Ubuntu Studio released

Filed under: Audio, Design, Utilities, Video, Linux

Ubuntu Studio released

by Brad Linder May 11th 2007

An Ubuntu-based Linux distribution designed for creative types has been released. Ubuntu Studio was originally due out last month, but some last minute glitches caused the developers to delay the release date by a few weeks.

Ubuntu Studio is designed to prove that Linux is just as good as OS X or Windows for creating and manipulating media files. Of course, if you're not an ubergeek, installing audio, video, and image editing applications can be a bit of a hassle.

That's where Ubuntu Studio comes in. The distribution comes with some of the most popular and powerful free multimedia software available, including:

Ardour2 and Audacity for audio editing
Pitivi for video editing (Cinelerra will be available after license issues are worked out)
Gimp and Blender for image editing
And a boatload of other packages designed for creating digital media

Sure, you could configure your own Ubuntu or other Linux system to run all the same software. But Ubuntu Studio takes most of the pain out of the process.

One thing to note, the ISO is a bit larger than your typical LiveCD, at 860MB. So you'll have to burn it to a DVD. Oh yeah, and it's not a LiveCD... err LiveDVD. You'll have to install Ubuntu Studio if you want to take it for a test drive. Fortunately the installation process is fairly straightforward, and if you have an empty partition on your hard drive Ubuntu Studio can happily coexist with Windows or other operating systems.

Tags: ardour, audacity, blender, cinelerra, editing, gimp, multimedia, pitivi, ubuntu, ubuntu studio, UbuntuStudio

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Brian Donohue said 10:27AM on 5-11-2007

A DVD for Linux stuff? Huh? Man, I'm telling you, as soon as Dell gets involved with something, the bloat begins...

Ant Bryan said 12:17PM on 5-11-2007

There's a .metalink (used by download managers like GetRight, FDM, Orbit) for this release at http://www.metalinker.org/samples.html

brian said 12:17PM on 5-11-2007

Ubuntu is every so becoming like Windows/OS X.

Michael Vauwenberghs said 12:52PM on 5-11-2007

Kubuntu --I removed XP from my laptop 3 weeks ago and have never looked back, it took about 35 minutes to install load and set up Kubuntu compaired to about 2 hours with XP, you go figure, and to this date I have had no problems with Kubuntu but had so many problems with XP I do not think you have enough space to put it here, Oh I forgot I do have one slight problem with Kubuntu it loads and works so fast I do not know what to do with the extra time I now have, any suggestions. LOL

Eddie Van said 1:17PM on 5-11-2007

Hmmm.... lets see I was a die hard Windows fan from the 80's every PC I had was Windows based, I bought every new issue of the system but stopped at XP when I realized that XP was what Windows 98 was supposed to be, then it came to me that Microsoft was using us it's customers as Beta testers, without even a thank you very much.
Then I started messing with Linux and found it well not so easy at first to manage because of the problems with loading other software and the command line thing, which brought me back to the days of DOS, but then came Ubuntu, talk about a sweet OS this is the bomb, so now it is Bye Bye XP and hello Ubuntu, any improvements to this sweet set of programs and utillities could be bliss, Ubuntu already was easy it took away the problems of loading other programs with Synaptic Package Manager, but if you where a techie you could still use the command line if you wanted to. So I would say to any one who is tired of the Windows screw over to switch, it could not be easier with Ubuntu, And you will be glad you did, After all using a PC should be easy not a pain in the back side.

Derek said 2:25PM on 5-11-2007

@1: actually a lot of linux distributions are available on DVD. (openSUSE, Fedora, etc.)

rasbill said 4:04PM on 5-11-2007

i love how u admit u have to be an ubergeek to just install software on linux

Brad Linder said 4:06PM on 5-11-2007

Rasbill: well, that depends. Ubuntu and Kubuntu actually have really wonderful package managers that make installing programs on Windows seem difficult. All you do is type the name of the program you want into a search bar, and you have the option to install it automatically, without finding the correct installer on some web page or FTP site. Or you can browse through listings by categories.

But if you want to install something that's not listed in Ubuntu's repositories, it can get more complicated. For example, I couldn't for the life of me get Ardour (audio editor) to install under Kubuntu, but it worked like a charm with Ubuntu Studio. Now I just have to figure out how to configure my sound card so I can actually record audio. :)

Matt Katz said 2:04PM on 5-22-2007

I'm pretty sure that wubi was already covered here.
Wubi has an option to install ubuntu studio or any other version they've got going. It's a good way to try out Ubuntu.
Wubi: http://www.cutlersoftware.com/ubuntusetup/wubi/en-US/index.html

Featured Time Waster

Civiballs is a beautiful, soothing physics puzzle Time Waster

I have an absolute weakness for physics games, and while Civiballs isn't the strongest physics-based game, what it lacks in the physics department it makes up for a few times over in style and fun.

In Civiballs, you are presented with a few colored balls, and your goal is to get those balls into the same-colored urn on the level. The "civi" part of Civiballs is that there are 3 sets of levels to play, each representing a different civilization. While the civilization doesn't affect gameplay, the artwork for each level is beautifully themed to it's appropriate era.

To play the game, you are given only one tool - a sword with which to cut the chains that are holding the balls. The puzzle part of the game is in figuring out what order, and with what timing to cut each chain. Do it right, and all the right balls end up in the right urns, with no stray balls entering an urn (a no-no). Do it wrong, and you get to start over again.

Civiballs is not terribly deep on gameplay; the entire game can be completed in about 15 minutes. But if you enjoy this type of game, it will be a very enjoyable 15 minutes.

View more Time Wasters