Product Code Database
Joli OS is a discontinued Ubuntu-based Linux distribution created by Tariq Krim and Romain Huet, co-founders of the French company Jolicloud (which is also the name of the operating system until version 1.2). Joli OS is a free and open-source software project, with source code hosted on GitHub.
On 22 November 2013, Tariq Krim decided to discontinue Joli OS, but keep the source code open.
Jolicloud was discontinued on 1 April 2016.
Version 1.0 was released in July 2010 and version 1.1 was released on 7 December 2010. Version 1.2 was released on 9 March 2011.
Joli OS was designed for easy installation, with Wi-Fi, bluetooth, and 3G modem support all included. The operating system supports all the major netbooks, including models from Asus, Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, MSI, Samsung, and Sony. Jolicloud claimed the OS supports 98% of netbooks with out-of-the-box compatibility but also worked on a very large number of other devices, up to 10 years old: laptops, desktops and tablets.
Version 1.0 of the operating system incorporates a user interface built mainly with HTML5 that includes an application launcher, a library of compatible applications with one-click installation and removal, a display of all machines associated with a user account, and a social activity stream that enables users to compare installed applications. The launcher displays only those applications supported in the library, but the identical configuration can be viewed from any machine running Joli OS. Account management is available from any computer with an HTML5-compatible browser. Jolicloud's HTML5 implementation is through the Chromium web browser, which serves as middleware for Web rendering.
In Computerworld, Serdar Yegulalp wrote that Joli OS 1.0 "feels like a second beta, not a 1.0 release; it needs more work before it's truly useful instead of one step above a curiosity". Yegulalp reported problems launching some applications, including the Google Chrome browser and the VLC media player, an inability to do peer-to-peer mesh networking, the power button getting blocked by open windows, and no hibernation mode, even if the computer supports it. He noted comparable performance with Windows 7 but slightly faster boot times. But ZDNet reporter David Meyer disagreed with that performance assessment after running Jolicloud on a Nokia Booklet 3G in order to take advantage of that device's unusual 720p screen resolution. He wrote that the device's "lousy Atom Z530 processor...really struggles under Windows 7 Starter Edition but flies on Jolicloud....I'm struggling to think of a rival Linux distro that can be so easily picked up and run by an average user".
In Ars Technica, Ryan Paul wrote that "there are a lot of good ideas on display in Jolicloud now 1.0, but the nascent product still feels incomplete". He saw no reason for Linux users, particularly Ubuntu users, to switch. "Ubuntu's own Unity environment is more sophisticated and has much better integration between native applications and the underlying platform," though Joli OS might be a better choice for users interested in Web applications. Noting that Joli OS 1.0's foundation is Ubuntu 9.04, which is nearing the end of its support cycle by Canonical, Paul wrote that "the real challenge will be continuing to expand the scope of Joli OS's differentiating features while...ensuring that Jolicloud users will benefit from Ubuntu's steady stream of new features."
Tariq Krim defended the decision to stay with Ubuntu 9.04 in Joli OS 1.0, arguing that later Ubuntu versions have been less stable and have required user-initiated software installations to be fully functional. Examples where Jolicloud developers did additional work to ensure out-of-the-box functionality include support for Poulsbo GMA500 drivers, touchscreens and 3G. He said the company was "moving away from Ubuntu to a solution that could fit our user needs better. We are looking closely at what Chrome OS is doing".
|
|
