new Ubuntu-based Live CDs with Mac OS X themed web management interface

[lirazsiri]

Hi guys,

Figured you guys might be interested in a new Mac OS X themed Ubuntu based project...

About about a month and a half ago we launched TurnKey Linux (http://www.turnkeylinux.org/), with the goal of creating an Ubuntu-based opensource project that specialized in making certain niche tasks (e.g., setting up a LAMP stack, a CMS, etc.) easier by pre-integrating solutions into a software appliance type package.

The response we got from the Ubuntu community was fantastic, and we used the feedback to guide our efforts while working the kinks out of our current crop of appliances.

Our main focus has been to try and figure out how to dramatically improve the usability of the handful of appliances we have released so that they appeal to a much wider audience (e.g., not everybody likes mucking around with the command line).

We are proud to announce that recently released versions of our Lamp stack (http://www.turnkeylinux.org/appliances/lamp), Joomla (http://www.turnkeylinux.org/appliances/joomla), and Drupal (http://www.turnkeylinux.org/appliances/drupal) appliances now feature a slick Mac OS X themed web management interface in addition to other usability improvements such as:

* an easy to use configuration console (written from scratch in Python)
* auto-login while in demo/live mode
* root password configuration during installation

Detailed information, screenshots and release notes are
available in the appliances section (http://www.turnkeylinux.org/appliances) on our website.

Here are a few screenshots:

http://www.turnkeylinux.org/files/images/screenshot-webmin1.png
http://www.turnkeylinux.org/files/images/screenshot-webmin3.png
http://www.turnkeylinux.org/files/images/screenshot-webmin2.png

What do you think?

Cheers,
Liraz

[galenorama]

That looks really cool!
Do you have a web site for it with more info?

[garyedwardjohnston]

I was hoping for the easy part their website promises but all I've got is a command prompt that I don't know what to do with :(

[lirazsiri]

Thats funny. All of our recent appliances are supposed to boot into a configuration console (shown in the screenshots (http://www.turnkeylinux.org/screenshots)) that gives you the details for the web interfaces.

OTOH, our first batch of releases in September didn't offer these usability improvements. Could it be that you tried the older version? What is the exact name of the ISO you downloaded?

Anyhow, if you are having trouble feel free to drop by the support forums and give us feedback/ask for help.

Cheers,
Liraz

[3rdalbum]

Thanks for letting us know about TurnKey, it looks like a good project; and I'm sure I'll be using it on a future home server some day!

[lirazsiri]

Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot to us!

In response to the feedback we received we're working on expanding the range of appliances and we would eventually like to be able to offer something for everyone, home users included!

[bapoumba]

Moved to Servers.

[RealG187]

I have themed by Ubuntu to Mac OS X and it looks alright, not sure if I could trick someone to make them think it's mac. I know it's not....