Wubuntu is a stripped-down Kubuntu, with acquainted subject matters and extra gear to make it glance (extra) and paintings (superficially) like Home windows 11. The most obvious downside begins with its identify. Despite the fact that the house web page is wubuntu.org, the identify is never noticed inside the OS itself. Some sections of this web page check with it as “Home windows Theme on Linux” or “Home windows Theme Over Linux.” Internally, it calls itself “Home windows Ubuntu,” “Home windows Linux,” “Home windows Linux With Copilot,” and from time to time “Winux.” (That isn’t all: it additionally turns out that “Wubuntu” is similar to every other distro known as LinuxFX, which appears identical.)
The LinuxFX boot symbol has acquainted symbols – click on to enlarge Wubuntu’s web page admits that it’s from Kubuntu 24.04.1 LTS. It isn’t simply Kubuntu with an ordinary theme, although. The subjects are similar to the icons and graphics present in Microsoft’s not-early open supply OS. You’ll be able to take a look at the pictures for your self on GitHub beneath the identify Win11OS KDE Theme, and the opposite artwork beneath the Win11 Icon Theme. To our untrained eyes, they appear uncannily like the fundamentals in Home windows itself. The boot display screen is a contemporary, flat, Home windows-style icon, and the icons at the taskbar are unrecognizable from the ones of Home windows itself, together with the Copilot emblem. The undertaking emblem is the Ubuntu “workforce of pals” emblem, with the Home windows 8 emblem formed like a rhombus within the center. The primary repository is GPL3, however there’s no point out of the supply or creators of the pictures.
The primary machine of Wubuntu may be very just like Home windows… On the backside of the window that asks on your cash – click on to magnify The builders informed us: “Microsoft subject matters and icons are opened with the next purposes: Have a look at KDE Home windows 11 Theme ( Have a look at KDE Home windows 11 Photographs: (Now in regards to the Copilot symbol, that is simplest equipped by way of Microsoft whilst you create a WebApp thru Ms-Edge.” They added: “Wubuntu is a Home windows theme this is used on best of Ubuntu. and as you’ll see for the hyperlinks above, we aren’t the builders, we’re simplest sending those titles and hanging them as distribution.” “Home windows” with a capital letter, is certainly one of Microsoft’s registered logos. [PDF]and thus can be utilized beneath those phrases – along side OneDrive, Copilot, and others. The similar is going for the identify “Ubuntu,” sure: it is also a registered trademark. In fact, it may well be that Microsoft and Canonical have given approval and blessing to Wubuntu and LinuxFX, however the initiatives have now not discussed it. This turns out not likely to us, in keeping with the outline of the Wubuntu web page: This turns out like a remark that Microsoft would now not be at liberty to just accept, despite the fact that we may well be fallacious. In spite of everything, Microsoft Loves Linux. We examined Wubuntu 11.24.04.2 LTS, which seems to be a core model of Ubuntu 24.04. At the machine knowledge web page, beneath the heading “PowerTools Specs,” it calls itself “Home windows Linux 11.24.04.2” and the OS model is described as “BUILD CYBER 111624.2 FINAL-LTS.” Despite the fact that there’s a unfastened obtain of PowerTools, this system seems to be a paid, tool. Wubuntu gets rid of one of the vital tool to be had to many Ubuntu customers, from time to time replaces them with Home windows as a substitute, or from time to time a number of. It additionally provides some necessary elements. In some circumstances, it is going a protracted strategy to make me accustomed to individuals who simplest know Home windows customers; in others, issues have now not modified from the habits of KDE or Kubuntu.
There may be a ‘winver’ command, which each runs Neofetch and presentations a conversation field – click on to magnify There’s no Firefox integrated, however the distro comes with Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. That turns out over the top to us. It does not come with LibreOffice, however as an alternative you get hyperlinks to the unfastened Microsoft 365 On-line apps, together with the browser model of Copilot. For native use, Microsoft-compatible OnlyOffice is pre-installed. Some helpful gear are already put in. There’s no professional Linux shopper for Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud garage, however you do get a unfastened OneDrive shopper for Linux. The advance model of WINE has been downloaded, as has the PrimeOS Android runtime VM, permitting different Home windows and Android apps to put in and run. You additionally get Valve’s Steam shopper. There’s no Snap, which some will see as awesome, however there’s Flatpak, despite the fact that not one of the applications are put in by way of default. The distro replace for the Microsoft Retailer is KDE Uncover. The taskbar has the similar icons as Home windows 11, despite the fact that it is named “Run Command” and opens KDE gear. So, what seems to be the Widgets button opens the KDE widget launcher (however we could not get the widgets to open). The Cortana button opens Kubuntu’s Run conversation. The Settings button opens the Wubuntu-admin program, which is named PowerTools. It is put in extra like a Home windows Settings app than a KDE keep watch over panel, however the problem is that you must pay $35 to enroll. The preferred KDE Plasma Machine Settings device is to be had and you’ll run settings from the shell, revealing that the desktop is Plasma 5.27.11. This can also be an possibility if you wish to have to check out Wubuntu with out paying for a PowerTools subscription.
The LinuxFX desktop is nearly the similar, however left-aligned and extra Home windows 10-like – click on to magnify We additionally downloaded the most recent model of LinuxFX and examined it. They aren’t the similar – however they’re shut. The primary distinction we spotted was once that LinuxFX was once introduced and ran fortunately on a BIOS-based VM in VirtualBox 7.1, whilst Wubuntu simplest began on a UEFI-based VM, and LinuxFX had a extra Home windows 10-like desktop enjoy, with a left-hand facet. taskbar textual content as an alternative of default, mixed with Home windows-10 get started menu, with out tiles. We would possibly not pass into an excessive amount of element about Wubuntu or LinuxFX. In each circumstances you’ll get identical capability from different portions. If you are occupied with paying for Wubuntu or LinuxFX, you have to understand that previously, the machine’s bootloader and registry databases have all been checked and located to be very inclined. Then again, from the database, it seems like about 20,000 folks paid. It appears excellent, and is most likely acquainted to Microsoft customers. Then again, the similarities with Home windows are simplest pores and skin deep. Certainly, it’s KDE Plasma with further subject matters, together with a proprietary keep watch over panel and unfastened gear. We expect you’ll be able to be wonderful with Linux Mint or Linux Lite, together with your individual set up of WINE, OnlyOffice, and no matter else you want. ®
