Canonical Reveals Unity Desktop and Ubuntu Light
Two big surprised at the Ubuntu Summit in Belgium.
Canonical gave a first glimpse at Unity, a desktop environment designed with netbooks and touch-based devices in mind, and Ubuntu Light, a fast-booting version of Ubuntu. Unity includes a revised panel and application launcher which makes it easier to access most-used applications.
Alongside Unity, Ubuntu announced Ubuntu Light, a 10-second boot implementation of the popular Linux distro that gives users an 'instant-web' experience.
Ubuntu Light comes equipped with chat, media player, Web browser, photo-viewing and IM applications. The operating system is intended to be part of a dual-boot system for commercial PCs, but can run fine on its own.
Unity and Ubuntu Light complement each other in that both the desktop environment and operating system offer simplified, but functional versions of the traditional Ubuntu environment.
Ubuntu Light is available to PC OEMs by contacting Cononical directly at oem@canonical.com. Unity is already available for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS can be downloaded here.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.