5 Enlightened Linux Distros
- Image via Wikipedia
Regular readers know I’ve been using Linux, trying to get another year or two of decent performance out of the Coal-fired pentium I use around the house.
This led to Live Linux CDs of the various “Major” distributions, a few stabs at dual-boot installations, and finally a full bore, Linux only reformat with Fedora, quickly followed by PCLinuxOS. I’ve been happy with PCLOS, and have been modifying and playing with it pretty much around the clock. I finally got it to do everything I wanted, and then some.
The only real disappointment I had was that OpenGEU did not run on my machine. I really liked the way this looked and performed on my wife’s laptop, and wanted to try it here. OpenGEU uses the Popular Ubuntu as its basic operating framework, and then grafts a hybrid Gnome / Enlightenment graphic desktop on it. This allows users to have some pretty impressive 3D desktop effects on a stable, well supported OS.
I really wanted Enlightment(E17) on my machine. Besides the graphic flair, its supposed to be lighter weight than either KDE or Gnome, Running on Machines as slow as 100 MHZ and I thought that I would see a performance bump. So When BugNux developed their own package to install Enlightenment on PCLinuxOS, I jumped on it.
I Haven’t looked back. Enlightenment is a neat, fast Desktop that works well. Yeah, it looks like a Mac. But it works. And that’s all I’m Looking for right now.
So Here’s a list of five Linux distros that feature Enlightenment for you to check out:
- OpenGEU: Described above, OpenGEU quite simply rocks and looks better than anything else out there . Use the Live CD at the local coffee shop to turn heads and impress all the artists working behind the counter.
- Elbuntu- Another Ubuntu-Enlightenment. Elbuntu takes a standard Ubuntu distribution and strips away Gnome. Unfortunately, Ubuntu Doesn’t run on My system so I couldn’t give it a shot. If you’re running Ubuntu or thinking of it, try it out and let me know how it works.
- OzOS- “A different Reality”. You’d think this would have an emerald green theme, but it looks pretty slick. I especially like the Vista Sidebar. Just what Linux users want: A Vista Clone.
- gOS Rocket E- Designed from the ground up for cheap, low performance PCs, gOS originally was installed in WalMart’s $199 Everett PCs. Works for Novices, and the Space edition is designed around the availability of MySpace Apps.
- PCe17OS- Gonna try this one next. I already use PCLinux, but I want to try the Multigamer Edition. It looks pretty neat. Thank You Sandor!:
Bonus:
Elive- Supposedly THE Original Enlightenment Distro
Maryan Linux- Originally Mint Linux E17, this one is under construction. Take Ubuntu, Add Mint Menus for ease of use and then wrap it up in E17.
Yellow Dog- Designed for the Power PC- Yellow dog will run on your Playstation or Mac
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Comments
I Swear, I hadn’t heard about it…In fact, it’s the ONLY one here I haven’t heard of.
Screen shots are my bugbear around here…I’m awful at design and don’t have a lot of time to post once I sit down, so I’m always hurrying to get done.
So what are some of the other differences? Other than Cosmetic, I don’t delve to deeply into them….
Elive is THE premiere experience for Enlightenment desktop.
It is the original and all the others are imitators.
Elive cost money! Unless you are willing to get a stripped down almost nonfunctioning version.
Elive might be great but it still is opensource and they make you pay to get the stable version.
Sad
Kyle Keeton
Well, That’s how they can afford the video then.
I’ve replaced them with Sandor Lisovszki’s PCe17OS Multigamer: Gotta love the Euro-Disco soundtrack.
Thanks
I want to thank you for this article because I may never have found OpenGEU that is the best operating system I have found yet. I am running it now and almost could not stop playing with it last night.
Now you got my interest in PCe17OS. 
Thanks again.
Kyle
I’ve tried both openGEU and Sandor’s PCe17OS, but you’re forgetting the most stable E17 distro around: Mandriva. In addition to supporting GNOME, KDE and XFCE, it also supports Enlightenment currently, with improved support already underway for this fall’s Mandriva 2009 release.
I run Mandriva Powerpack and have found the Mandriva team to be about the hardest working at giving users what they want. Mandriva is once again rising to the top of the distro heap.
I’m a former SUSE/Ubuntu user and Mandriva is my distro hopper stopper.
Thanks. Glad to Help.
Also, Whoever left the comment about forgetting Mandriva: Thanks, but you got erased in a boatload of spam. I’m Going to have to turn on comment approval for a while.
I find it kinda funny that you don’t know much about Elive — it is *the* E17 live distro. Or, it has been for the last two years until these others came on to the scene.
Fun little article but more screenshots and some explanations of the differences etc would have been nice. Thanks for the read though!