A Review of Bodhi Linux

As we continue with our investigations with computing, we are learning about operating systems and the basic setup of computers. As a group we took an old computer and added some new components to make it run again. After that I downloaded a Linux based operating system called Bodhi Linux. After transferring it to a CD I ran it on the computer we built.

Bodhi Linux is a free, open source operating system that I found on distrowatch.com. It's designed to run on lower end computers while offering a sleek design and good speeds. The system is based around the idea of minimalistic design and plenty of user customization. Since our computer is very old and low-end, I figured Bodhi would meet the needs of what we have. It is based off of Ubuntu, so it's reliable and there is a known source for it. There is a large team that works on developing, improving and maintaining the operating system. A full list with descriptions can be found here. It has continuous releases and updates, the last of which being July 2014. This OS did end up being a good choice, it ran well on the computer we had in mind.

Primarily I had downloaded and burned a 64-bit operating system to a DVD. This file was about 700MB and took over a class period to download. I realized my error when the OS wouldn't run because the computer we renovated wasn't powerful enough. After that I downloaded a 32-bit OS and that went faster, being that it was only about 500MB. I burned that onto a CD and put it into the CD-ROM drive in the computer. I have some luck with this one, but that didn't last long.

Upon turning on the computer, I found that it was booting Windows XP primarily, not Bodhi, even once I had set the CD-ROM drive as the primary boot device. I had to access the Boot Menu in order to have Bodhi start. At first there were errors as it said the device couldn't be found or the process couldn't be completed. After about five tries it finally booted up; I have no idea why it took that long, but eventually I was successful. The Bohdi OS began loading, but once or twice it would just go to an error screen and I would have to start the process over again. But I did get Bodhi running off the disc after a fair amount of failed attempts.

The primary boot loading screen

Choosing a theme

Upon loading, Bodhi started on a screen asking for the theme I would like to run. I selected the most aesthetically pleasing option and then it offered choices on what device it was running on, I chose a desktop. Finally I was able to access the desktop of Bodhi Linux, it was very beautiful. I began tinkering with different menus and applications. I found that the way Bodhi manages open windows is mildly annoying. I wasn't able to find a decent way to view or arrange the windows I had open and running. The only way to go from window to window was to either have them running on a completely separate desktop (a great feature of Bodhi Linux) or to minimize and maximize them constantly while rearranging them. When you go from one window to another, the cursor will move itself to the center of said window. I found this to be useless and annoying feature. My desktop very quickly became cluttered and hard to manage.

The settings window open

The settings window collapsed
 but still in front of the browser

A "start menu"

Accessing and navigating menus was not a great experience. Albeit I had only been using the OS for a few minutes and I'm accustomed to Mac or Windows operating systems. I tried to access settings menus, finding files I had downloaded, checking installed applications, etc. It just wasn't very user friendly seeing as I never managed to find them. Nothing was labelled very well, the menu drop downs were hard to navigate and I couldn't figure out how the file finders were organized. I would assume there are ways to customize these and be able to work with them better. I'm sure there is plenty of potential for this operating system that I am just missing out on.

Unfortunately due to time constraints I was unable to test out all of the pre-installed applications and special features that Bodhi has to offer. Since this is a very minimalistic design, most of the apps are very bare and are just there to do the job, nothing extraordinary. Some I was able to find were Leafpad, a text editor; LXTerminal, a terminal to access the OS; PCmanfm, the file browser; Midori, the web browser. Again I would have probably delved deeper into the provided applications if it weren't for the time restraint and lack of intuitivity for finding files.

Some of the taskbar features

Being as a barren and simple as possible, this OS doesn't have many features. The main fact is that it is very lightweight and can run on nearly any computer. It features the Enlightenment Desktop which is fairly manageable and looks good. The application store is very useful and adding or customizing applications in this OS is a breeze. Seeing some of the screenshots of how people have fit this operating system to their needs is very impressive. Some of the best can be found here. Perhaps the fact that Bodhi has so few features is in it of itself a feature.

I never had any problems or bugs that required me to use direct commands. Despite some obstacles I faced with trying to boot the OS, there weren't any huge issues I ran into. I wouldn't go so far as to call it an intuitive experience or process, but there wasn't a lot I had to do to get it running. Because of this a apologize if it isn't very informative for someone who needed help installing this operating system. Of course I would recommend being careful around boot screens and make sure that you read the warnings and prompts that come up. Bodhi was a good OS that booted up with little to no outside interference needed.

The desktop upon the first boot

I helped some people in my group get their OS running too. Since I was the first one to successfully run my designated operating system, I was able to offer some advice to others going through the process the first time. I advised them that they would have to choose a 32-bit version of their OS. I was able to help with the process of burning an operating system to a disc because I had run into problems earlier.

Despite the very negative connotation on the review, I enjoyed Bodhi Linux. It is an interesting alternative to other well-known operating systems. It had a sleek and customizable interface that hopefully grows on you as you use it. Even the barely functioning computer we were using was able to run it smoothly and at a good speed. After some more research into the OS, I believe Bodhi Linux would be a very satisfactory choice to run on a home computer.

Computer Components

Currently we are going over the many components that make a computer function. That includes the hardware and some software. In this post I will explain some vital components that make a computer function and show a very high end and then a more cost friendly example of these components.

Before I digress into the specific components and my choices for each computer build, I'll explain the general purpose of them. These aren't very in-depth nor extremely well-versed, but they should give you an idea of why the components are there.

The Motherboard:

The motherboard is the basis on which a computer runs. It houses the CPU, RAM, graphics card and more. It if filled with countless connections and chips to facilitate the flow of information within the computer. It is often the largest component in a computer, averaging about 10x10 inches. It is where all of the components interact and communicate. A good motherboard can set you up very well for future additions and improvements to your computer.

Central Processing Unit (CPU):

This is the component of the computer that handles nearly all of the calculations. It is the brain of a computer, controlling other sections of the computer, completing tasks, organizing information, etc. Often this is the most expensive component in a computer, being that it handles the brunt of work. A good CPU can go a long way in the function of a computer. Most CPUs are manufactured by Intel, with AMD and more making a range of CPUs. These come with multiple cores that act to increase the speed of processing data; the more cores a CPU has, the better it tends to be. These chips are often very small, but generate a lot of heat and require a significant amount of effort to draw away this heat.

Computer Case:

The computer case contains all of the parts of a computer. This includes the power supply, motherboard, hard drives, etc. It is really the limiting factor when deciding on building a computer, since only the components that fit in you case can be used in the computer itself. Cases can come with fans to draw away heat, or a clear panel on the side so you can view your motherboard as it runs. They come in a myriad of shapes, sizes, colors and designs. Usually they are focused on the type of computer inside (gaming, business, etc).

Graphics/Video Card:

This component does what the title implies, it controls and processes the graphics or video on a computer. It will take this load off of the CPU and it can often improve the video and graphics quality of a computer. It functions from commands from the CPU but it processes data of its own accord. These cards can range from something to just improve the graphics, to cards that can run 3D at 4K video resolution. They are completely vital to a computer, but computer owners who are more serious about gaming or media will find this very important to have.

Random Access Memory (RAM):

RAM is one of the storage functions within a computer. The data stored here is kept close and easily accessible by the CPU. Due to the need of fast data access, storage in RAM is very expensive. The RAM is essentially a place to hold important information from the hard drive so the CPU can use it very quickly whenever it needs it. Due to the large cost of creating this storage, the RAM only keeps the information as long as the CPU needs it; the RAM draws and returns data to and from the hard drive. More RAM space can mean faster processing which can be very important to a dedicated computer user.

Hard Drive:

The hard drive is the vital component which holds all of the data the computer needs to access. It is where information is sent and kept until it is needed again. Since some people need a lot of space to store information, a hard drive with more space is better. But more space means it takes longer to access the desired information. Traditionally computers have used hard drive disks, in which the data is stored on a spinning disc, like a CD. Now with the development of solid state drives, data can be accessed faster, but it costs a lot more to add storage.

Power Unit:
This component really does what the name implies, it provides power to the motherboard and therefore the whole computer. These range from outputting 200 watts of energy to over 1600 watts. They often contain a built in fan used to cool the heat producing power unit and draw overall heat away from the computer. Usually the power plug goes right into the power unit. Some special features of these can include quieter fans, better heat draining, power surge protection, etc.


High End Computer

The components that are pictured and explained have been chosen for an exceptional computer. This nice computer would probably be dedicated to rendering graphics or running games smoothly. The components I have chosen would all work together and be the best choices for this purpose. For instance, I chose a very good graphics card and lots of RAM because they would be needed to run the programs I intend to use. This computer overall is going to be very expensive and I wouldn't really have need of it.

The above component is an Asus P9X79-E WS ATX motherboard, it costs about $500. With Asus being one of the best known and most reliable brands for motherboards, you can know this is a great part. It has eight DIMM RAM card sockets and can accept up to 64GB DDR3 RAM power. It also has 8 PCI Express 3.0 x16 connections for eight more components like sound and video cards. Overall this is a well designed board that will have you well set up for future improvements.

Pictured above is a very high-end CPU. It is an Intel Core Extreme Edition i7-4960X. It has 6 cores and a 15MB cache. That means that it can process data very quickly and access it at lightning speeds. It connects to the motherboard via a LGA2011 socket. This would be used when building a very nice computer, an expensive one too, seeing that this costs $1050. I would never spend this much for a CPU, but this is a top of the line component.

Here is the case I would choose for this computer, the Corsair Obsidian Series 900D. It is a sturdy tower structure that has many capabilities and it costs $350. It includes a large amount of expansion bays for future upgrading and it has an easy-open panel to access hardware. This case allows for the computer to run the best it can.

These are some very great RAM modules. These are 8 Corsair XMS DDR3 RAM cards that cost $930 total. They have a combined 64GB of RAM at very high speeds. They would fill up all of the eight DDR3 memory card slots in the motherboard it's going into. With this you could be running many programs and accessing a lot of information at one time. This the most RAM at the highest speed I could fit into my chosen motherboard.

This is a OCZ RevoDrive 350 solid state hard drive. Being one of the newer methods of data storage, it boasts a healthy 960GB of storage and very fast read/write speeds. This single hard drive costs just less than $1400 but is well worth it for it's blazing speed. But with the tendency of these drives to lose data, I would probably use some method of data backup. Oddly this hard drive connects to the motherboard via one of the four PCI Express 3.0 x16 ports, not a SATA III cable. With an ample 960GB of space and very fast speeds to read and write new data, this hard drive is a great combo.

This is a superb graphics card, the Asus GeForce GTX Titan Z. It has 12GB video memory which will lead to smoother graphics and video. It costs about $3000 which I believe is absurd but I guess some people are willing to pay for performance. This card connects to the motherboard via a PCI Express 3.0 x16 port, which the designated motherboard has 8 of. Asus is a leading brand in computing which means this component is top-notch.

This optical drive would be a great match for the needs of this computer. It is the LG 16X Blu-ray Burner and it costs $110. This driver can read and write Blu-ray discs at very good speeds. This component connects via a SATA cable. It can also support 3D playback, which would be good for gaming and media enjoyment. It's a high end drive for this high end computer.

The power unit for this computer would have to be the Corsair HX1050 Series. It is modular and keeps cool and quiet very well. It works with all ATX motherboards and has a very good amount of power output. It puts out 1050 watts which is enough for my needs and then some. It costs $230 and fits in well with the computer case for this particular computer.

Overall this computer would be very successful in running games or video creation/editing software. The total cost of these components would be just under $7350 with current prices from tigerdirect.com. I feel like considering the total power of this computer, it is a reasonable price. I certainly wouldn't need anything like this in a computer, but it would serve its purpose well.


Computer I would Build Myself

The following components would be used to build a computer I would use myself. They aren't as nice as the other parts, but they are good enough to run whatever I would need a computer for. That computer would mostly be dedicated to surfing the internet and some games. I don't run many things on my computers so I wouldn't need fantastic components. It would serve as a great starter computer that I could build on and improve later.

For a computer I build myself, I would choose the Asus Sabertooth 990FX ATX motherboard. It is a great board that works with all of the components I am looking to use with my computer. There are four DIMM memory slots that accept DDR3 RAM cards. It has one PCI slots, one PCI Express x1 slot and four PCI Express x16 slots. The CPU socket accepts AM3+ chips which is what my CPU is, they are actually both made by Asus. It is set up in a great way so that in the future I can add or interchange better parts at my pleasure. It is a bit pricy, at $200, but seeing that it fits many of my other requirements, this is my best choice.

Here is the CPU I would probably buy if I were to build a computer on my own. It is an AMD FX-8350 and it costs $180 on TigerDirect. It boasts 8 cores and a 16MB cache, all at a reasonable price. It uses a AM3+ CPU interface, which works with the designated motherboard. I think this would be able to run pretty much everything that I throw at it. It is a very cost-friendly fit for my computing needs.

This case meets all of the standards I would have for a computer, it's also only $20. The Ultra Gladiator tower is a great fit for the computer I would build. All of my components I want would fit easily and there are multiple expansion slots for future upgrades. It has a good aesthetic and would be a great starting off point if I were to build a computer.

These are the Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB memory modules. These would be my choice when building a computer on my own. They cost $90 and provide a combined 8GB of RAM alongside DDR3 speeds. They would take up two of the motherboard's four DD3 slots. I feel like that would be enough to handle whatever I need to use my computer for. These seem like a good match price-wise and would handle my needs well enough.

This hard drive would be my choice when building a computer. This is one of the Western Digital Black series hard drives. It has 2TB of storage for a low $150 and it would communicate with the motherboard by a SATA III cable. This would provide me with ample space to keep my documents. Another option I would consider if I wanted speed is the PNY Optima SSD. It has 480GB of storage and the immense speeds of a solid state drive. I would choose one or the other depending on what use the computer will be for.

Above is the graphics card I would choose to use in my own computer. It is a EVGA GeForce GTX 650 and it costs $130. This would go in one of the motherboard's four PCI Express x16 ports. I could run all of my needed programs with smooth graphics using this card. Add the fact that it's a good price and I think it's a great fit for my computer's needs.

If I were to add an optical drive to the computer I was building, this would be the one. This is the LG Internal 12X Blu-ray Drive and it costs $35. This drive connects via a SATA cable, which easily works with my motherboard. It is a fairly simple drive because it probably wouldn't see much use by me. However it does have some really good read and write speeds plus it plays Blu-ray discs. It's a good addition if I were ever to need a drive like this.

This power unit is the Ultra LS Series V2 and it costs $35. It produces 400 watts of power and has 120mm fans that would cool the computer enough. This is more than enough power for the components I'm using in the computer and it is formatted for the ATX motherboard I would use. It has a good lifespan and will serve me well in the future if I wanted to upgrade to components that may draw more power.

I feel like these components would make a great computer for my personal use. They balance cost effectiveness and power very well. The total cost ends up at $880, again from tigerdirect.com. This seems very doable for a computer that would run well enough for me and allows for plenty of future improvements. I might consider this for when I would actually build a desktop for my own.

Quantum Computing, Group Report. By Henry Meeker and Isaac Fuglestad.

The column of equipment for a
 quantum computer
(NY Times, May 2013)

Quantum computing is still a very young technology. It was kicked off by a paper written by Richard Feynman in 1981 in which he theorized computations could be made much faster using the odd properties of quantum mechanics. Very little physical progress was made until the early 2000’s, in which a handful of early, weak quantum processors were developed. Nearly all of this research and development had been achieved through government and university laboratories. These early quantum computers consisted of very few qubits (those will be explained later) compared to today's processors. In the late 2000’s development of quantum computers really began to speed up. More processors were made each year, with the next having more qubits than the one before it. In 2011 the company D-Wave released the first commercially available quantum computer; this processor included 128 qubits. There has been a large amount of controversy surrounding quantum computing, especially D-Wave. Tests administered on these computers have had mixed results, sometimes getting an answer faster than classic computations, sometimes taking much longer. Currently the most advanced quantum computer is the D-Wave Two, boasting 512 qubits. Companies and universities around the world are itching to test this new technology and are willing to pay the hefty price to get their hands on one. Many experiments and papers are being made throughout the country as researchers continue to investigate the nebulous depths of quantum computers. (Contributed by Henry Meeker)

Richard Feynman, the mind behind quantum computers
(Brain Pickings, 2013)

A vibration filter from a quantum computer
(D-Wave Blog, Jan 2007)

These computers are being made to be the next generation in technological development. They are intended to make complicated calculations in less time than the best supercomputers to date. One use of this still young technology is encryption. The best encryption currently has to do with factoring very large prime numbers. Current computing takes very long to decrypt these complicated messages, the calculation method used is very slow. Quantum computers work in such a way that prime factorization is very easy, making current encryptions a breeze. These computers can also be used to create even stronger encryption methods in the future. Another use of them is to find the most efficient method to complete an action. For example, scientists at NASA need to find the best route for a rover to reach a destination. Ordinary computers would take ages considering all of the different routes and options. Quantum computers can find the most efficient path much faster due to the fact that it can calculate many bits in parallel. As this technology is better understood the uses of it will grow and they will help propel humankind into the next era of technology. (Contributed by Henry Meeker)

A close up of a quantum computer's processing chip
(BBC, May 2013)

Quantum computers are being built very rapidly in the scientific community. Currently the outstanding company making them is D-Wave systems. They are currently the main producers of quantum computers that are available to the general public. They are making these so rapidly because they would like to be the household name of quantum computing. They would like to become the main producers and developers of these computers while this field is still very young. They are making them for a profit, not necessarily to expand the field. At D-Wave they don’t conduct much research or perform many experiments. Instead they try to build the best computers they can sell, the research and experimenting is then conducted by those who buy their systems. Other groups are testing these computers to see what algorithms work best and what kind of interface should be used to access this brand new technology. The people exploring the capabilities of quantum computers tend to be government groups (NASA, the CIA, etc) or major universities (Cambridge, Oxford, Waterloo, etc). Testing for these machines involves giving them very complicated questions, including problems that involve the factorization of very high numbers or finding the most efficient method to complete an action. Right now quantum computers are mostly being tested compared to current supercomputers. These studies are being conducted by research facilities and universities, not D-Wave. D-Wave seems to have cornered the market on these advanced machines, but the future of quantum computing may lead in any direction. (Contributed by Henry Meeker)

A regular bit in comparison to a qubit
(University of Strathclyde, 2012

Computers work of the idea of data having a value of a one or zero, on or off, true or false. Those data values are called bits, short for binary digits. Using transistors on silicon chips, a computer can change them to from ones to zeros. Using this, a regular computer can process the complex tasks it is given. A quantum computer uses quantum bits, also known as qubits. Instead of transistors on a chip, qubits are manipulated as single

Qubit functions
(Wikimedia Commons, 2007)

atoms. These atoms may be in many positions, which means they won’t strictly be in the configuration of a one or a zero. They can be a one, a zero, or something in between; a superstate of a one and zero. That is the quantum portion of quantum computing, the very erratic behavior of matter at an atomic level. That is also what gives this new technology an advantage over classic computers. The fact that these qubits can be measured as both a one and zero allows it to process information that would take classic computers ages to calculate. Quantum computer excel in problems dealing with efficiency: finding the easiest path to travel, searching a very large database faster than classic computers, etc. A good analogy of quantum computers versus classic computers is trying to find the lowest valley in a mountain range. A regular computer would go about doing this by rolling over every surface in the mountain range, often getting stuck in what it thinks are the lowest valleys when really they aren’t. A quantum computer instead tunnels through until it finds the lowest point, which is much faster. While modern supercomputers and classic algorithms currently surpass quantum computers on some problems, as the new technology improves it will hopefully far surpass traditional computers. (Contributed by Henry Meeker)

The equipment required to
keep these computers cold

(Grunert Imaging, May 2013)

D-Wave machines
(D-Wave Systems, 2012)

D-Wave Systems was founded in 1999 and their mission is to use physics, manufacturing, computer science and engineering to build a computer that can help solve many of the problems in the world today. For the first five years they came up with ideas on how quantum computing might be accomplished. They decided to use advanced superconducting technology to create these supercomputers. By 2004 they realized they had to make their own facility to build the parts they need. The machines were designed and built in this facility. (Contributed by Isaac Fuglestad)

The sensitive processor
               (NY Times, March 2013)

The quantum computer is an advanced computer designed to increase processing speed and security. Ultra secret keys are created by measuring the polarization of photons emitted by entangled particles. If no one has tried spying on the signal the measurements of the polarization will be the same. Each time the computers have the same measurements, the key gets longer until it is almost uncrackable. Because the signal is so sensitive, if someone tried spying on it, the computers will have different measurements and they will both instantly know the signal was spied on. This happens because the particles are “entangled” which means even over great distances, the particles will react to each other instantaneously but any outside interaction will disrupt the signal. (Contributed by Isaac Fuglestad)

One of the mammoth D-Wave computers
(Vancouver Sun, Feb 2014)

The first commercially available quantum computers were released in 2010 by D-Wave Systems. Each year D-Wave doubled the amount of qubits in the computers and by 2013 they had 512 qubits and were ready to be released. Quantum computers are still a work in progress and will likely take many more years before all their uses are discovered and the developers finally understand exactly how it works. (Contributed by Isaac Fuglestad)