Polished

Over the years, Ubuntu has become one of the most popular base distributions for other Linux derivatives due to its software diversity and user-friendliness. The Brazilian Ubuntu offshoot Br OS [1] now adds an aesthetically sophisticated design along with some innovative software components.

Strategies

Br OS has been in development for three years, but most users may not be familiar with the distribution. (In fact, the Br OS website [1] is in Portuguese, but you can translate it with Chrome or check out this Br OS overview on YouTube [2].) Br OS follows the same release cycles as Ubuntu, so there are also long-term support (LTS) Br OS variants. Br OS targets users looking for an all-rounder for daily use as well Internet content creators.

For content creators, Br OS comes with various tools out of the box, some of which are not yet available on other Linux derivatives. Despite these tools, the system has fairly moderate hardware requirements: The developers specify a dual-core CPU and 2GB RAM as the minimum requirements. Beyond that, they make no further demands on the computer. However, Br OS does expect 64-bit compatible architecture. To transfer the current 23.04 version's hybrid ISO image to a USB storage medium, you will need a minimum of 8GB, because the image already occupies more than 4.3GB.

First Impressions

After completing the download, transfer Br OS to a target medium and launch the system from it. After selecting the first option in the GRUB boot menu, you are taken to an empty desktop after a short wait for the OS to load. The familiar Ubiquity installation wizard appears and you can either enable Live mode first or jump right into the installation.

If you select Live mode, you are taken to a spartan-looking KDE Plasma desktop after a short wait (Figure 1). It contains a single starter that lets you call the installation wizard. At the bottom of the screen, you will also find the semitransparent Latte Dock, which includes the system tray and some launchers for important applications. On the far left of the dock, you will find the button that calls up the main menu.

Figure 1: The Br OS start screen is almost completely empty on first launch.

Some of the application launchers in the dock are a little unusual. For instance, you'll find two almost identical web browsers: Firefox 112.0.2 and the Firefox fork, LibreWolf fork, with the same version number. Because LibreWolf is a Firefox that has been stripped of superfluous functions, this choice does not make much sense. LibreWolf is clearly the better browser, because it prevents tracking and collection of personal data, making it far more agile than Firefox, even on a Live system.

The second launcher from the left in the dock opens a ChatGPT plasmoid that displays OpenAI's ChatGPT login screen. You will need an OpenAI account (Figure 2) to use the AI text generator.

Figure 2: For content creators, Br OS integrates OpenAI's ChatGPT.

You'll also find some unusual applications in the menus. Instead of the typical LibreOffice, which is popular throughout the Linux universe, you will find OnlyOffice Desktop Editors as the office package. OnlyOffice feels a lot more agile than LibreOffice and uses a modern interface. You'll also find the Canadian Windscribe client, a graphical front end for the VPN service of the same name, which requires initial registration. In addition to various commercial packages, Windscribe offers a free subscription with a 10GB monthly transfer volume limit (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Br OS comes with the Windscribe VPN client.

The preinstalled Cryptomator, another special feature, can be used to store encrypted data in the cloud. In addition, an application for removing metadata from various file formats, for example, lets you remove location data from photos to preserve your anonymity when sharing personal photos.

In contrast, the preinstalled selection of tools for editing multimedia data is fairly spartan. Important programs for audio and video editing, such as HandBrake or Audacity, are missing, as is the universal VLC playback software. However, Br OS does let you install these programs later on via its extensive software repositories.

The Live variant's software pool additionally includes practically all smaller KDE Plasma applications and also a smattering of standard programs, including, for example, Gimp, Blender, darktable, and the Gnome Evolution personal information manager.

Software Installation

You use the Ubiquity wizard, which is also the standard installer on Ubuntu, to install software. You can access Ubiquity via the Live system's desktop launcher. Ubiquity helps you set up a fully installed and configured system in just a few steps.

After the installation and a reboot, you will have a system that offers the same feature set as in Live mode. To install additional software, click on the second button from the right in the Latte Dock, which opens Discover, the standard program for software installation. Discover is a front end for the conventional package manager, which is still active in the background.

However, Discover also lets you install more recent package types, such as Flatpaks and Snaps. Flatpak is already enabled by default, but you will have to install a back end for the Ubuntu Snap package format. You can install the Snap back end by going to Settings in the Discover main window's navigation bar. The dialog first opens with the options for package source management. On the right side of the window, you will see all the package sources available thus far. You can identify the activated sources by the checkmarks to the left of entries.

Scroll all the way down to the Missing Backends section, where you will find the Snap back end; then press Install to set it up. The installer then downloads the framework from the Internet and integrates it with the system. The Snap entry disappears from the Missing Backends section and now appears in the section above with an accompanying checkmark signifying activation.

Snap packs now appear in Discover's main view, but unlike Flatpaks, Br OS does not mark them separately. In other words, you cannot tell whether you are setting up a traditional DEB or a Snap package (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Discover supports access to several package managers, including Snap and Flatpak.

Discover adds newly installed applications into the system's menu structure. Unlike Synaptic, for example, Discover does not list dependencies (such as libraries or configuration files) in its program lists, but only the actual programs. The program automatically adds any additional files required during the installation process.

Discover also lists commercial packages, such as the Master PDF Editor or the VueScan scanner tool. For commercial packages, an unlicensed variant is initially installed; you will need to enter a valid license number to unlock the functions.