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OpenGEU

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Opengeu
An OpenGEU 8.10 Luna Serena Sunshine Screenshot
DeveloperLuca De Marini (AKA TheDarkMaster)
OS familyDerivative of Ubuntu
Working stateActive
Source modelOpen source
Available inmultilingual
PlatformsIA-32, x86-64
Kernel typeMonolithic
Default
user interface		Enlightenment plus GNOME
Official websitewww.opengeu.com

OpenGEU is a free computer operating system based upon the popular[1] Ubuntu Linux distribution, which in turn is based on Debian.

OpenGEU's aim is to successfully combine the power and ease of use of GNOME desktop environment with the lightweight, speedy[2], and graphical eye-candy features of the Enlightenment window manager into a unique and user-friendly desktop. While OpenGEU is originally derived from Ubuntu, the design of the user interface makes it appear significantly different to the user. OpenGEU's developers continue to create their own set of original art themes, software, and tools.

The current version of OpenGEU, based on the Easy Peasy Ubuntu distro, is called OpenGEU 8.10 Luna Serena.

OpenGEU and Geubuntu

OpenGEU is an unofficial re-working of Ubuntu and was initially called Geubuntu (Gnome + Enlightenment + Ubuntu). The distribution changed its name from Geubuntu to OpenGEU on 2008-01-21 in order to remove the *buntu suffix from its name. This was done in respect for Ubuntu's own trademark policies, which require all officially recognized *buntu derivatives to be based upon software found only in the official Ubuntu repositories[3].

Installation

OpenGEU Luna Crescente Moonlight theme
OpenGEU Luna Crescente Moonlight theme with a few windows open

Installation of OpenGEU is generally performed with the Live CD, which allows the user to first test OpenGEU on their system prior to installation (albeit with a performance limit from loading applications off the disk). This is particularly useful for testing hardware compatibility and driver support. The CD also contains the Ubiquity installer, which guides the user through the permanent installation process. Due to the fact that OpenGEU uses "Ubiquity," the installation process is nearly identical to that of Ubuntu.[4] Alternatively, users can download a disk image of the CD from an online source which can then be written to a physical medium or run from a hard drive via UNetbootin. Thirdly, OpenGEU repositories may be added to a user's Ubuntu third party sources.list in order to add the OpenGEU desktop to a pre-existing Ubuntu based system.

Programs

Default Environment

As described above, OpenGEU includes software from both the GNOME and Enlightenment projects. Unlike Ubuntu, which uses Metacity or Compiz 3D, OpenGEU uses Enlightenment DR17 as its primary window manager for its rich two-dimensional features, such as real transparency and desktop animation options. Starting with OpenGEU 8.10 Luna Serena, a port of compiz called Ecomorph has been available for 3D effects, as well.

OpenGEU Themes Manager

Starting with OpenGEU 8.04.1 Luna Crescente, the GEUTheme application is a default in the distribution. This is a tool capable of showing a list of installed OpenGEU themes to the user, enabling the user to browse through them and select one with one-click ease. GEUtheme is capable of fetching new themes from the net or from an expansion CD for the user. The tool has some advanced customization abilities -- it helps the user to install and customize many aspects of their OpenGEU desktop environment (including icon themes, gtk, etk, e17, ewl themes, wallpapers, fonts, etc). It is also possible for the user to create new OpenGEU themes, export, import, and share them. The creation of this tool marks the first availability of a Desktop Effects Manager, similar to that of Ubuntu, for an Enlightenment desktop. This tool is incorporated into the Geutheme application.

Additional Components

Since the distribution is an Ubuntu derivative, the range of available software is almost identical to that of Ubuntu and the other related *buntu projects. Additional repositories have been created by the OpenGEU development team, and they are pre-enabled for the distribution's use. Enlightenment 17 software has been compiled, re-packaged in the .deb packaging format, and uploaded in the repositories and a number of new software packages have been developed by the OpenGEU team itself, e.g., the OpenGEU Themes Manager, eTray, e17-settings-daemon and several E17 modules.

OpenGEU themes

The E17 window manager uses a number of different libraries to render GUI applications. To make every application share the same look on the desktop, it was necessary to develop themes for various libraries that utilize the same art and graphics. This is a difficult and time consuming task compared to that of GNOME, where all the GTK applications use the same default GTK libraries to render widgets. OpenGEU has therefore developed a way to allow easy switching from one theme to another, and accordingly change the graphics of every desktop component at the same time. Every OpenGEU theme is also capable of changing the look of icon sets and wallpapers. In other words, OpenGEU themes are just a set of sub-themes for all of the different libraries used in the distribution (edje, etk, ewl, gtk), designed so that the user will notice any change in the appearance when opening their various chosen applications.

Sunshine and Moonlight

The two main signature themes of OpenGEU are Sunshine and Moonlight. While Sunshine and Moonlight are considered the primary themes, there is also a number of alternative themes which are now available and more are in development for the next release.

OpenGEU is presented as an artistic distribution and the continued development of these themes is likely to be a primary feature in OpenGEU's future.

Project Focus

OpenGEU's focus is on reducing minimum hardware requirements, such as by providing two alternative methods to enable compositing effects without any particular hardware or driver requirement.

The primary OpenGEU concept is that of building a complete and universally accessible E17 desktop -- filling all of the missing parts in E17 with GNOME tools while always concentrating on the speed of the distribution, for usability on any system.

Remixes

OpenGeeeU 8.10 Luna Serena was released March 23, 2009. It's a version of OpenGEU modified to work on the Asus EeePC. OpenGeeeU 8.10 uses Easy Peasy as its platform, so it is optimized for netbooks and it includes all of the drivers and fixes needed for EeePC to work out of the box.

Release Notes

OpenGEU versions Table
Version Name Release Date Features and description
7.04 Geubuntu Prima Luna 18 September 2007 The first version ever released. The main innovation of this distro was the idea of using a big number of system and configuration tools taken from the Gnome world together with the Enlightenment Window Manager. Geubuntu 7.04 included Gnome Panel and Nautilus.
7.10 Geubuntu Luna Nuova 6 December 2007 The second GEUbuntu release came with brand new (and original) Sunshine and Moonlight themes and it focussed much more than the first release on eye-candy and speed. It adopted Thunar instead of the Nautilus File Manager and XFCE 4 Panel instead of the GNOME Panel.
7.10 OpenGEU Luna Nuova 21 January 2008 This version was released shortly after the release of Geubuntu Luna Nuova and with this version Geubuntu changed its name to OpenGEU. Using the name change as an opportunity for releasing a new version, OpenGEU Luna Nuova is released and is a far stabler distribution, many bugs have been fixed. Another change was the use of FBPanel instead than XFCE Panel as the additional panel of the distro.
8.04 OpenGEU Luna Crescente OpenGEU_8.04.1_Live_CD_released.html 8 September 2008 OpenGEU Luna Crescente is based on Ubuntu 8.04.1 the Hardy Heron. It introduced a lot of new software directly developed by the distro team, like the OpenGEU Themes Manager (geutheme), an application called eTray (a system tray for Enlightenment, which lacked this kind of tool) some E17 modules like the Trash Bin (there was no trash bin whatsoever in Enlightenment before this) and Extramenu (a module able of adding a custom menu, with submenus, to the standard E17 menu). With this release the OpenGEU team started compiling and managing their own repositories both for Enlightenment and the rest of the newly developed software. OpenGEU uses the default Ubuntu repositories too. With every OpenGEU release, new Sunshine and Moonlight themes have been developed and are used by default in the distro. With the release of GEUTheme, a lot more OpenGEU themes have been created and are available for download from the official repositories.
8.10 OpenGEU Luna Serena 12 February 2009 This is the current release. Luna Serena maybe regarded as a development playground for the next major release of OpenGEU ... Quarto di Luna. This version features the Echomorph, a modified compiz for E17, an optional window manager for computers running 3D graphics cards. Other enhancements included in this release are the new settings manager and places menu.
9.10 OpenGEU Quarto di Luna --- This version is almost completed; the OpenGEU Team is having troubles with theming GDM correctly though, therefore the Entrance Display Manager is being resuscitated, so that it can be used in place of GDM. Work is in progress and as soon as Entrance will be completed, Quarto di Luna will see the light.
Used Colors Legend
Release no longer supported Release still supported Future Version

Reviews and Citations

OpenGEU has been independently reviewed by a number of online and offline Linux magazines

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Six Top Linux Distros article by Fox
  2. ^ Benchmark of Window Managers (note:will have to scroll)
  3. ^ (EN) Ubuntu Trademark Policies
  4. ^ (EN) Full Circle Magazine issue 9
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