GnuLinEx

gnuLinEx was a free Linux distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux and GNOME, with OpenOffice.org as an office suite, among other applications. Today it is discontinued and the download domain was bought by a German company.

It was promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Innovation of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (Spain), being a pioneer and seconded by other public and private organizations from the rest of Spain. For a considerable period of time, the community of Extremadura also offered support to that of Andalusia (which was inspired by GnuLinex to develop Guadalinex) in the implementation of open solutions in schools, administration, etc. Subsequently, similar projects have emerged in other autonomous communities, such as the Valencian Community (Lliurex), Madrid (Max), Galicia (Galinux), Catalonia (Linkat), Castilla-La Mancha (Molinux).

On October 20, 2010, LinEx 2010 was released. On October 13, 2011, Linex 2011 was released. Extremadura, coinciding with the change of government, transfers its maintenance to a state foundation CENATIC (National Reference Center for the Application of Information and Communication Technologies based on Open Sources) which is in charge of assuming the functions of CESJE (Centro of Software Excellence José de Espronceda), to date it was the entity in charge of software maintenance. CENATIC is committed to 100% community development of regional distribution (taking advantage of its relevant experience at a European level in the creation of free communities public-private) to achieve the maintainability and technical sustainability of LinEx in the future; once again placing Extremadura as a pioneer region in support of free software. On February 11, 2013, as a result of this work, the version of LinEx 2013 was released, with a base completely updated to Debian Wheezy.

LinEx 2011 Release Information

Distribution Profile Summary

• Debian Squeeze-based system
• Distributed in debian installer (live) and installable mode.
• Totally translated into Spanish.
• With the following installation options:
  • Network Card Firmware
  • Plugin Flash
  • Codecs Multimedia
  • Format compression RAR
  • Thunderbird.
  • Kernel headers.
  • Architecture 686 without PAE (for old equipment).
  • Architecture 686 with PAE (higher equipment).
  • Architecture amd64.
• Flavors:
  • Multimedia audio (147MB).
  • Multimedia video (81MB).
  • Graphical design (134MB).
  • Games (587MB).
  • Programming (302MB).
  • EXTREMADURATHOME.
  • Writer Gnome 2.30.
  • The repository configuration includes the updates and security repositories of Debian Squeezy.
• Specific software (packaged or created by Linex):
  • apt-linex-keyring: GPG key of the repository.
  • firefox-7-linex: browser packaged by the Linex team.
  • gnome-system-monitor: modified by the Linex team.
  • install-dni-linex: installation system and configuration of electronic DNI.
  • linex-screensaver: screensaver.
  • skel-linex2011: user skel.
  • sl-linex: Easter egg.
  • software-center: software manager.
  • ttf-linex: sources.
  • freeoffice-3.4: Ofimatic package.

LinEx 2011 Minimum Requirements

• 3GB free hard drive. (after installing the entire system, the size is 3.5GB)
• 512MB RAM.

Flavors

It is especially important to note that these flavors are actually special packages that allow you to install a series of software packages that configure the chosen flavor.

The flavors included in Linex 2011 are the following:

Graphic Design Specialty (linex2011-sabor-grafico)

Set of applications, plugins and scripts for LinEx 2011, specialized in Graphic Design:

• Blender
• Dia
• GSFonts X11
• K3D
• MyPaint
• Scribus
• Scribus Templates
• Synfig STUDIO
• Synfig Examples
• Wings 3D
• Yafray

Games Specialty (linex2011-flavor-games)

Set of games for LinEx 2011:

• Abuse
• Armagetronad
• Astromenace
• Blobby
• Bzflag
• Ceferino
• Extreme
• FlightGear
• Foobillard
• FretsOnFire
• Frozen-Bubble
• GBrainy
• Gltron
• PlayOnLinux
• Scid
• Scorched3D
• Slimevolley
• Trigger-Rally
• Tuxfootball

Multimedia Audio Specialty (linex2011-flavor-multimedia-audio)

A set of applications, plugins and scripts for LinEx 2011, specialized in the creation and edition of Audio multimedia files:

• Ardour
• Audacity
• Clementine
• CutMP3
• Ecasound
• Espeak
• GNU Sound
• Grip
• Hydrogen
• Icecast2
• Jack
• K3B
• Libaften0
• Libavcodec52
• Libavformat52
• Libmp3lame0
• LilyPond
• LMMS
• Rosegarden
• Sndfile-Tools

Multimedia Video Specialty (linex2011-sabor-multimedia-video)

A set of applications, plugins and scripts for LinUx 2011, specialized in creating and editing multimedia files Video:

• Avidemux
• Blender
• Cinelerra Community Version
• DVDStyler
• FFMPEG
• Gnome-Subtitles
• Handbrake GTK
• Libavformat52
• Mplayer
• StopMotion
• WinFF

Programming Specialty (linex2011-sabor-programming)

A set of compilers and development environments for programming:

• Anjuta
• Bison
• DIA
• Eclipse
• Flex
• G++
• Gcc
• Glade
• Kdevelop
• Make
• Manpages-ES
• Manpages-ES EXTRA
• OpenJdk 6 JDK
• Qt3-Designer
• Strace
• Umbrello

LinEx 2010 version information

New features

• Installable version and LIVE version.
• Faster than ever.
• Based on Debian Lenny 5.04 stable.
• Kernel version 2.6.32. With support for recent wireless network cards.
• Desktop environment: Gnome 2.2.
• Starting manager: Grub2.
• Ophthalmatic suitte OpenOffice 3.2 in Castellano, dictionaries included.
• Web Browser Firefox 3.6.10 self-approved.
• Quick access to social networks.
• Image editor Gimp 2.6.10.
• Expanded support for wireless network cards and multimedia devices.
• Software for installable DNI-E support from the LinEx installer.
• Video players: Totem and MPlayer.
• Audio Players: Audacious and Rhythmbox.
• Video Editing: OpenShot
• Image Viewer: Gthumb and F-spot
• Games: Frozen Bubble and Crack-Attack, among others.
• Simple management and configuration of wireless networks from desktop environment, with support for WEP and WPA.
• Install DEBIAN.deb packages with a simple clik, solving any dependency problems.
• Quickly search any file, contact, email... with the Gnome-DO application.
• LinEx Collaborates with Science! EXTREMADURATHOME allows you to collaborate with scientific projects using Voluntary Computing. Now you can collaborate by targeting your PC's resources for research and science when you're not using it.

Information about the old version of GNULinex 2006

Main software included

1. Open Code Office Suite OpenOffice.org 2.0.2:
   1. Text Processor and HTML Editor
   2. Calculation sheet
   3. Presentations
2. E-mail and USENET customers
3. Web browser, Firefox. Operates in versions prior to 2006.
4. Programs for editing and photo retouching
   1. Gimp 2.2.11

Virtues

1. Stability
2. Easy installation
3. Free distribution and utilization
4. Virtually free of computer viruses
5. Null Cost for Licensing
6. Adaptation to Spanish (programmes are represented by important figures of literature, science, etc.)

Flaws

1. In a few shops you can buy a computer with gnuLinEx pre-installed.
2. The names of many of the programs contained in the distribution have been changed by others related to Extremadura, which may confuse the use or apprenticeship at times, although in the 2004 version the possibility of opting for the original icons and name of all applications included in the 2004 version has been included. gnuLinEx. However, many users see it as a virtue, as it helps them to remember their preferred applications with common names and without anglicism.

Linex Schools

It is a variation of GnuLinex aimed at educators. It consists of three user profiles, each one for a primary cycle. All are personalized and packed with content and educational software for each student. Linex Colegios is installed on the computers of the Primary and Infant Education centers.

Users

As of May 2003, 200,000 LinEx CDs had been distributed free of charge through local newspapers, 70,000 operating system images had been downloaded from the distribution's website. Around 10% of the inhabitants of Extremadura could use LinEx.

Awards won

• Award awarded by the Association of Telecommunications Users (AUTEL) Development of Advanced Information and Communication Technologies (October 2002)
• Award of the Association of Spanish Linux Users (Hispalinux) to the Board of Extremadura, for the development of gnuLinEx (November 2002)
• "Computerworld 2003" Award to the Board of Extremadura Education, Science and Technology Council for the creation of gnuLinEx (March 2003)
• "Vettonia, Castúa Voice" Award to the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, awarded by the Extreme Alcorcón Groupfor the development of gnuLinEx (June 2003)
• European Award for Regional Innovation, Category of Information Society, awarded by the European Commission in the framework of the European Regional Programme of Innovation Actions and delivered to the plenary of the Committee of Regions, in Brussels on 22 April 2004.

GnuLinEx in educational centers

Currently gnuLinEx is found mainly in public secondary schools in the community of Extremadura, with one computer (with gnuLinEx installed) for every two students or for every table, to be more exact, but also in teacher teams. It also counts in primary schools and early childhood education.

See also

• LinEx PYME
• Lihuen GNU/Linux
• LliureX
• Guadalinex
• CENATIC