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HP releases netbook interface for Ubuntu
But what makes the Mi Edition software stand out is the graphical user interface which looks nothing like Ubuntu or even Ubuntu Netbook Remix. When you first boot up the Mi Edition software you're greeted with a screen with a web search engine, a list of favorite web sites, and shortcuts to your music and photos. If you click the Start New Program button, a program launcher will open that separates your applications into Internet, Media, Utilities, Work, Play, and All tabs. The settings manager shows you everything you'd find in the typical Ubuntu settings screens, but it's arranged in a new way that makes it easier to find what you're looking for with fewer clicks.
HP has also added a custom media player called HP MediaStyle that looks a lot like Apple's FrontRow. MediaStyle provides you with a simple full screen interface for navigating music, videos, and photos.
Overall, HP has created one of the best thought out Linux interfaces for netbooks. The software is designed so that users who have never used Linux should have no trouble performing basic tasks. But experienced Linux users can always fire up a terminal window by hitting Alt+F2 and entering "gnome-terminal."
The software comes preloaded on some HP netbooks. But HP also plans to post a utility on its web site in the next few days that will allow you to create a system restore USB flash disk from Windows. You can already create one if you're running Linux. You can use this utility to either restore a Mi Edition netbook to factory default settings or to turn a Windows XP HP Mini 1000 into a Mi Edition device. I would not advise anyone to try using this install disk on unsupported hardware as you'll probably end up with an operating system that doesn't support your WiFi card or other hardware.
It's not clear whether HP plans to offer the software for non-netbooks. But if you want to try adding installing the user interface over a normal Ubuntu installation, you can try adding the HP repositories and using the Synaptic package manager to install a package called glassy-bleu-theme.
Comments
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Subscribe to commentsKristjan SiimsonFeb 7th 2009 11:04PM
All derivative works of applications released under GPL, such as Ubuntu, must be open source as well.
Dan FernandezFeb 22nd 2009 7:12AM
@Kristjan, yes and no.
Yes, if the make changes to a software already licensed as gpl, the changes have to be made public exactly as the gpl license states. BUT, if you create a new software, and you make it run over a standar ubuntu linux, for example, you must make available the ubuntu part of the bundle, but your new software may be licensed with the license you like, since it's yours. GPL, LGPL, private closed license, wathever. Hard to explain talking so little english... (hell, even native english writers will have a hard time explaining that :P )