Bodhi Linux 0.1.6 RC2 – First Look and Initial Impressions

March 1, 2011   All Videos, Distro Reviews   6 Comments

My immediate reaction? I love the theme/profile selection. I love the tablet/netbook usability. I love how minimal/lightweight it is. Just a few things keep it from being 100% for me… click “Read More” below to watch the video and see why…

If you’re interested in trying it out, head over to bodhilinux.com.

My opinions, in case I wasn’t clear in the video:

Pros:

  1. lightweight/minimal desktop (used less than 150mb RAM)
  2. love the netbook/tablet profile (and the idea of profiles/themes offered to the new user)
  3. small ISO size
  4. software.bodhilinux.com site has true 1-click installers, and .bod offline installer files
  5. uses an Ubuntu LTS base, so even if the desktop isn’t familiar to you, the software offered should be

Cons

  1. no 64-bit edition yet
  2. some software just won’t install yet (kdenlive and recordmydesktop, for instance — though with the “test” repo, recordmydesktop does install)
  3. doesn’t easily provide a way to install drivers (ATI/Nvidia/wireless), though it’s definitely possible using synaptic

If you have any thoughts on Bodhi, leave them in the comments below!

  • http://enlightenment-slo.blogspot.com r1to

    great presentation, thank you.
    My experience:
    On my FS amilo pa 1520 it’s running very fast.
    It automatically recognized everything, from ati
    graphics (m200). btw. I didn’t need to install proprietary
    drivers to run ecomorph (E17 compiz) and it’s cool effects,
    like the cube, expo wall, ring switcher and other type’s of
    alt-tab replacements for ‘open-program’s-switching’.
    It found the wireless card, and other hardware, just like
    on the Ubuntu installation, that I had before. After all it’s
    an Ubuntu derivate, so it should find the same stuff :)

    The only problem I had it’s the running of
    virtual box on in. Couldn’t get it to work,
    i was getting the error that the kernel wasn’t found,
    but that is now working. I just had to install the
    latest kernel, headers, virtual package and voila.

    It’s really lightweight, as you said, and fast. I think
    it’s an ideal solution for net-books and a bit older machines
    but also if you’d like to have a light-speed-fast system,
    that is fully configurable to your various needs.

    I usually install my preferred programs through synaptic,
    and I reccommend to those, who want to try out the Bodhi Linux
    distro, If you don’t install through the website installation,
    to chose the extended view tab in Synaptic, and through the
    bodhi repository first look for the packages marked with bodhi,
    not just install the regular ones. Those are, as I think, made
    specially for this distro, to avoid some incompatibilities
    and broken dependencies. that way you’ll also get newest packages.

    All in all – I personally think that Bodhi is going to be
    a huge one on the Enlightenment horizon.

  • Shane Kerns

    I would love to see a 64bit version of Bodhi. It seems like a waste in this day and age that 32bit OSes and apps are released before 64bit ones. While there is absolutely no problem with having 32bit systems I do think that 32bit OSes should now be treated as second class citizens.
    There are already lighter weight distros out there to tend to 32bit and much older systems. Why dedicate a brand new distro whose main purpose is to be minimal and show off its character with enlightenment to a 32bit architecture.
    I love bodhi and I even installed it on one of my laptops but was disappointed when I saw there was no 64bit version available for it.
    E17 is great and I use it with my 64bit slackware machine but I would love an out of the box 64bit distro that ran E17. This is the last version of Slackware I will ever use. Its getting tedious to maintain and update, so for me Bodhi would be my next best choice since I love enlightenment.
    I wish Bodhi team all the very best, as soon as I see a 64bit version rest assured I will be one of the first to download it. Great work so far, keep up the good work.

  • emmanuel.aerssens@gmail.com

    That sliding keyboard feature must be realy cool on my media center. is that a part of enlightment or a stand allone package?

  • workdowg

    Hey Jordan,

    Just thought you would like to know I got a link to this review from my Linux Forums News email. you’re getting a name out there in cyberspace…..

    Bodhi Linux RC2 0.1.6 First Look and Initial Impressions Video
    Source: LXer Linux News – March 2nd, 2011
    My immediate reaction? I love the theme/profile selection. I love the tablet/netbook usability. I love how minimal/lightweight it is…

    • http://www.thisweekinlinux.com TWIL

      Hi workdowg, thanks! I actually talked to Jeff, the creator of Bodhi, and he posted it to LXer. :)

  • dan

    I’ve been using Bodhi for 2 months. I love it. The kernel is the one from 10.10, which is great because it is better hardware support.

    My favorite thing is the only extra programs I added were abiword, alsa, gimp, and gnome-games. No Open Office, no chat programs, no other wasted space.