Emmabuntüs is a Linux distribution for people who don’t know Linux.

Since 1997, I’ve used Linux as my primary desktop OS and have tested with just about every conceivable flavor.I’ve tried many things in the meantime. Linux distribution It claims to be perfectly suited for users with little or no experience. Those claims may or may not be substantiated.

Still, I get excited whenever I hear of a new distro release for new users. Because that means there is another version of the open source operating system that can be used to keep new users away from proprietary OSes. So when I read that there was a new release of Emmabuntüs, I bet you wanted to try it right away.

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Emmabuntüs is a lightweight Linux distribution based on Debian 11.6 that offers both Xfce and LXQt desktop environments. Normally I don’t like recommending her Xfce desktop to new users. Simply because it offers so many configuration options that it can be a bit daunting.

However, Emmabuntüs recommends configuring the desktop with a convenient dock and top bar, and a first-run wizard for adding additional codecs and fonts, so most users don’t need to be heavily involved in configuration. Try not to… at least not at first. Of course, once you get the hang of the Xfce desktop, you can always dig as deep as you like. But for new users, Emmabuntüs offers a decent way to get everyone up and running quickly.

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There is a new stable release of Emmabuntüs (version 4), but I decided to see what’s coming with the current beta (version 5). And while the beta isn’t robust enough for everyday use, it shows great potential. Aside from the edition issue, I’m impressed.

what’s in it

The selection of included software can be a little overwhelming. After all, you get an app like this:

• LibreOffice (including database components and LibreOffice for Schools).
• Wine (for running Windows apps).
• AbiWord (word processor).
• Caliber (ebook reader and creator).
• Gnumeric (spreadsheet).
• Home bank (personal accounting).
• Childsplay (educational game).
• OpenBoard (interactive whiteboard).
• TuxMath (mathematics learning program).
• Tux Paint (a drawing program for children).
• GIMP (image editor).
• Scribus (page layout and publications).
• Sweet Home 3D (interior design program).
• gPodder (podcast subscription).
• Jitsi Meet (video conferencing).
• Thunderbird (email).
• Audacity (audio recording and editing).
• Gspeech (a GUI for text-to-speech).
• Firefox (web browser).

This is just a small part of the included applications. But clearly, if you look through the list of included applications, you can see that Emmabuntüs is not only aimed at new users, but also young new users. Yes, it’s a great operating system for education. It’s not just the software selection that makes Emmabuntüs a great choice for educational institutions or anyone looking for a great operating system for homes with young users.

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Emmabuntüs not only includes parental control tools, but also prevents users from accessing the root account. Yes, the user has sudo privileges, but the root user seems off limits.

This is fine because 1) it’s more secure and 2) standard users can still install applications and do other tasks that require admin privileges.

One of the things that impresses me the most about Emmabuntüs is from setting up the desktop (between Xfce and LXQt), installing additional software and updates, choosing a theme, and the type of dock you want (minimal from things to everything). The developers have done an excellent job of anticipating what new users might need a little help with.

how does that work?

Bear in mind, I chose to use the beta version of the next release. I was concentrating on the installation process which took a long time) and I was able to finish the test with great admiration.

Emmabuntüs chose the lightweight desktop route, so we can assume it’s probably faster. is. Very early. Even on a virtual machine with only 3GB of RAM, my Emmabuntüs instance was faster than my host desktop (Pop!_OS) with 32GB of RAM. Applications open instantly, switching between running apps is instant, and there are no signs of instability (which is impressive for a beta). In fact, during my testing, I didn’t find a single one that seemed to pause.

No matter how much I dug, I couldn’t find anything that would make me hesitate to suggest this distro to anyone. The development team also added a few yards to the default Xfce desktop to add some functionality, so it doesn’t feel like you’re using an interface designed in the early 2000s. It’s modern enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re working in unfamiliar territory.

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So, the combination of a wealth of pre-installed applications, decent handholding, and impressive performance make Emmabuntüs a Linux distribution that I’m truly happy to recommend to anyone.

The only downside to this distro is that the installer is a bit dated.Maybe in the future the developers may adopt something like a new Ubuntu installer (This is very beautiful and as simple as possible). Until then, you should stick with his traditional Debian installer.

Finally, if you’re looking for a Linux distribution that’s easy to use, grows as you grow, and performs well beyond your expectations, Emmabuntüs might be for you.