Kubuntu 17.04 - the next generation

As usual, every April and October are the months when many people in the Linux community wait for the new releases of their favourite operating systems.

Canonical released the newest version of the Ubuntu family of distributions on the 13th of April, and there is a good reason to look into them now.

I will start with Kubuntu 17.04 for several reasons. First of all, my new laptop runs Kubuntu 16.04, and I was interested in seeing if the new version is any different from the user point of view.

Second, I received a number of orders for disks with this distribution from my customers.

Third, I am more than sure that Ubuntu itself will receive too many reviews without my involvement, let's focus on something more niche.

I downloaded the ISO image of Kubuntu 17.04 32-bit from the torrent. The DVD disk with this image is ready to be sent to the customer, but first let's check what is in it for us.

I was a bit nervous at that time, because this was the first review written when running the Live Linux operating system on my new laptop Dell Inspirion 17 5749.

Nevertheless... Reboot. Choose to boot from DVD. Fasten your belts! Let's go!

Why Choose Linux Operating System?

Linux is a free operating system that anyone can download and install on their computers. It's one of the top five platforms used in the world, and yet most people don't understand its benefits. With that in mind, this post will draw your attention towards all the advantages you can expect to encounter. With a bit of luck, you will leave this page with a better understanding of Linux and why you should consider it for your computer network. Whether you’re an individual or business owner, the same rules should apply. The best thing to do is try it out for yourself. However, I’ll try to provide some basic info before you do that.

Linux-friendly Yandex.Disk - get 32 GB additional free storage

Yandex.Disk is one of the most Linux-friendly platform for cloud file storage.

Linux notes from DarkDuck had published a how-to guide for running Yandex.Disk application on your Linux computer back in 2016. Using the link from that article, you can get at least 1 GB of free space, and there are steps to get 10 GB extra once you start using the application.

Until the 3rd of July 2017 you have another chance to further increase the storage space you get by the whopping 32 GB. Although, you will need a smartphone for that, and you will need to install the Yandex.Disk app. If you summarise all that, you get 1 + 10 + 32 = 43 GB of free online storage!

So, the process now includes three steps.

• First, register with Yandex.Disk if you have not done so yet. You can optionally do the steps to get 10 GB of free space once you registered.
• Second, you need to install the application for your smartphone. It is available for both Android and iPhones platforms. Search for Yandex Disk there.
• Third, you need to switch on auto-upload function and then upload at least one image to Yandex.Disk using the application. Once you do this, 32 GB of free space should be added to your account. You can use it the way you like, including an agent running on your Linux computer.

The Terms & Conditions for steps 2&3 are here. These T&Cs also include links to official Yandex.Disk applications, if you are in doubt.

And yes, you can uninstall the application afterwards, if you don't want to use it.

Keep storing! :) And stay tuned for Linux notes from DarkDuck blog for future Linux articles.

The theater of Linux distributions

Linux notes from DarkDuck has recently published an article with a very interesting classification of Linux distributions.

I’ll add one more: the Theater distros.

Users wait for Ubuntu more than any other distribution

Linux notes from DarkDuck blog likes to run different polls for the readers. The most recent poll was about the most awaited distribution for the second quarter of 2017. It is time now to check the results.

There were several options in the poll, and one of them was to name your own distribution that you look forward seeing in the near future. There was a big variety of the names in that list. To simplify the table, I only put individual names where at least two votes were given for the same operating system. All the single votes were summarised under the "Other" tag.

Here is the table with the poll results:

Ubuntu 17.04	61
Fedora 26	26
Linux Lite 3.4	19
Tails 3.0	12
Debian	6
Linux Mint	6
Arch	3
Opensuse Leap 42.3	2
Other	18

In the graphical view, the poll results look like this:

Poll results

It is very clear that about one third of the voters want to see the next release of Ubuntu operating system, which is due to be released on the 13th of April 2017. Have you pre-ordered your disk yet?

The next option by popularity was Fedora 26, which got more the two times less votes. Linux Lite 3.4 was on the third place, not too far away from Fedora.

Do you agree with the poll results? What is your most expected distribution?

Ubuntu 17.10 switches name to Cyrillic Alphabet

Ubuntu is one of the most famous, and no doubt the most widely used, Linux distributions in the world. It made Linux a household name.

Since 2006 Ubuntu has given its new releases names consisting of two words starting with the same letter, in sequential order beginning with 6.06, Dapper Drake. Zesty Zapus will be the name for release 17.04, due to be released on the 13th of April 2017. By the way, have you pre-ordered your disk yet?

Clearly, Z is the last letter in the Latin alphabet. What will happen beyond that letter? Many of you have heard hints about the future name of the Ubuntu 17.10 name. There are letters "aa" reserved for this future release.

Not many of you know that these will no longer be drawn from the Latin alphabet. These are also the first letters of Cyrillic alphabet, used by Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and many more languages. The recent leaks from Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu family of distributions, show that the name of the distribution will be "Апельсиновый Арбалет", the Russian for Orange Crossbow. The name is not set in stone yet, but it is a leader in the currently running contest.

You still have time to cast your vote.

And don't forget about the date...