SoylentNews

-- OriginalOwner_ writes:

For those who are unfortunate enough to have unimpressive access to the internet or none at all, SJVN has a Linux distro to suggest.

Occasional FOSS Force ¹ contributor Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols reports:

In the West, we take the Internet for granted. Oh, we may grumble about a slow connection, but that's a first-world problem. For many, however, the Internet is a "maybe" thing. For those users, Endless's Endless OS 3, may be just what they need.

This Ubuntu Linux-based operating system is designed for use with the "Asynchronous Internet".

[...] This operating system strives to deliver a persistent computing experience to society's digital have-nots by providing both online and off-line access to hundreds of pre-installed, open-source health, education, business, and entertainment apps.

To cut download times to a minimum Endless OS uses the Flatpack packaging system. This makes installing programs from the net when ever megabit counts much quicker.

Flatpack also enables Endless OS to run applications in sandboxes. This, in turn, makes them safer. It also uses a read-only root file system managed by OSTree, with application bundles overlaid on top. For its interface, Endless uses a heavily modified GNOME Shell desktop.

In short, this operating system is also designed to be idiot-proof. If you're a hacker, this is not the Linux for you.

[...] As part of its intent to make it as foolproof as possible, Endless OS also has some quirks. You can't, for example, install packages from other Linux distributions. Instead you can only install programs from the Endless App Center.

[...] You can also buy inexpensive--$79 to $99--computers that come with Endless OS pre-installed.

1. If you have a narrow screen or simply hate their page layout, I recommend an AdBlocker filter of ##div.widget

Original Submission