IceWm. Aim is to provide a ready to work desktop immediately after login. Claws Mail gets Mail. A predefined page is open in palemoon,
it can of course be blank.
For the rest users are left in most cases with dual boot ability, win 10 or antiX Linux.
Interestingly some users have reported back that after using antix then booting in to the windows installation they became extremely frustrated with performance. Updates drove them mad with regular problems. AntiX just updates, on modern machines with user continuing his work as usual. I added a bash alias, user enters just one word - update in Terminal, presses enter, gives his password and lets linux do its work.
No user has permanently gone back to windows.
15 • when brainstorming leads to a bright idea... (by frimical on 2020-09-28 08:29:26 GMT from France)
That happenned, very early, as usual, on a monday morning. But, this monday was not a dull one, as it's always been. The team was delighted to find THE great idea that will definitely change and free the world: cloning windows over a linux engine, and make people pay for it! Waw! Wonderful! A business plan based on a great idea that'll never survive the time to read those words...
Why? it looks like it's an idea coming out of a cavern, on the scale of linux time, At the dawn of linux on the desktop, that was "supposed" to be helpful to make the shift, but never was really the case, because one of the many reasons said in the comments above.
Nowadays, it's not the case anymore. Linux works pretty well out of the box. Unless we're obliged "lobbyingly" to use an app that is tailored made for the one and only windows, otherwise the choice is there.
I have windows10. I avoid using it. Why? because the time it will allow me to start working, I'm already
done, switched off my machine, and gone to continue my life, when I use Linux. Those are facts.
And above all, paying to use a clone that is not really a clone, but trying to be a twin, not really a twin...
huh! who pays for a mosquito that will try to survive on the back of a horse? I'll go for the horse definetly more useful to me than the mosquito.
continue brainstorming genius team, maybe next time wiil be the right one.
( if it wasn't clear enough, that was about Linuxfx/windowsfx and friends)
16 • If it floats your boat… (by SuperOscar on 2020-09-28 09:40:07 GMT from Finland)
I don’t get all the hubbub about Linuxfx or other distros copying the Windows UI. If someone needs that, it’s fine by me. I’ve actually once been forced to cater for users who “couldn’t now use their computer at all” if one of their precious Win3.11 Program Manager icons was moved an inch to the right of its one and only true location on the screen. Those people still exist and might benefit for a copycat UI, if changing the underlying OS makes the job of their IT assistance (paid or otherwise) easier. Not everyone is ready to have each of their computers have a wholly different look-and-feel.
17 • copying windows 10, not a good idea (by a on 2020-09-28 09:46:02 GMT from France)
The user interface of Windows 10 isn’t very good. It’s messy. So copying it is a bad idea for this reason.
Now if the point is to give this distro to people who are already used to Windows 10 so that the transition is easy, I don’t think it will work because many things will be different anyway.
I think it’s better if the UI is clearly different so that these new LInux users don’t expect everything to work like Windows and then be disappointed.
18 • Linuxfx' "Windows experience" (by Anthony on 2020-09-28 10:07:21 GMT from Czechia)
> I had experienced a lot of pop-ups, an unusually restrictive customization wizard, and accidentally triggered three reboots in the first ten minutes. I certainly felt like the Windows experience was being faithfully recreated.
> [..]
> Linuxfx reflects both some of the nice elements of Windows and its drawbacks.
As a person who is forced to use Windows on their work laptop, and who has experienced increasing amounts of frustration with BSODs, program freezes (=>restart), start menu or program malfunctions (=>restart), serious resource usage (and consequent lag), I totally "feel this".
19 • Linuxfx (by pat_h on 2020-09-28 11:08:20 GMT from United States)
I am going to try Linuxfx just because I don't have a computer that can run Windows 10, 32 or 64. Out of a dozen machines, all I get when they boot is a popup that says " Sorry, your system does not...", even when meeting more than the minimum requirements. I am hopeful to get a Windows 10 experience with Linuxfx even though I prefer a desktop that looks more like Windows 95 or 2k. I am happy to see that it comes with Chrome but sorry to see the steady demise of 32-bit distros. My first distro was SUSE 7 and I will always remember the motto, "Have lots of fun". That's what Linux is about. Thanks for the news!
20 • Would I install LinuxFx (by Zyb on 2020-09-28 12:24:50 GMT from United States)
Would I install LinuxFx for family/friends? Yes. I will install whatever they wanted. After all it is their computer, their choice. That doesn't mean I won't tell them how wrong they are, if they are wrong... they are probably wrong ;-) but it is still their choice.
21 • Linuxfx review, and @15, @19 (by WhatMeWorry on 2020-09-28 12:49:50 GMT from United States)
About the review:
Linuxfx hasn't gone commercial, at least not yet. Their download page resembles Elementary's, giving you an option to pay what you want. $30 is the initial suggestion. The have also gone to two editions, "Founder's" and "Free." You are not required to pay or register for either one, although you are encouraged to do so. I believe they are hoping to make money on support. Good luck! They do have other products for sale, so I guess they don't need Windowsfx to put food on the table. Go for the Founder's if you want all the goodies.
I am running 10.6, so some things may have changed.: The installer supports ZFS. The installer stops at a "remove media and hit enter" prompt when restarting, just like other Ubuntu-based distros using Ubiquity. I had no excessive pop-ups. "Helloa" is really Google Assistant, so it will be listening and maybe looking when activated. It can be installed on other distros, should one wish. The search bar is also Google, so it better be good. Didn't try Kodi, but I empathize about the problems.
As far as copyrights or trademarks: the distro is based in Brazil, the same country where Apple has been fighting for 13 years about the iPhone trademark. Also, a ruling was made on the Windows name back in the Lindows days. MS lost, and paid $20 million for Lindows to go away. I'm sure the Windowsfx guys would be salivating at the prospect.
Don't know what the reasoning is behind the lookalike. I've played with themes and icons before, but just for amusement. These guys went whole hog.
@15, "I have windows10. I avoid using it. Why? because the time it will allow me to start working, I'm already done, switched off my machine, and gone to continue my life, when I use Linux. Those are facts."
Facts? Really? I've been running Windows 10 since it was Beta. Now I just keep it on VMs. It still starts and shuts down as fast as the average Linux distro. Faster than some.
@19, I all you want is the looks, you can try boomerang themes on Gnome, Cinnamon, or XFCE.
https://b00merang.weebly.com/themes.html
22 • Rather than make Linux look like Wondows ... (by Lee on 2020-09-28 13:06:53 GMT from United States)
I would like the MATE desktop on WIN 10
23 • @22 (by Zyb on 2020-09-28 13:18:02 GMT from United States)
Poor Mate.
24 • LinuxFX (by Ankleface Wroughlandmire on 2020-09-28 13:22:44 GMT from Ecuador)
Interesting about Linuxfx. It looks like they do still have a free version, but it requires going into their Telegram room to get it. They have direct "Free" download links, as well as a pay-what-you-want box that allows entering $0, but it pops up a Javascript message that you need to login to their Telegram.
25 • Linux Windows (by Friar Tux on 2020-09-28 14:12:27 GMT from Canada)
I would recommend another distro. In fact, I have installed Linux Mint/Cinnamon on computers (after wiping Windows clean off) and have been told that "this" is better than Windows. BUT, I only do it if the computer owner agrees. Usually I explain that nothing is totally Windows-like, but that you CAN have a traditional desktop with Linux. I prefer using the term traditional as it helps the transition between the two OS's.
I, myself, am a traditionalist. I like things in a certain place as it helps with the work flow. I do have two "taskbars", though, - one top, one bottom. The bottom one is your regular Start Button-Task Manager-Systems Area-type panel, while the top one is mostly for app launchers to my most used apps (similar to Docky/Plank but actually a second system-based panel.)
While I get the idea behind Windows look-alikes, I think they are a mistake. Offer a traditional desktop environment with the caveat that it will have a few things that will work slightly different (better??) than Windows. (By the way, one of my "selling" points to move people to Linux is that Microsoft has hinted many times that it wants to change Windows to a service - meaning a yearly subscription to use it. I don't know when or how this will be implemented but I can see by their changes to Windows that it is coming.)
Note to DW:- Great Weekly, as usual. As my Mennonite brethren would say, "It spoke to my situation."
26 • @24, Linuxfx, Quark (by WhatMeWorry on 2020-09-28 14:38:22 GMT from United States)
Looks like they are changing things. Wasn't like that 3 days ago. Probablywant to make it more difficult to get the free one. Funny thing is, in a country like Brazil, as in most of the world, people are not going to pay for lookalike Linux when they can get the second most popular OS for free: pirated Windows. Download is still on Sourceforge, here, until they decide to change it:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/otherzone/
But not to worry. Quark, based on Kubuntu, was just added to the waiting list and is also a lookalike. Even has a tiled menu. Everybody loves Windows 10.:-)
27 • Linuxfx (by whoKnows on 2020-09-28 14:51:38 GMT from Switzerland)
@ 19 (pat_h)
Then you probably won't be happy with Linuxfx neither.
It's as resources heavy as Linux can be.
--
I wonder how much of that “Windowisation” they actually did on their own and how much they “borrowed” ... except if b00merang is in team.
https://b00merang.weebly.com/
FX part of the BRAND name is also kinda annoying thing ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_effect
28 • Quark (by Roy Davies on 2020-09-28 15:48:59 GMT from United Kingdom)
I've just read the article on Linuxfx. I have tried it but find that this distro to be lacking on so many fronts.
I then noticed a new distro, Quark, listed for the 'waiting list'., so I decided to have a closer look.
What a nice little distro. Derived from Q4OS, but based on Lubuntu 20.04 instead of Debian.
Yes, shades of Zorin, but for those with a leaning towards a Windows 'look'. It has some nice touches, like the Windows-esque apps panel, all neatly in alphabetic order.
I've decided to give it a spin and have installed it on an old HP Compaq 6910p, 2007 vintage, laptop.
Many thanks Jesse for the heads-up.
29 • Linux Distro (by Joel N on 2020-09-28 17:06:24 GMT from Canada)
If I'm going to install Linux for someone, I will install Linux, not a "Windows clone"
MY preference right now would be Linux Mint as I find it to be the most user friendly and comes with a good support group.
30 • Linuxfx for friends (by Oleg on 2020-09-28 17:21:02 GMT from United States)
I, after some testing on my own, would install it on my friends' and relatives' computers. There is some category of users that is extremely conservative in their ways. Some, mainly older people can easily get lost and stop functioning when things get out of ordinary, and amount of those things matters. At least, they are not going to have a hard attack upon launching their Linux(Windows)fx for the first time. And, Linuxfx will be a good choice for them to extend life of their computers, which are sometimes almost as old as themselves!
31 • Comments are free (by userfx on 2020-09-28 18:11:29 GMT from United States)
Linuxfx objective?!?
@21 - "MS lost, and paid $20 million for Lindows to go away. I'm sure the Windowsfx guys would be salivating at the prospect."
I wonder...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Guys who know everything about Windows (wink, wink)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
@12 - "I used windows for a very brief period in 1994. Since then only to atempt to fix others' issues."
You can fix something you don't know how to use?
@13 - "I ditched win10 for void 6-7 years ago..."
So in 2014-2013; even if the original version of Windows 10 was released in July 2015?
@15 - "I have windows10. I avoid using it. Why? because the time it will allow me to start working, I'm already done, switched off my machine, and gone to continue my life, when I use Linux. Those are facts."
Okay...
@16 - "I’ve actually once been forced to cater for users who “couldn’t now use their computer at all” if one of their precious Win3.11 Program Manager icons was moved an inch to the right of its one and only true location on the screen."
And you fix that...
@25 - "In fact, I have installed Linux Mint/Cinnamon on computers (after wiping Windows clean off) and have been told that "this" is better than Windows."
And Linux Mint/Cinnamon is now the most used OS world-wide...
32 • Windows look-alikes (by Slartibartfast on 2020-09-28 18:44:55 GMT from United Kingdom)
Although I currently use Linux 90% of the time I have used Windows since 3.1 in work and home environments I find it familiar and am generally happy using it. (I missed the worst versions - ME, Vista Win8).
Given the changes in the interface over that time I find it hard to believe that older folk (like me) would have serious difficulty adapting to another (Linux) interface, unless they are already barely able to navigate their current windows install.
Perhaps I'm wide of the mark but such folk are probably mainly using email, browsing, basic Office and multimedia applications which could be set as launchers on the desktop.
33 • #31 (by x on 2020-09-28 18:50:25 GMT from United States)
I have not used windows on my systems since 1994. However most of the people I know use MS and they have needed help many times over the years. Just because someone chooses not to use or do something does not mean they do not know how.
Your attempt to insult others is meaningless, why are you here? Go away and come back after you grow up and learn more about whatever subject you think you may have mastered..
34 • Distro recommendation (by Cheker on 2020-09-28 23:09:46 GMT from Portugal)
At this point I recommend Debian. I believe it's friendly enough, you don't need to resort to Ubuntu. I might even show them what the vanilla desktops look like and let them choose it.
35 • Linuxfx (by usman on 2020-09-28 23:50:57 GMT from Indonesia)
Maybe Linuxfx make sense in place like internet cafe, library, public computer that the user only using browser & multimedia player.
36 • Reasons to run Linuxfx (by User on 2020-09-29 03:23:03 GMT from Philippines)
Honestly, I don't see the reason to run Linuxfx. If your goal is to "transition" Windows users by offering a near identical environment, they might think they never transitioned at all and ask for help and seek resources for Windows 10. At this point, the skin will inevitably peel away as virtually none of the advice will work on an OS which, even though it has been dressed up to look like Windows, works nothing like it underneath. By keeping up the illusion, you're just making it harder for the user to cope once the fancy dressing inevitably gets pulled away by one issue or another.
37 • Very appalled at Linuxfx/Windowsfx (by RJA on 2020-09-29 03:32:28 GMT from United States)
@Jesse, definitely flying too close to the sun!
Very shun-worthy and lawsuit-worthy. The report from #24 makes it suspicious. There may be a drive-by-exploit. Reminds me of an old tactic used in the '00s.
They definitely now deserve getting a Lucasfilm-style cease-and-desist letter, possibly at best.
38 • Can't keep up with Linuxfx's offerings (by eco2geek on 2020-09-29 05:33:18 GMT from United States)
Sunday, about 8:30 PDT, I found that you could put $0 in Linuxfx's payment box, which took me to Sourceforge, where I could download the same version that Jesse reviewed, v10.6.
About an hour later, the files on Sourceforge were gone. If you put $0 into the payment box, it took you to a page where it tried to open Telegram, so you could go to a chat room and request a free version.
Today, as @26 noted, you can download a free version from Sourceforge again, if you know the link. Linuxfx's download page still takes you to Telegram. (The "free" ISO on Sourceforge has a different name than the v10.6 ISO does.)
Confusing? Yes. It appears that the vendor isn't sure what they want to do yet and may change things up again.
In any case, I'm with the others who've said that, if you really want something that emulates Windows this much, just go get Windows. Pretending that Linux is Windows is only going to confuse you.
39 • Linux distros that emulate the Windows look (by Simon Wainscott-Plaistowe on 2020-09-29 06:22:52 GMT from New Zealand)
Why should Linux look like Windows? I can't think of any valid reason. For those who are happy with Windows, just use Windows. If you don't like Windows (like myself), just use something else. There are plenty of alternatives. For desktop Linux that "just works", I use Linux Mint. On the rare occasion that I need to use Windows for testing or reference/comparison purposes, I have Windows 10 & XP virtual machines. For now, my phone runs Android (until something better eventuates). My firewall runs IPFire. Multimedia boxes run LibreELEC. NAS box runs OpenMediaVault with UrBackup for workstation backups. Filesharing is done via NFS because it's heaps faster than Samba.
40 • Why even bother with a Linux system that tries to act 99.999% like Windows 10? (by Donald Sebastian Leung on 2020-09-29 08:02:53 GMT from Hong Kong)
I can get why some Linux distributions try to offer an environment that looks and feels familiar to former Windows users in order to ease the transition, and have no problem with them adding in a few proprietary components along with FOSS software to aid in that goal (I like the idea of FOSS in general over proprietary software but am not a purist / idealist ala FSF / Richard Stallman), but seriously, as many others have already pointed out, what is the point of running Linux if you're just going to make it act and behave 99.999% like Windows? Though, reading the review of Linuxfx, it sounds like it's even less stable and usable than modern Windows, which makes it even more pointless. I bought a Lenovo laptop with Windows 10 preinstalled a few months ago and during the first week before I replaced it with Ubuntu (and later Fedora), it didn't seem all that laggy/buggy at all and I never encountered a single BSOD like the ones I would encounter every now and then 10 years ago.
41 • Too close to the sun\\\Apple? (by Fossilizing Dinosaur on 2020-09-29 13:39:46 GMT from United States)
Wasn't it Apple that sued using a "software patent" on "look-and-feel"?
Isn't Microsoft a little more tolerant of sincere-flattery imitation?
42 • Windows 95 lookalike (by Stefan on 2020-09-29 13:46:06 GMT from Germany)
@19: If you look for a Windows 95 lookalike desktop for lowspec computers:
https://ahinea.com/projects/qvwm/
It's some years since I last used qvwm, but back then it was great, fast as hell, drag and drop with the mouse, functional Taskbar,...
43 • Windows CopyCat Distros (by Ennio on 2020-09-29 18:19:03 GMT from Netherlands)
@6 You mean, they changed their sinking about Windows to stay afloat with Linux?
44 • LinuxFX (by IchWarEsNicht on 2020-09-29 18:40:11 GMT from Germany)
To some extent, it is not so awful to copy the UI from Windows. Microsoft invests a lot of money trying to improve the user experience. In spite of this, they still came up with Windows 8. But I think the most important thing for a new user is that you have a system that is easy and reliable. It is better to put them on a distro with a proven track record. Maybe LinuxFX will get there some day. But for now I would steer them toward a more mainstream distribution.
45 • why emulate at all? (by emu late on 2020-09-29 18:46:21 GMT from New Zealand)
Windows are inexorably coming to the systemd blackhole at the center of all computing. All shall become UNIX, or a variant thereof. One kernel to rule them all... and one systemd to bind them!
That was half-joking. Watch - in 2-5 years Windows will be a desktop manager on top of the same Linux kernel everyone else is using. They're already buzzard-circling the Linux Foundation and integrating Linux and Windows. More to come, soon(tm).
Note - the Windows desktop was bad and has become much worse over time. If you are still in the free part of Linuxland, why the zark would you want to emulate the worst UI out there? Many reskins emulate Apple who are/were the UI masters, well under Jobs anyway, zero progress to regression since then.
The problem remains the big box stores and the general public, who are clueless. A computer is not a waffle-iron appliance. Don't even start on 'smart'phones and Apple/Googles's whack-a-mole games with malicious apps - a headline every week. The average IQ is not all that high and half the people are dumber than that, a sobering thought.
46 • Linuxfx NOT! (by Walt on 2020-09-29 18:55:38 GMT from United States)
Sir,
Do not want any device corrupted by microsoft!
Thanks,
Walt R.
47 • @ 22 LinuxFX (by Roger on 2020-09-29 21:17:31 GMT from Belgium)
@ 22 Good choice for desktop, but it still is windows underneath.
so there is still no choice than and you get the dreaded updates that stop anything.
48 • If they dropped the pretense... (by eco2geek on 2020-09-30 01:57:57 GMT from United States)
If they dropped the pretense that it's some sort of Windows clone, Linuxfx actually wouldn't be a bad distribution. It's got a ton of preinstalled software, and reminds me of Zorin Ultimate edition in that way. And the Cinnamon user interface is easy to use.
49 • linuxfx (by Hoos on 2020-09-30 05:45:40 GMT from Singapore)
It's one thing to emulate layouts and interface, another thing to copy a trademark (see start button in screenshot in the review).
50 • flying too close to the sun (by fonz on 2020-09-30 16:10:15 GMT from Indonesia)
nope, but more like landing on it. isnt it common sense to know that the US has the most strict rules, and not many would actually want to piss them off? while the rest of the world may not care, IMHO getting on the bad side of giants is suicidal. what if macrostuff went to gulag and said 'yeah, lets bully them windowsfx', and other giants joined in just for teh lulzfx? im still using win7+10 btw, only for gaming, no other real use for it.
wonder what would happen if a window company named themselves 'windows'. hopefully theyre not like king (candy crush) and try to sue anything and everything with windows in their name...
51 • Linnuxfx (by dragonmouth on 2020-09-30 20:23:16 GMT from United States)
I would not install Linuxfx, or ANY other Windows wannabe/look-alike distro. If anybody is so addicted to Windows that they cannot use a computer without a Windows look, they should keep using Windows.
52 • international lawsuits (by Dr. Dave on 2020-09-30 20:25:08 GMT from United States)
Despite the language of being an 'official' Ubuntu derivative, 'co-created' by Canonical, Ubuntu Kylin is from China. Outside of their apparent corporate endorsement and being the upstream provider, Canonical effectively has nothing to do with its development. So even if MS could threaten Canonical, they would still have to deal with the Chinese military. MS can't even stop the Chinese from pirating Windows, so why would they bother trying to stop them from theming Linux to resemble Windows??
Regarding Linuxfx and intellectual property laws, someone else already made the point about Brazil being a similar legal situation to that of China.
The exaggerated outrage expressed in a comment like #37 doesn't really make sense in the real world. Even though MS probably has some form of legal presence in many countries, the idea that a cease and desist threat would have any weight outside of the US legal system, demonstrates a misunderstanding of international litigation.
To put it simply, someone would have to make a very large sum of money; to eat a significant portion of Satya Nadella's lunch, in order to rationalize any serious legal attention. This threshold is compounded by distance from US legal jurisdiction. Legally speaking, the Chinese and Brazilians might as well be Martians. MS isn't going to waste the resources to catch a few rain drops across the ocean.
Just look at the history of the video game emulation scene for a practical industry comparison. Contrary to all of Nintendo's scary, threatening legalese over the decades, their actual follow-through on those threats has never materialized with any significance.
53 • China's play in this. (by Friar Tux on 2020-09-30 21:09:26 GMT from Canada)
@52 (Dr.Dave) So true. China, as they did with pirating Windows (with great success, too), just took what they wanted/needed and made it work to their purpose. With Ubuntu, though, it isn't actual prirating as Ubuntu is free to use, anyway. China has a long history of adopting Western products into their own national production scheme - cars, small appliances, etc., etc., and so on. (For a good laugh, just google Chinese product-copies that miss the mark in the West. Due either to bad English, or bad design copying.)
True, too, is the fact that MS will most likely not do anything with Linuxfx. For the very reasons you mention - plus it would not look too good in their present 'Microsoft Loves Linux' mindset.
54 • @53 - will MS engage Linuxfx? (by Hoos on 2020-10-01 06:07:14 GMT from Singapore)
Is Sourceforge US-based? Linuxfx's isos are uploaded there. What about where their website is hosted?
All those may affect whether MS actually does anything.
And it may be as simple as "just stop using our trademarks anywhere in your distro". They may have to show they take steps to protect their trademarks, to prevent trademark dilution.
But I'm just speculating.
55 • Windows (by coolio on 2020-10-02 18:22:04 GMT from United States)
I don't have a problem with a distro copying a UI and in fact, it's nice to have the desktop look available if I want it.
What I do NOT like is being left with no choice! I'd like to see a normal Linux desktop with options to change the look via downloads to whatever I like.
As for the review:
CHARGING MONEY FOR A WINDOWS COPY IS A NO-GO.
I wouldn't bother ever reviewing anything that charges money to download and install. We already have Crapple and Microcrap for that.
56 • FX forever (by o pinguim cabeçudo on 2020-10-03 00:38:33 GMT from Brazil)
Wow! Put out a Windows clone and you bring out everything from the international law experts to the tinfoil crowd. The Linuxfx devs sell a security and surveillance system. The distro was made specifically to make their software installation easy. No drive-by malware, and the Telegram page is just that, a user group. They decided to offer the distro on the web.
Ok, so they like the Windows look, and they maybe went too far. I'm sure they'll find some users, even if not many, who like it. Still, underneath it's Ubuntu/Mint, and you can change it to whatever you want, or go on and use something else. I tried it. It worked fine. Whether Microsoft want to do something is up to Microsoft.
@52, China didn't pirate Windows. Many Chinese do, and do many Brazilian, Americans and others.
@55, "I wouldn't bother ever reviewing anything that charges money to download and install. We already have Crapple and Microcrap for that."
You've just summed up the main reason Linux desktop will never get to a larger share: Too many Linux users are cheap and condescending.
57 • Windows like distros review? (by Saleem Khan on 2020-10-03 08:09:33 GMT from Pakistan)
Why does it feel like these kind of reviews are paid ones than out of curiosity? I suggested PLD review once and my comment was immediately deleted by DW.I also heard from many projects developers that getting a distro added to DW database is a paid base now , and it sounds true because there are so many good projects waiting to be added to the database and baby projects are added to the database.Many good distros teams don't even bother to contact DW.If this whole thing is business based DW should clearly announce it to public.There are tons of good things about Linux and open source and what we see are reviews about windows mimicking distros ! Nothing pure is left to be presented from Linux universe? DW so are you going to keep this comment on or make it dissapear magically instatnly once again?
58 • Finances (by Jesse on 2020-10-03 13:15:03 GMT from Canada)
@57: "Why does it feel like these kind of reviews are paid ones than out of curiosity? "
We don't do paid reviews. I've never written a sponsored review for DistroWatch.
>> "I suggested PLD review once and my comment was immediately deleted by DW."
That may be that your comment was removed, but your comment wouldn't have been deleted for the suggestion. It would have been removed by a spam filter for another reason. We're happy to receive review suggestions.
>> "I also heard from many projects developers that getting a distro added to DW database is a paid base now."
This is not true. Buying advertising on DistroWatch will put a project at the top of our evaluation list to be added, but most projects (almost all the projects) we add to the database do not advertise with us. It's entirely free to get added to our database. Paying for ads also doesn't guarantee a project will be added, it still needs to meet all our evaluation criteria.
>> "Many good distros teams don't even bother to contact DW.If this whole thing is business based DW should clearly announce it to public."
This also is not accurate. We receive many distro submissions each month. Our policy on adding projects to our database is available on our Submit Distro page: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=submit
Any projects that meet the criteria are added to the database.
>> "There are tons of good things about Linux and open source and what we see are reviews about windows mimicking distros"
I hardly think two reviews (out of the 51 we do each year) on projects that mimic Windows is overkill. A lot of people are migrating from Windows and like having a familiar environment. If you are interested in other types of distros, we have 49 other reviews this year you may enjoy.
59 • WindowsFX or LinusFX (by Charles R Baker on 2020-10-03 16:54:35 GMT from Philippines)
I use LinusFX 10.5 (free) and installed it on my wife's computer. I have a paid for Windows 7 home edition (full product) which I use for Skyrim and other software, but not on line. New processors will not let you install windows 7 on them. I have heard of work arounds, but have never got any to work. I use Wine on Linux Mint for some games, but the 10.5 version of LinuxFX runs more .exe and .msi right after a complete install than other Linux distros with Wine that I have tried. What Wine or LinuxFX can't do is run Windows programs that try to directly access the hardware through the OS.
Linux's weakness as far as comsumers go is programmers (who want to make money) don't make games for it. There are some really good games for Linux, but not the main stream ones.
60 • WindowsFX (by Dave on 2020-10-04 09:34:36 GMT from Canada)
I'd love to have a Windows clone, because I like the shell and it won't reboot for updates, more secure, free, and less resources. I've never had any problems with Windows, but Linux is very unpolished, buggy, and hard to use. I've had issues that I spent hours finding a solution, but it was out of date, and used arcane console scripts. I couldn't get Tor Browser to work on Linux, but the Windows version under Wine just worked. There are many programs that work only under Windows; League of Legends, TV sticks, software defined radio (always easier to use in WIndows version), astronomy programs, image processing, simple Text to Speech reader (spent hours figuring out how to configure Festival and it sounded horrible), monitor calibration. Formatting a resume in LibreOffice to look correct when opened in Word never worked. I always run into file permission problems, files from some other distro where I'm not the owner because it's a different userID and I have to struggle to access it, trying to access Windows files where there wasn't a clean shutdown, trying to get Linux programs not in a repo to work, etc.
61 • Linuxfx & look and feel (by Kurtbw on 2020-10-04 14:00:26 GMT from United States)
At work, enterprise IT policies force me to use Windows. Fortunately, boss-man has avoided the not-so-good recent versions, sticking primarily to Windows 7, and only installing Windows 10 under duress.
At home, it's another story. I'm running Neptune 6.5. It's a KDE spin, which with a couple tweaks, behaves like Mac OS X (which IMO is still better than any Windows interface), and gives solid KDE desktop goodness.
I run Neptune because I do a fair amount of work with video, and Neptune just seems to work with the tools I need, pretty much out of the box. I'd recommend it to someone wanting off Windows, but having menu items in similar places. It's also updated on a rational cycle. Having the latest and greatest frameworks all the time can be a really good thing.
Solid distro, not getting much traction these days, but IMO worth a spin for those seeking KDE desktop-based distros that simply work.
62 • ain't cheap or condescending... (by tom joad on 2020-10-04 16:49:56 GMT from Canada)
@ 56
"You've just summed up the main reason Linux desktop will never get to a larger share: Too many Linux users are cheap and condescending. "
NO, no, no!!!
Many, many of us use Linux because it is;
Open source, way stable, (I use Mint Cinnamon), has a terminal that actually, really does STUFF, tons of online help that is readily available, doesn't have BSOD, nag screens, EULA's, screeds scolding about software piracy, etc, etc, etc, ad naseum.
Another big reason we use Linux Is Linux is not WINDOWS!!!
Lastly, I do pay for software I like and that works for me. I regularly pay for Parted Magic. I won't pay for a Windows knockoff that is a window dressed version of Mint!!! Nor am I alone.
I hope and pray Linux never goes mainstream. I don't want it discovered for its potential. I love Linux and want it to stay just the way it is, stable, predicable, highly customizable and secure. I know when I have a good thing.
Sorry !
for the rant.
Number of Comments: 62
Display mode: DWW Only • Comments Only • Both DWW and Comments
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