RhinoLINUX Main Edition

RhinoLINUX Main Edition is an open source distribution of Linux based on the Ubuntu and Linux Mint operating systems, and built around the lightweight MATE desktop environment. It aims to provide users with an easy-to-use and flexible desktop computing environment that’s low on system resources.

Distributed as a dual-arch Live DVD

It is distributed as a single Live DVD ISO-hybrid image that can be written to a blank DVD disc with any CD/DVD burning program, or deployed to a USB flash drive using the UNetbootin application. Both 64-bit and 32-bit architectures are supported at this time.

Users will be able to use the Live DVD for booting an existing operating system installed on the first disk drive, test the system memory (RAM) of a computer, boot the live environment in safe graphics mode if the default option does not recognizes the video card, and install the distribution without testing it (not recommended).

Features a classic graphical session powered by MATE

As mentioned, the live session is powered by the MATE desktop environment, comprised of a dock (application launcher) located on the bottom edge of the screen, and a top panel, from where you can access the main menu and interact with running apps and the system tray area.

Besides the MATE desktop environment, which is a clone of the GNOME 2 (GNOME Classic) user interface, the distribution also comes with the very lightweight LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment) window manager.

Default applications

Default applications include the Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox web browsers, Pidgin multi-protocol instant messenger, Skype, TeamViewer, Transmission torrent downloader, FileZilla FTP client, ForstWire P2P client, Evolution email client, LibreOffice office suite, GIMP image editor, gThumb image viewer, Banshee music player, and VLC Media Player.

In addition, it comes with a DVD-Video creator and ripper, audio transcoder, ISO creator, video editor, CD/DVD burning tool, video encoder, HTML editor, various in-house built applications, and Wine for running Windows apps.

Bottom line

Summing up, this edition of RhinoLINUX is ideal for people who are looking for a beautiful, flexible, modern, stable and low on system resources Linux operating system for their old and dusty laptops or PCs.

What is new in this release:

• As the codename implies RhinoLINUX 8.0 Series is built upon the Ubuntu 14.04 'trusty' source code, with some customized Linux Mint tools as well. This is a Long Term Support release.
• Kernel : Linux 3.13
• Upstream contributing codebases: Ubuntu 14.04, Linux Mint 17
• Main Edition features a customized traditional Linux desktop similar to the old Gnome 2.x GUI, using the MATE 3.8 fork of the same. Cairo-Dock is available on MATE for those who like a MacOSX-style dock/launcher at the bottom of their screen.
• Secondary window managers/desktop shells include LXDE, Openbox, Enlightenment and Window-Maker.
• Updates to our standard application suite products have been done, and most products are now at their latest stable version.
• Office apps include the latest LibreOffice suite with more templates and better compatibility with MS Office filetypes.
• Internet support includes Firefox web browser, HTTrack for offline site mirroring, Filezilla FTP Client, Sylpheed emailer, Skype and more
• Multimedia apps include Handbrake for media conversion, Acidrip for one-or-two click DVD ripping, DeVeDe and DVDstyler to reverse that process and author your own DVD which will play on any home DVD player. VLC Media Player for smooth,cross-codec viewing and streaming/conversion. GTKpodder for you iPod fans. ISO mounting utilities and more.
• Graphics includes the Photoshop-class GIMP, Gthumb image viewer and other useful image editors/viewers.
• Games include a Galaxian clone called WING, and a fun First-Person-shooter called Assault Cube. Many Windows games and multimedia apps such as WInamp as well as MS Office/Media Player and even Internet Explorer can be istalled using PlayonLinux toolkit also under Games.
• System Tools include Disk Space Analyzer, Midnight Commander console file manager, Testdisk data recovery tool. For those who want to further tune RhinoLINUX we have left our remastering tools (UCK and Remastersys) installed as an aid to further customize and/or backup your RhinoLINUX system. You can use these to customize bootsplash
• screens and save your running system to a bootable live DVD image/USB disk.Bleachbit included to wipe out usage tracks and privacy data.
• RhinoLINUX Main Edition features our VirtualX suite of cross-platform and compatibility/Legacy OS support which includes QEMU,Bochs,VirtualBox and WINE.ifficult Windows applications and games can be installed using PlayOnLinux in the Games menu.
• Included in our suite is a collection of Live USB/Multiboot utilities has been expanded to include Multiboot USB, UNetBootin, and last but not least our own RhinoLINUX LIve Media Creator (which supports Ubuntu.RhinoLINUX.LinuxMint and now also Debian OSs)
• Our own customized tools are in RhinoLINUX program group includes our Backup Tool, Live Media Creator, Software Manager, Update & Upload Manager, as well as RUBI (RhinoUBIquity) to install the Live system to hard drive.

What is new in version 7.0:

• DESKTOP ENVIRONMENTS:
• RhinoLINUX 7 Main Edition has as its primary GUI (Desktop shell/interface) the traditional MATE Desktop which builds on more than a decade of Gnome 2 usage. In our opinion this is still an excellent desktop environment for a Linux OS. As backup Desktop environment we have the excellent LXDE, which is not only lite but low on system resources, and good enough that is the primary GUI for Lubuntu, Knoppix and other top Linux distros.
• APPLICATION SUITES:
• The Main Edition as before features a full and complete set of applications for each category such as Office,Internet etc. These application suites allow the opening/viewing of ALL popular and common office/internet/archive and multimedia file-types.We have included transcoders and ISO image editors as well. Many file-types are also able to be edited and / or transcoded (converted) to other filetypes.
• Internet plugins and addons such as Java/Flash etc are automatically included as well as codecs and multimedia addons to enable viewing of all popular music and movie files.
• Images/Photo tools are bundled which interface with social networks directly enabling easy upload of your photos from phone to Facebook, for example.
• Skype and Pidgin as well as IRC chat and communication applets are included, as well as Bluetooth utilities.
• Underneath the hood, in console mode there are amongst others the excellent TestDisk disk and data recovery tool, and Midnight Commander - an excellent CLI file manager.
• ** Win32 applications are supported for the most part (95%) by the WINE subsystem. Right click on the .EXE file and select Wine Loader to run/setup the Windows application. Tricky and popular Games( and other Win32 apps) can be installed by running PlayOnLinux under the Games menu.
• VirtualX is our suite of emulation and virtualization software. VirtualBox and QEMU Launcher are there to create and run Virtual Machines which can run any Windows or other OS as a normal PC will do. Multiboot USB utilities exist which allow one to create custom bootable USB flash disks. The tools will allow a boot menu of Linux Live ISO images to be set up as well as DOS and WinPE disks can be added. and the Win7/8 Install DVD.
• Last but not least users will find a RhinoLINUX program group when selecting the Applications menu. There are system utilities specially designed and customized for RhinoLINUX inside this group, for the most part these simpify a standard user or admin task such as backing up files or installing an application etc.

What is new in version 6.0:

• MATE Desktop Environment 1.60
• LibreOffice 4.0
• Evolution GroupWare suite
• Internet & Networking
• Firefox & Chromium Web Browsers
• Sylpheed Mail Client
• Frostwire
• Skype
• VLC Media Player
• AcidRip DVD to DivX
• DeVeDe - video authoring tool
• Transmaggedon Multimedia Converter
• PDF Viewer
• VirtualBox
• Ubuntu 13.04 'Raring Ringtail'
• Linux Mint 15 'Olivia'
• Lightweight X Desktop Environment (backup shell)