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.