What is Ubuntu One?

[camper365]

What exactly is Ubuntu One?
It looks like it syncs files between computers, but I don't get exactly what it does.

[ghen]

server based storage with a local software interface.

2GB will be free, 10GB is $10 monthly. I would suspect pricing and storage limits would change before it comes out of beta.

[Eviltechie]

Kind of like dropbox.

[johnnybirdman]

server based storage with a local software interface.

2GB will be free, 10GB is $10 monthly. I would suspect pricing and storage limits would change before it comes out of beta.

Cool.
What somebody needs to come up with is something that can take all the internet drive services (skydrive, dropbox, spideroak, adrive, etc. etc) and make them one drive mounted on your desktop... or get real fun and have them show up as one drive but with some type of raid functionality, like a cloud-drive or cloud-raid..... I haven't looked, maybe that already exists?
J.

[Keatonguy]

Cool.
What somebody needs to come up with is something that can take all the internet drive services (skydrive, dropbox, spideroak, adrive, etc. etc) and make them one drive mounted on your desktop... or get real fun and have them show up as one drive but with some type of raid functionality, like a cloud-drive or cloud-raid..... I haven't looked, maybe that already exists?
J.

Hey, that's a novel idea. Unfortunately, seeing as access to these services is probably via HTTP rather than FTP, I'm not sure how feasible it is. And then there's the matter of utilizing all available space; if your file doesn't fit on the remaining space on one service, is it even possible to break it apart and keep it in separate stretches of cloud space? And then what about fragmentation?

Maybe I'm thinking about it too hard. =P

[silverglade00]

I am wondering what advantage this has over Dropbox. It seems to be an Ubuntu-only version of Dropbox, which is too bad because I need to sync my files to Ubuntu, other Linux distros, Mac, and Windows. I do like the idea of it being hosted by Ubuntu and I would hope that it is completely open source unlike Dropbox.

I will of course give it a go once my invite comes in. I'm sure it is a great addition to Ubuntu and one that will hopefully make it to the repos. I just hope that there are plans to port it to Mac and Linux as well.

[johnnybirdman]

I didn't/haven't really thought it through, it was just a random idea.

I know there is some means to mount 'internet' drives as local drives already (some win, some linux).
I would envision, for those you can mount, that the drives would be mounted locally and then the software raid (just like any other software raid) would combine the drives into a raid configuration/ virtual drive. The raid software would take care of allocation of data as it currently does with actual drives.
If more allowed different types of access it would be easier and better but I'm sure some smart people out there already have this figured out....

[ugm6hr]

I do like the idea of it being hosted by Ubuntu and I would hope that it is completely open source unlike Dropbox.

I believe the PC "client" software will be open source (and perhaps included as default in future Ubuntu's?), but the server software is closed source.

Uncertain whether the fact that the client sofware is open source will enable users to compile support for non-Ubuntu OS...

[zekopeko]

if i remeber correctly the client and protocol are open.
so there is nothing stoping people from writing an app for win/mac.
even better. the client is in python and i don't see why it couldn't be ported to win/mac.

[hubriz]

Is this somehow similar to Gmail Drive, where it will be included on the Places window? I hope this is better than that. Will this run on other OS, which it implies as it is still consider as Open Source? What if I want to sync my files on external drive and im accessing my UbuntuOne profile on the net remotely? Is this possible? But with that, I'm looking forward this service will hopefully come soon.

[Tamara Perera]

Ubuntu One helps you store, sync your files, share your work with others or work remotely, all with your Ubuntu computer. Ubuntu One could be a unique, innovative way to seamlessly integrate cloud-style computing into the most popular Linux desktop. Right now, though, it just looks like Dropbox.

[rodrigo_]

There are plans to add lots of exciting features to UbuntuOne, so it will be much more than those internet hard disk sites. Storing contacts, notes, and lots of other data is in the short term plan, and once we have a well established API for apps to use, I imagine 3rd party people would be adding lots of new exciting features.

So just make sure you file bugs / enhancement requests for the good ideas you all have.

[RealG187]

Doesn't apple have something called iDisk? But that's only for Macs and I don't use Macs.

Is there a way to access the dropbox from Windows?

[thebear78]

Doesn't apple have something called iDisk? But that's only for Macs and I don't use Macs.

Is there a way to access the dropbox from Windows?

Fair disclosure here... I'm the product manager for Ubuntu One.

Dropbox does offer a Windows client for file syncing.

Apple's serivce is called MobileMe. The iDisk feature is used for file storage/sharing. It does not automatically sync (out of the box) like Ubuntu One File Sharing. iDisk does have a Windows (File Explorer) interface but I think it's basic WebDAV so it's probably not as good of an experience as using iDisk in the Mac's Finder app. This is similar to what we want to do with Ubuntu One FS - maximize the power of the desktop to create a great file storage/sharing/syncing experience.

[itix]

The art of finding sticky threads...

[RealG187]

I am not sure of the differences, all I know is I heard of something called iDisk. So iDisk is the software and the service it uses is MobileMe?

What I want to know is if I put a file in my Ubuntu One could I access it when I am using Windows (like at school or another computer)?

[juancarlospaco]

I dont like UbuntuOne Windows client, i don't want viruses on my UbuntuOne,
Mac client is fine.

and don't sounds good " Ubuntu One for Windows " :s

[CanadianBac0n77]

cool.
What somebody needs to come up with is something that can take all the internet drive services (skydrive, dropbox, spideroak, adrive, etc. Etc) and make them one drive mounted on your desktop... Or get real fun and have them show up as one drive but with some type of raid functionality, like a cloud-drive or cloud-raid..... I haven't looked, maybe that already exists?
J.

... Brilliant!!!!

[TotalInternet]

How about adding a space "Un buntu" Un means One in Spanish and some other languages! :)

[TBerk]

Cool.
What somebody needs to come up with is something that can take all the internet drive services (skydrive, dropbox, spideroak, adrive, etc. etc) and make them one drive mounted on your desktop... or get real fun and have them show up as one drive but with some type of raid functionality, like a cloud-drive or cloud-raid..... I haven't looked, maybe that already exists?
J.

I dub this app/service/paradigm:

"Sink Sync".

- It'll need access to your various accounts so a secure paasword/key will be a top priority.
- Scheduled syncs, change/notification widget, filtering, ....
- Encrypted transmission, fall back if not min req. met (but with tag of "we tried to connect but the environment/parameters/carrier/etc were unable to meet min requirements...".

Huh, brainstorming run amok. Stop me before I invent again!


berk

[rodrigo_]

I am not sure of the differences, all I know is I heard of something called iDisk. So iDisk is the software and the service it uses is MobileMe?

What I want to know is if I put a file in my Ubuntu One could I access it when I am using Windows (like at school or another computer)?
yes, from the web interface at http://ubuntuone.com, you can access all your files, and even upload new versions of them. The experience is not the same as in Ubuntu, where the files show up on your normal file system, but at least you can get to them

[RealG187]

Is that all, can you access it from Windows explorer?

[crisnoh]

Sorry. I know the conversation has digressed away from the original topic, but I need to digress back to it for a moment in order to seek clarification on a point.

The service is said to "sync" files to the remote server, but as far as I can tell it only stores them there. If I update a file on my desktop which I have "synced" to the server is it automatically updated on the server as well the next time I connect to Ubuntu One?

[joshuablount]

The service is said to "sync" files to the remote server, but as far as I can tell it only stores them there. If I update a file on my desktop which I have "synced" to the server is it automatically updated on the server as well the next time I connect to Ubuntu One?

Hi crisnoh!

Yes, the updated files on your local computer will be sync'd to the Ubuntu One server (and thus to the web interface or to any machine you have the Ubuntu One client installed)

[crisnoh]

Great, thanks for the clarification!