| Ubuntu added to online preview site |
Jun. 16, 2009
 A community site dedicated to offering previews of open source applications has now added Ubuntu Linux 8.04 to its catalog. Click2try now offers over 40 virtualized open source applications in its online catalog, with both free and paid subscription plans available, says the company.
(Click for larger view of Click2try's applications catalog screen)
The newly offered virtualized Ubuntu distribution is complete with all standard bundled applications, including OpenOffice, GIMP, Firefox, and Rhythmbox, says Click2try. Like the other software hosted by Click2try, it is served up via VMware virtual machines (VMs) that are said to be securely stored within a hardened network infrastructure at the company's data center in Houston, Texas.
To test a Linux distro and related apps, Click2try users log onto the community site, then connect to their VM of choice via a web browser and a Java applet. For example, the image below shows a Ubuntu desktop VM being connected to via Internet Explorer running in a Windows XP desktop.
Escaping the confines of Windows via Click2try
(Click to enlarge)
The Canonical-sponsored Ubuntu 8.04 ("Hardy Heron," not the new 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope release) joins CentOS as the only other Linux distribution currently available on the site, but the company plans to add more. There are about 40 applications available in the following categories, with more being added weekly, says the company:- Business
- Education
- Office/productivity
- Software development
- System/network admin
- Utilities
- Vertical applications
- Web development
Click2try offers a free "4/7" plan, enabling a single user to use any application for a total of four hours over seven days, whichever comes first, says the company. The free plan includes test data to simulate real scenarios, and offers users up to 1GB of online disk storage. The company also provides an extended evaluation plan lasting up to a month for $40 per month, as well as a subscription for longer term trials of between one and six months, starting at $60 per month.
In addition, Click2try provides a community forum for discussing and reviewing applications, as well as collaborating on user and developer issues. The site also posts information on each application, including features and benefits, with links to available resources.
Stated Amber Graner, an Ubuntu community guru and member of UbuntuWomen, "We're excited to have Ubuntu in the click2try catalog. As Linus Torvalds says 'There are lots of Linux users who don't care how the kernel works, but only want to use it. That is a tribute to how good Linux is.' The click2try site makes it easy to try and use Ubuntu and all of the great software that's included in each Ubuntu distro."
Stated Tom Callaghan, click2try VP Technical Services, "Adding Ubuntu to our catalog furthers our plan to host all of the major Linux distros. Among Linux distributions, Ubuntu is one of the most popular. People want to see what it's all about. Now they can, without downloading or installing onto their own machines."
Availability
Virtualized trials for Ubuntu 8.04 are available now in a variety of plans ranging from free to monthly subscriptions, says Click2try. More information may be found here.
-- Eric Brown
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