Ubuntu GNOME For Linux

Welcome to the Raring Ringtail edition of Ubuntu GNOME, an open source Ubuntu-based operating system built around the controversial GNOME desktop environment. It is designed from the ground up to provide users with a pure GNOME desktop experience, instead of a Unity one.

Ubuntu GNOME 13.04 was officially announced on April 25, 2013 along with other Ubuntu flavors from the Raring Ringtail edition. It was supported with software updates and security patches until January 27, 2014, and distributed only as Desktop Live CDs for the 64-bit and 32-bit architectures.

It uses the same boot loader found on other Ubuntu flavors, allowing users to try the operating system without installing it, boot an existing OS from the first disk, run a memory test, check the disc for defects (only if using a DVD media), as well as to install the distribution without testing it (not recommended).

The distribution comes with an older version of the GNOME desktop environment, 3.6, considering the fact that GNOME 3.8 is already deployed on popular distributions like Arch Linux. The good news is that it offers a pure, untouched GNOME interface.

All the standard GNOME applications are included by default, among which we can mention Brasero CD/DVD burning software, Cheese webcam viewer, Empathy IM client, Evolution email and calendar client, Disks disk management utility, Orca screen reader and magnifier, and Rhythmbox music player.

Is comes with the Mozilla Firefox web browser, GParted disk partition editor, Shotwell image viewer and organizer, Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator, Ubuntu Software Center, as well as the entire LibreOffice office suite.

As a GNOME fan, I must admit that Ubuntu GNOME was a marvelous idea, but providing users with an older version of the GNOME desktop environment, 3.6 instead of 3.8, was a total fail. Maybe the next release will include a more recent version of the modern GNOME interface.