Nova (Linux distribution)
nova | |
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Nova Distribución Cubana de GNU / Linux |
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developer | Proyecto Nova of the Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas (UCI) |
License (s) | GPL |
First publ. | May 7, 2014 |
Current version | 6.0 (2018) (March 22, 2018) |
Kernel | Monolithic ( Linux ) |
ancestry |
GNU / Linux ↳ Debian ↳ Ubuntu ↳ Nova Linux |
Architecture (s) | IA-32 , AMD64 |
www.nova.cu |
Nova Linux is an Ubuntu -based Linux distribution that has been developed by the Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas in Havana since 2005 and published since 2009. The system uses Gnome 3.4 as the window manager by default , but KDE , LXDE , Xfce and Openbox can also be added.
Principles
Due to the US economic embargo against Cuba , US products such as Windows cannot be exported legally. Updates and support are not available. According to the dean of the computer science university, Alain Guerreiro, the security of Windows cannot be checked due to lack of access to the source code.
In 2004, it was therefore decided to switch the Cuban IT infrastructure to free software. Development of Nova began the following year. The principles of distribution include the "4S": security, (technological) sovereignty, social adaptability and sustainability (span .: sostenibilidad ). In order to achieve these goals, the developers are primarily oriented towards the needs of Cuban companies and end customers. In the medium term, however, the system should also find supra-regional distribution.
distribution
In 2011, the project manager announced that 8,000 computers at the Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas would be converted to Nova Linux 3.0.
The operating system will also be used in state-owned companies and authorities. The Cuban Ministry of Education, the health service , the Instituto de Aeronáutica Civil de Cuba and the Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas are to serve as pilot projects .
Modifications
In 2012, Yayabo Linux was the first modification of Nova Linux. The distribution was developed in the Cuban province of Sancti Spíritus and takes on further packages from Ubuntu.
technical features
Nova is based on the widespread Linux distribution Ubuntu, but uses a good 80 percent of Debian packages. The package format ( .deb ) was also adopted. A total of over 30,000 packages are available for the system, which can be obtained via the Cuban intranet. The window manager Gnome 3.4 was modified by the developers and features of Gnome 3.6 were included. A specially developed "Windows shell" imitates the user interface of Windows 7 to make it easier for new users to switch. In addition, numerous wallpapers with Cuban motifs were preinstalled.
Nova’s control panel is an in-house development that was largely implemented using Python . The Serere 3 installer, which was also developed in-house, is said to have better hardware detection and more personalized installation options. It is based on the Qt graphics library . Another special feature of the distribution is the emulation of Active Directory via Samba and Winbind. Support for LDAP and Kerberos will follow in future versions .
With a view to compatibility and social use, Nova-Linux has been optimized especially for the hardware used in Cuba. In the "Ligero" version, the operating system can be used with less than 128 megabytes of RAM. The live CD requires around 260 megabytes. The Mozilla Firefox browser has been modified so that it is updated via the UCI website instead of the Mozilla server. The former can also be reached via the Cuban intranet.
Nova 4.0 is delivered in three different versions:
- Servidor : For system administrators and companies. In this version, emphasis was placed on optimization for network applications. In addition to the features of the "Escritorio" version, this variant comes with numerous network packages. A DHCP server is also included, as is anti-virus software, a firewall and FTP, DNS and web server applications. The configuration tool was taken over from the Ubuntu distribution Zentyal .
- Escritorio : version optimized for end users. Contains Gnome 3.4 with Compiz effects and a "Windows Shell" that makes the system look like Windows 7. LibreOffice 3.5 is used as the office package and the Gnome standard Nautilus with its own icon set as the file manager.
- Ligero : Version specially optimized for older computers with reduced system requirements. The in-house development "Guano" is used as the desktop environment, which is supposed to work more efficiently and is based on OpenBox. At the same time, the Xfce-4 panel was taken over. PCManFM , known from LXDE , acts as a file manager. Some other applications from "Escritorio" have also been replaced by resource-saving variants.
All versions are delivered with their own installer Serere 3 and can also be booted as a live CD .
Versions
The development of Nova-Linux was started in 2005 by students of the Computer Science School of Havana (UCI), four years later the first public version with code name Baire appeared . At that time the system was still based on Gentoo Linux, and in parts on the Gentoo distributions Ututo and Sabayon . The current release cycle provides for a new version every two years.
version | Code name | Base | publication | annotation |
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1.1.2 | Baire | Gentoo | February 20, 2009 |
first public version, based on Gentoo. Gnome 2.22 is used as the window manager and the Entropy server known from Sabayon is used as the package manager. |
2.0 | December 2, 2009 | Improved security functions, introduction of UTF-8 and internationalization. New applications: Mozilla Firefox , Mozilla Thunderbird , OpenOffice , Rhythmbox , Totem , Brasero , etc. a. | ||
2.1 | Ubuntu | June 4th 2010 | Switch from Gentoo to Ubuntu, introduction of Compiz effects. New instant messenger Empathy and Transmission as BitTorrent client. | |
3.0 (2011) | Ubuntu 10.04 LTS | September 24, 2011 |
Based on Ubuntu 10.4 LTS and Gnome 2.30. Introduction of three different versions: Servidor for professional users and system administrators, Escritorio for end users and Ligero , which has been optimized for older PCs. Support for proxy servers . | |
4.0 (2013) | Ubuntu 12.04 LTS | 22th of March 2013 | Numerous new package sources (over 20,000 instead of 1,400 in the previous version). Upgrade to Gnome 3.4 as window manager with new compiz effects, Kernel 3.2.0 and Launchpad . Nautilus is used as the file manager . LibreOffice replaces OpenOffice as an office application. Other new software: GIMP , Wine , etc. a. | |
5.0 (2015) | Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS | March 22, 2015 | New window manager "Nova Shell" is to replace Gnome, Moonlight DE as the new window manager of the Ligero edition. | |
6.0 (2018) | Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS | March 22, 2018 | New package management and new menu navigation, etc. a. | |
Legend:
Old version
Current version
Future version
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System requirements
The developers of Nova 4.0 named an x86 ( i686 ) or x86 64-bit processor model with at least one gigahertz clock frequency as minimum hardware requirements . 8 gigabytes of hard disk space (including swap) and 512 megabytes of RAM are mentioned. Nova 4.0 requires 3 gigabytes more hard disk space than its predecessor.
Recommended minimum system requirements for Nova 4.0 (2013) | |||
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hardware | Escritorio edition | Ligero edition | |
processor | 1 GHz | Pentium II (233 MHz) | |
R.A.M. | 512 MB | 128 MB | |
Data storage | 8 GB |
Web links
- nova
- Nova community portal
- Download the current version
- Nova in the official Cuban online encyclopedia EcuRed (Spanish)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Lars Sobiraj: adiós Windows! Cuba goes Linux. In: gulli.com. January 13, 2010, accessed on August 25, 2012 (German).
- ↑ Julius Stiebert: Kuba presents its own Linux variant. In: golem.de. February 12, 2009, accessed on August 25, 2012 (German).
- ↑ Software libre! Cuba develops own free Linux called 'Nova'. In: computerworld.com. February 12, 2009, accessed August 25, 2012 .
- ↑ Ariannis Lafita Mosqueda: NOVAMEDIA: Nova para el diseño gráfico. In: Revista Tino. January 31, 2014, accessed October 15, 2014 (Spanish).
- ^ "Nova 3.0", el linux cubano. (No longer available online.) In: laflecha.net. February 14, 2011, formerly in the original ; Retrieved August 25, 2012 (Spanish). ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Roland Quandt: Kuba Windows-free: State-owned companies introduce Linux. In: winfuture.de. January 12, 2010, accessed on August 25, 2012 (German).
- ↑ Por dónde va. In: trabajadores.cu. October 15, 2011, accessed August 25, 2012 (Spanish).
- ↑ Yayabo Linux, la distribución spirituana. In: humanos.uci.cu. February 10, 2012, accessed October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
- ^ Sistema operativo hecho en Cuba y para Cuba. In: Granma.cu. February 12, 2011, accessed October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
- ↑ ¿Quién mantiene qué en Ubuntu? In: humanos.uci.cu. June 24, 2014, Retrieved October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
- ↑ ¿Qué debemos hacer para mejorar a Nova 4.0? ¿Podemos hacer una tormenta de ideas? In: humanos.uci.cu. March 21, 2012, Retrieved October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
- ↑ Primeros alfas de Nova 2013. In: humanos.uci.cu. October 30, 2012, accessed October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
- ↑ Nova está poniendo a punto una nueva plataforma de desarrollo. In: humanos.uci.cu. October 2, 2013, accessed October 15, 2014 (Spanish).
- ↑ Nova 3.0 is based on Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx. In: humanos.uci.cu. November 4, 2010, accessed October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
- ^ Nova ya está disponible desde el espejo público de CEDIA. In: humanos.uci.cu. September 4, 2014, Retrieved October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
- ^ El nuevo shell de Nova Escritorio ya se encuentra en desarrollo. (No longer available online.) In: humanos.uci.cu. June 30, 2014, archived from the original on July 17, 2014 ; Retrieved October 16, 2014 (Spanish). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.