If you haven’t yet tried the developing Budgie desktop, the latest release of Ubuntu Budgie is an excellent opportunity to get a taste of a sophisticated and user-friendly computing platform.
Budgie is one of the first home-grown Linux distributions to release its most recent version, which is based on Ubuntu 18.04. Ubuntu Budgie 18.04 was announced last week by the independent developer, coinciding with the release of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS by Canonical.
In Ubuntu Linux, Canonical also provides a Budgie desktop option. The two Ubuntu-branded distributions, however, are not the same thing.
Ubuntu Budgie is maintained by a developer community based in the United Kingdom. The Ubuntu Budgie distro, formerly known as Budgie Remix, is a desktop Linux distribution that features the simple Budgie desktop. Canonical did not create Ubuntu Budgie.
Budgie was created from the ground up by the Solus community, who tightly integrated the desktop user interface with the GNOME stack. Solus also provides the GNOME and MATE desktop environments. Ubuntu Budgie is only available in one flavor.
Ubuntu Budgie 18.04 is the community’s first Long Term Support release, lasting three years rather than the usual nine months. This new version includes numerous new features, fixes, and optimizations.
More customization options via Budgie Welcome, more available Budgie applets, dynamic workspaces, hot-corners, and Window shuffler, as well as a new GTK+ theme called “Pocillo,” are among the enhancements. New applets are also available as standard in the panel or via Budgie Settings.
Welcome Screen for Ubuntu Budgie Ubuntu Budgie’s expanded Welcome Screen makes it extremely simple for new users to find what they need to quickly get up to speed.
Demonstrating Progress
I’ve used the Budgie desktop with various Linux distributions on and off for a change of pace on a few of my secondary work machines over the last few years. Budgie’s offerings seemed a little limited at first.
Budgie, on the other hand, became more useful and adaptable with each major upgrade. It has now advanced to the point where it does not sacrifice performance for simplicity of design.
Settings for the Ubuntu Budgie desktop
Budgie desktop settings are simple to use and offer a wide range of options.
I’m especially pleased with the latest Ubuntu Budgie release. The Budgie desktop implementation in this distro has grown significantly in terms of features and usability.
The developers are committed to perfecting the user experience using only this desktop environment. That meticulous attention to detail has paid off.
A Quick Look at the Distro
Ubuntu Budgie is available in three stable releases. In addition to the most recent 18.04 LTS edition, you can install versions 17.10.1 and 16.04.4.
Long Term Support is available for the most recent edition (18.04) until April 2021. The previous version, 17.10.1, is a standard stable release that will continue to follow the Ubuntu support cadence for three months. The oldest available edition, 16.04.4, will only be supported by the community until the end of July.
Ubuntu Budgie comes in both 64-bit and 32-bit flavors. Given the short support period on the other two options, choose the most recent edition to get the best experience with the Budgie desktop.
The 64-bit latest edition works well with computers that have 4 GB or more of RAM and are powered by Intel or AMD processors. It is also compatible with modern Intel-based Apple Macs. If your hardware supports UEFI, make sure to boot in CSM mode. In other words, disable Secure Boot in the BIOS.
Minimum system requirements invite a wide range of legacy computers, including the following:
Pentium Dual Core 1.6 Ghz 2 GB RAM 16 GB hard drive
Your hardware should comply with the following recommendations for improved performance:
Pentium i3 processor with 4 GB of RAM and 80 GB of disk storage
What’s on the Inside?
Ubuntu Budgie comes with a complete set of applications for your daily basic computing tasks. The software center makes it simple to add and remove applications.
If you are a software purist, you can save yourself some time by selecting the minimal installation option. It will provide you with a minimal installation that includes only the Chromium Web browser and a few key utilities to get you started.
Third-party software for graphics and WiFi hardware components, as well as MP3 and other media, can be installed. You can also choose to download updates while the operating system is being installed.
By skipping the minimal installation, you’ll get the most recent version of the LibreOffice suite. The installation process also includes some useful Ubuntu-based applications, thanks to some close collaboration with Canonical:
Spice-vdagent to improve performance in VMs such as GNOME Boxes and QEMU GNOME 3.28 applications; Nautilus 3.26 to ensure desktop icon support is maintained throughout the LTS period; and Linux Kernel 4.15 to provide numerous fixes across the Ubuntu stack.
Advertisement
Budgie’s Collaboration
Budgie is intended for modern users’ computing experiences. Its display features a simple and elegant design. It has a simple and clean design and is simple to use.
Budgie is not a fork of any other desktop project. Its creators intended for it to be easily integrated into other distributions, and it is an open source project in its own right.
Many of the restrictions that existed in previous versions of the Budgie desktop have been removed. Of course, those constraints were imposed in order to simplify the user experience.
Budgie has a clean design with minimal software bloat. To keep things simple and elegant, you can’t completely change Budgie’s appearance and feel.
For example, the desktop view remains uncluttered in part because application icons cannot be placed anywhere. Another annoyance is the inability to fully resize application windows.
A collection of interesting system tools or other running applications on the desktop is one of my standard screenshot settings for distro reviews. I’m still unable to do so for the Budgie desktop. It’s nearly impossible to fit two reduced windows in, especially when I combine the view with open menu panels.
I still miss being able to use favorite keyboard shortcuts, but I am much happier with the new features for navigating between virtual workspaces.
So there is a balance of good and bad. It is worth noting that I have not described the remaining constraints as negative. Budgie only necessitates a minor adjustment to my workflow.
The Lay of the Land
The screen layout is similar to GNOME 3. A “Plank,” or quick launch dock, hangs on the left vertical edge of the screen. You can easily pin or unpin application launchers.
The top of the screen is dominated by a panel bar. It has a few handy icons to drop down useful things like QuickNote and Night Light, as well as some standard system icons found in most Linux distributions. Applets can be easily added to the panel.
Settings for the Ubuntu Budgie desktop
The screen design of Ubuntu Budgie includes a simple applications menu and a functional top panel bar.
The main menu of Ubuntu Budgie appears from the top left corner. The menu is as straightforward and uncomplicated as the rest of the user interface.
Right-clicking on the desktop brings up a limited menu with options for creating a new folder, changing the background, opening a terminal window, and organizing icons.
There are no cascading views in the application menu. It has a two-column layout.
The application categories are listed in the left column. The individual apps in that category are listed in the right column. A search box at the top of the two columns makes it simple to find any installed program.
Design by Ravin’
Raven — an applet, notification, and customization center — is at the heart of the Budgie desktop. It is the key to controlling the user experience through simple customizations when combined with the system settings panel.
Use the super key + N key combination to access Raven. You can also use the Raven icon in the top panel bar. It, like the GNOME 3 virtual desktop display, slides out from the right screen edge.
To access the controls for the calendar, speaker, and microphone, navigate to the Applets tab within the Raven applet. To view unread system notifications, go to the Notifications tab.
To open the Budgie settings panel, click the Setting gear wheel. There are two tabs there: General and Panel.
Ubuntu Budgie strictly enforces the rule of simplicity. The settings panel and the desktop right-click menu are also well-organized.
In conclusion
The Budgie desktop lacks the glitz and glam of more experienced desktop environments. There is no animation.
However, this latest release fulfills Ubuntu Budgie’s promise of providing simplicity and elegance in addition to functionality. It continues down the development path to improve on the simplicity, making Budgie a viable desktop option.
Do You Want to Write a Review?
Is there a Linux software application or distribution that you’d like to recommend for review? Something you enjoy or want to learn more about?
Please send me an email with your suggestions, and I’ll consider them for a future Linux Picks and Pans column.
Also, please share your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below!
Be the first to comment