Nova (Linux distribution)

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nova
Logo from Nova
Screenshot of Nova Linux 4.0
Nova Distribución Cubana de GNU / Linux
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

Label of the DVD versions of Nova 4

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
Older version; no longer supported: 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.
Older version; no longer supported: 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.
Older version; no longer supported: 2.1 Ubuntu June 4th 2010 Switch from Gentoo to Ubuntu, introduction of Compiz effects. New instant messenger Empathy and Transmission as BitTorrent client.
Older version; no longer supported: 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 .
Older version; no longer supported: 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.
Current version: 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.
Current version: 6.0 (2018) Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS March 22, 2018 New package management and new menu navigation, etc. a.
Legend:
Old version
Older version; still supported
Current version
Current preliminary version
Future version

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)
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

Commons : Nova (Linux distribution)  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lars Sobiraj: adiós Windows! Cuba goes Linux. In: gulli.com. January 13, 2010, accessed on August 25, 2012 (German).
  2. ↑ Julius Stiebert: Kuba presents its own Linux variant. In: golem.de. February 12, 2009, accessed on August 25, 2012 (German).
  3. ↑ Software libre! Cuba develops own free Linux called 'Nova'. In: computerworld.com. February 12, 2009, accessed August 25, 2012 .
  4. ↑ Ariannis Lafita Mosqueda: NOVAMEDIA: Nova para el diseño gráfico. In: Revista Tino. January 31, 2014, accessed October 15, 2014 (Spanish).
  5. ^ "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.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.laflecha.net  
  6. ^ Roland Quandt: Kuba Windows-free: State-owned companies introduce Linux. In: winfuture.de. January 12, 2010, accessed on August 25, 2012 (German).
  7. ↑ Por dónde va. In: trabajadores.cu. October 15, 2011, accessed August 25, 2012 (Spanish).
  8. ↑ Yayabo Linux, la distribución spirituana. In: humanos.uci.cu. February 10, 2012, accessed October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
  9. ^ Sistema operativo hecho en Cuba y para Cuba. In: Granma.cu. February 12, 2011, accessed October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
  10. ↑ ¿Quién mantiene qué en Ubuntu? In: humanos.uci.cu. June 24, 2014, Retrieved October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
  11. ↑ ¿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).
  12. ↑ Primeros alfas de Nova 2013. In: humanos.uci.cu. October 30, 2012, accessed October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
  13. ↑ Nova está poniendo a punto una nueva plataforma de desarrollo. In: humanos.uci.cu. October 2, 2013, accessed October 15, 2014 (Spanish).
  14. ↑ Nova 3.0 is based on Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx. In: humanos.uci.cu. November 4, 2010, accessed October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
  15. ^ Nova ya está disponible desde el espejo público de CEDIA. In: humanos.uci.cu. September 4, 2014, Retrieved October 16, 2014 (Spanish).
  16. ^ 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. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / humanos.uci.cu