Ubuntu Gnome Remix 12.10 | Review

Yesterday marked the release of Ubuntu 12.10, the latest version of the most popular Linux distribution. What’s interesting now is that GNOME and Ubuntu are back together after 18 months.

The new Ubuntu GNOME remix version was released a few hours after the Unity version and we’ve got a full review of the distribution.

First Look

Ubuntu GNOME Remix comes with the best GNOME yet, version 3.6. There were a significant amount of changes since version 3.4. The notification system has been revamped, there’s a whole new login screen lockscreen that depends on GDM also including many design changes.

It’s almost a pure GNOME distribution. Mind the “almost” here. It does have some “Ubuntu” stuff like Ubuntu Online Accounts and an older version of the Nautilus file manager. But nevermind because some apt-get can fix that here.

Applications

By default the available applications are:

• Nautilus File Manager 3.4.2 (Older version)
• Web (Epiphany) Browser
• Transmission Torrent Client
• GNOME Games Pack
• Standard GNOME apps (Terminal, Disks and others)
• AbiWord Word Processor and Gneumeric Spreadsheet tool (No LibreOffice by default)
• No Ubuntu Software Center by default (There’s “Software” instead of that)
• Shotwell Photo Manager
• Gwibber Social Client
• Rhythmbox Music player

Software

As mentioned there’s no Ubuntu Software Center by default. There’s a GNOME application called “Software” for the same purpose. You’d be familiar with this if you’ve used a pure GNOME distro like Fedora. However, you may choose to install Ubuntu Software Center or Synaptic using the same.

    
The “Software” Tool

Nautilus 3.6 via GNOME ppa

Ubuntu GNOME Remix ships with Nautilus 3.4.2 by default as the newer version, Nautilus 3.6, though better-looking and simplistic has reduced functionality.

Gnome Online Accounts and Ubuntu Online Accounts

Both GNOME Online Accounts and Ubuntu Online Accounts are included. Read more about this in our earlier article.

Gnome Tweak Tool

The Gnome Tweak Tool has got a numerous changes with new features like Extension Preferences shortcuts from the Shell Extensions menu, forcing dark theme for all applications and more. Read here for a full review.

How to get the “pure” GNOME experience

Now this will help you get a pure GNOME experience by updating Nautilus, Gnome Settings and iBus. Just use the following commands.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3 (For Nautilus, Brasero and more)

Experimental PPAs – Not Stable, not well tested

 sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jbicha/ibus (iBus 1.6) 

 sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ricotz/testing (Upstream Gnome Shell) 

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

*Check on these two PPA’s before you adding them for more info.

Speed & Stability

Ubuntu 12.10 has greatly improved speed and stability. The PPA system provides you with almost everything be it software, kernels, drivers and it isn’t difficult to recover the system if you mess up with it. Gnome and Ubuntu work pretty well together. Everything seems much smoother and faster than 12.04 + GNOME 3.4

The Beautiful Desktop – GNOME 3.6

Ubuntu 12.10 Gnome Remix comes with the latest and greatest GNOME 3.6

The new features in this release include a new notification system, a completely revamped lockscreen and much much more.

Other things you should be knowing:

• Web (Epiphany) does not support Flash in Ubuntu 12.10. If you need Flash, try Firefox or Chromium.
• Boxes is not included as it wasn’t working earlier in the release cycle. Also, qemu-linaro (qemu-kvm-spice) doesn’t built on i386 in Ubuntu. qemu-kvm with spice support does build in Debian though on i386.
• Documents is not included as it currently depends on LibreOffice, at least as packaged in Debian & Ubuntu.
• LibreOffice is a more powerful office suite.
• Ubuntu One is not included by default as it doesn’t feel like a GNOME app.
• If you want the GNOME Classic with-effects session to work, install compiz.
• If you want Ubuntu-style notifications in GNOME Classic, install notify-osd.
• Evolution doesn’t add Gmail accounts. (Solution: On the final page of the setup wizard, uncheck the boxes to add Contacts & Calendar sync to work around this issue) This will be fixed in an update shortly.
• As you know, there are two Online Accounts entries in System Settings. One is the GNOME tool which you can use for Contacts, Documents, and Evolution. The other is Ubuntu’s tool for Empathy, Gwibber, Shotwell, and if you install it, Unity. Hopefully for 13.04, we’ll be able to use just one tool.
• The category headings in System Settings have ugly “missing icon” icons.
• The system status menu (the “cog” indicator at the far right in GNOME Clasic) doesn’t show up in some cases or display correctly when using the default Adwaita theme or the accessibility themes.
• A separate ubuntu-control-center will not make it into Ubuntu 12.10 but may still happen for 13.04.
• Virtualbox drm driver fails to auto-load.

Download Ubuntu 12.10 GNOME Remix

All in all, Ubuntu 12.10 GNOME Remix is a combination of an amazing and intuitive user interface and a powerful Ubuntu core. So what’re you still waiting for? Go hit the download!

32 bit

Torrent: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuGNOME/ReleaseNotes/12.10?action=AttachFile&do=view&target=ubuntu-gnome-12.10-desktop-i386.iso.torrent

Direct Links:
Mirror 1: http://ftp.acc.umu.se/mirror/gnome.org/misc/ubuntu-gnome-remix/ubuntu-gnome-12.10-desktop-i386.iso
Mirror 2: http://bicha.net/ubuntu-gnome-remix/ubuntu-gnome-12.10-desktop-i386.iso

64 bit

Torrent: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuGNOME/ReleaseNotes/12.10?action=AttachFile&do=view&target=ubuntu-gnome-12.10-desktop-amd64.iso.torrent

Direct Links:
Mirror 1: http://ftp.acc.umu.se/mirror/gnome.org/misc/ubuntu-gnome-remix/ubuntu-gnome-12.10-desktop-amd64.iso
Mirror 2: http://bicha.net/ubuntu-gnome-remix/ubuntu-gnome-12.10-desktop-amd64.iso

Ubuntu Gnome Home Page

*You can also check on our UGR Beta Preview for some additional info.

Thanks to all contributors!