CrunchBang - Code, Design & GNU/Linux

Fluxbuntu 7.10 RC, A Quick Look

Last night I took a quick look at the Fluxbuntu 7.10 release candidate. As the name suggests, Fluxbuntu is an Ubuntu derivative offering the lightweight Fluxbox window manager.

From what I could gather from the Fluxbuntu website, the distribution is still in early development and there are a few issues you should be aware of before installing. The website and wiki are also a clear indicators of the status of the project; there is very little documentation available and the information that is available seems somewhat unreliable; for example, the information on the "get Fluxbuntu" page led me to believe that I would be downloading a LiveCD version, however the actual disk image is based on the Ubuntu alternative install disk!?

Website aside, running Fluxbuntu was actually quite an enjoyable experience and made for a refreshing change from my usual GNOME desktop. From the outset it is obvious that a lot of effort has gone into making Fluxbuntu visually attractive; the boot screen, desktop and desktop menus are all well designed and feature a predominately white and green coloured theme — not what I'd expect [happily] from a Fluxbox desktop.

Functionality wise, I didn't really run Fluxbuntu long enough to give a fair assessment. However, the installation proved to be straightforward and I did give some of the default applications a whirl. I used the system long enough to appreciate that it runs really quickly, even under virtualisation, and I would certainly consider using Fluxbuntu on older hardware. Having said that, it's not too difficult to install the Fluxbox window manager from a standard Ubuntu installation, which maybe a better solution for more experienced users.

All-in-all, I would say that Fluxbuntu is still a little rough around the edges, but it's certainly worth a look. Much like gOS, Fluxbuntu has lots of potential and I'll be keeping an eye on its progress.