This Linux distribution is based on Xubuntu 14.04 LTS

Jun 10, 2014 12:40 GMT  ·  By

Emmabuntüs, a distribution created for reconditioning old computers that relies on the robustness of Xubuntu 14.04 LTS, is now at version 3 Beta.

The Emmabuntüs 3 distribution is intended to be sleek, accessible, and equitable, and this latest version of the OS is just as light as the previous ones, despite the fact that it is using another base, which is more advanced.

“The Emmabuntüs Team is pleased to announce the Beta version of Emmabuntüs 3 based on Xubuntu 14.04. This distribution was designed to make the refurbishing of computers given to humanitarian organizations easier, especially Emmaüs communities (which is where the distribution's name comes from), and to promote the discovery of GNU/Linux by beginners, as well as to extend the lifespan of hardware and to reduce over consumption & waste in electronics,” reads the official announcement.

“This Emmabuntüs 3 uses the same principles as the previous version we focused on a Xubuntu 14.04. To not increase too much the size of the ISO, we were required to remove the following software: UbuntuOne, Unetbootin, BOINC, VirtualBox, K3b, OpenShot, Rhythmbox, Suite Terrier and some language packages including French,” also said the developers.

According to the changelog, the operating system now features Scribus, a powerful open source publishing software, and MTP-fuse, which is used for better connectivity with Android 4.0. The developers also say that the Windows version of Picasa has been implemented instead of the Linux version, which is lagging behind.

Users have been asked to test this release of Emmabuntüs and report back with errors, even if it's based on Xubuntu 14.04 LTS, which is a pretty stable version. Actually, using an LTS release for their base was a very good idea because it allows developers to provide support for a much longer period of time.

There are quite a few items and new features that haven't been added by default, but everything will be in place in time for the final release, which should happen sometime in September 2014. Also, as a caveat, if you decide to install Emmabuntüs 3, you should do it without connecting to the Internet.

The reason for this measure hasn’t been explained, but users should first restart the operating system before connecting the Internet cable.

A complete list of changes and new features can be found in the official announcement. You can download Emmabuntüs 3 Beta right now from Softpedia.

Remember that this is a development version and it should NOT be installed on production machines. It is intended for testing purposes only.