Ubuntu 8.04 for mobile terminals

The company Canonical has released a special version of its Linux distribution for mobile Internet devices (MID - Mobile Internet Devices), called Ubuntu MID Edition 8.04.

This version is optimized for the Intel Atom hardware platform, and also contains a whole set of open applications created as part of the Intel Moblin project and designed specifically for compact Internet terminals.

The Ubuntu 8.04 MID Edition system interface is designed to control your fingers without using a stylus. Interestingly, the developers do not say a word about the support for multi-touch input (multi-touch). In addition, the Ubuntu 8.04 MID Edition provides OEMs with the ability to completely change the appearance and behavior of the system using HTML, Flash, Clutter, Python / GTK, C / C ++ / GTK, and Java. Canonical encourages these manufacturers to collaborate on its Custom Engineering program.

In addition to full support for modern Internet technologies, which form the foundation for the operation and use of Web applications of the Web 2.0 level, the Ubuntu 8.04 MID Edition system contains built-in support for webcams and GPS navigation equipment. The main browser in this distribution is based on Gecko technology and is specially optimized for small screens.

Among the applications included with Ubuntu 8.04 MID Edition are the Pidgin package for quick messaging, the GNOME Cheese package for working with a webcam, the Claws Mail package as the default email program, and the Moblin Media package for playing music and video. Users are also invited to several games, including Neverball and Frozen Bubble. For reading books on computers such as MID or UMPC (Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer), the Ubuntu MID system contains the FBReader program. For dessert, users are offered such useful little things as an alarm clock, calculator and address book.

Ubuntu 8.04 MID Edition is based on the Linux kernel version 2.6.24 and the graphical user interface of X Server version 1.4.1 pre-release. You can download the distribution on the developers website.

Source: Ferra