DreamStudio Unity

DreamStudio Unity is an open source distribution of Linux designed from the ground up to be used by artists to produce stunning videos and razor sharp images, as well as beautiful music tracks. It is based on the world’s most popular free operating system, Ubuntu, and uses the Unity desktop environment.

Distributed as 64-bit/32-bit Live DVDs

This Ubuntu-based operating system can be downloaded via Softoware or directly from its official website (see link above) as Live DVD ISO images of approximately 3GB in size, suitable for both 64-bit (amd64) and 32-bit (i386) hardware platforms.

Boot options

While the Live DVD have been instructed to automatically start the live system with default boot options, it will allow you to boot an existing operating system from the first disk drive detected by the BIOS, run a memory test, check the integrity of the disc (only if using a DVD media), change the language for the live environment (default in English) and the keyboard layout, or add extra kernel parameters.

Modern and productive graphical interface powered by Unity

As mentioned, Unity is in charge of the graphical session of the DreamStudio Unity operating system. It uses the same setup as on the official Ubuntu release, but prompts users with a very instructive welcome dialog from the get-go.

Includes a plethora of multimedia production related apps

As expected, the distribution include a plethora of multimedia production related applications, among which we can mention Ardour digital audio workstation, Audacity audio editor, Blender 3D modeller, Bonobo DVD-Video authoring software, Darktable photo workflow program, GIMP image editor, Inkscape vector graphics editor, LiVES video editor and Mixxx DJ mixing software.

Bottom line

In conclusion, DreamStudio Unity is proves to be a really great operating system for setting up a multimedia production workstation in a shortest time as possible. It uses the productive and ultra-modern Unity desktop environment on top of a rock-solid Ubuntu base.

What is new in this release:

• Lightworks for Linux Beta - The long awaited Lightworks for Linux Beta is included in a special 64-bit Installation ISO (it's currently only available as a binary, with no x86 support), so you can try it out from a LiveUSB or DVD without having to install. You will, however, need a Lightworks Linux Beta registration to use it. Lightworks has been the editing platform of choice for a vast amount of Hollywood productions including Pulp Fiction and Braveheart.
• CinePaint 1.0 - CinePaint is back! This makes DreamStudio the only distribution that includes it by default. This is the same world class software used in Hollywood blockbusters like The Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter.
• Ardour 3.2 - This is the Ardour we've all been waiting for! It includes not only MIDI recording, editing, and plugins - but also a new video track - making this the perfect open source solution for every type of music and film scoring.
• Cinelerra 4.4 - The original professional grade editing and compositing software for Linux is included in it's best version yet. It' more stable than ever, and includes a brand new "Light" UI theme.
• SlowMoVideo 0.3 - The latest version of this excellent software no longer requires Nvidia hardware, and makes incredibly fluid videos. It even supports drawing speed curves.
• SynfigStudio 0.64 - SynfigStudio is also back! Synfig is great for kinetic typography, video titling and credits, and even cartoon animation.
• Ivy Bridge Support - The latest DreamStudio release includes the Linux 3.8 kernel by default. It will work with proprietary hardware drivers like those from Nvidia, and allows us to offer a single amd64 installation image with support for any 64 bit Intel processor, no matter how new or old.
• Updates - All your favorite software has been updated to the latest versions. You get Blender 2.67, GIMP 2.8.4, and Inkscape 0.48.4
• New Look - We've included "Joy" by 9dZign as the default wallpaper with this release, giving DreamStudio a cleaner, more modern look.

What is new in version 12.04.2:

• AUDIO INDICATOR - the second version of DreamStudio's exclusive audio indicator features quick access to ALSA controls, JACK utilities, and software synths. Also, when starting JACK, settings are read from .jackdrc - this means that when you change settings in QJackctl (like your preferred sound card or sample rate), your configuration is respected by the audio indicator, so once you get a working setup, just start and stop JACK from the indicator for super easy use.
• NEW NAME - DreamStudio OS is now DreamStudio Unity. Some of you may see right away what we're up to with this name change, otherwise stay tuned!
• HARDWARE SUPPORT - For those of you with Ivy Bridge processors, we now feature a dedicated install image with the 3.5 Linux kernel.
• UPDATES - Many of DreamStudio's major software packages, such as Blender, GIMP, and Inkscape have been updated to the latest stable versions, and hundreds of security updates to the base system are included.

What is new in version 12.04.1:

• Based on Ubuntu 12.04.1

What is new in version 11.04:

• Blender has been upgraded to the new version 2.59, with the oceansim patch applied
• Several new programs have been added, including MakeHuman (http://makehuman.org), Sonic Visualiser(http://www.sonicvisualiser.org/), and Smasher(http://smasher.sourceforge.net/)
• A lowlatency kernel is installed by default, with automatic installation of the lowlatency-pae kernel for systems that have more than 3GB of RAM
• Separate meta-packages have been created for graphic design and photography, as well as for software instruments and audio effects, for easy selection/removal of software you don't need
• Dream Studio software sources automatically re-enable and update to newest distribution release on upgrade, to smooth transitions for less technically advanced users
• All software has begun being moved from a personal repository to PPAs (personal package archives), to allow easier porting to different architectures and faster upgrades to new releases. This move will also enable easy backporting of newer software, so that users of LTS (long term support) releases will no longer need to upgrade to unstable releases to get the newest features of the software they use
• KXStudio Team PPAs have been added by default, allowing users to easily install hundreds of additional multimedia applications
• The unity desktop is now default (for users whose computers support 3d compositing). We realize, however, that many users find functionality missing in this controversial desktop, and as such have added useful packages to our repository for a smooth transition, such as a weather indicator (to replace the functionality lost in the new system clock), and a workspace indicator (for users who miss one-click workspace switching)