The first ever Linux distribution that I really used was Mandrake 10. It was the newbie distribution of the day! And I kept using it through the merger with Conectiva and subsequent name change to Mandriva Linux... until the founder, Gaël Duval was somewhat unceremoniously laid off from the company. That was when I looked for an alternative distribution, which I found in Ubuntu Dapper Drake, and I am glad I did!
I sometimes wondered what became of Gaël Duval. He talked of launching another distribution called Ulteo Linux... or so I thought. But what he and his team have come up with is something quite impressive: Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop.
Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop (UOVD) seems like it would be an ideal solution for an enterprise that needs cost-effective deployment of cross-platform (or maybe even single-platform) applications to their employees. What this allows you to do is have Windows and Linux application servers on which the applications are actually run. Multiple users then use remote thin clients that only need Java enabled web browsers to run whichever Windows or Linux application they need. Integration of both platforms on UOVD looks seamless with a single desktop and menu! What is great for enterprises is that savings increases proportionally with the size of the company in the application server - thin client model. I have only scratched the surface. The feature list is really impressive
UOVD hit version 1.0 on 23/04/2009. And in true open spirit, UOVD is open source and anyone can download it and try it out now!
I am glad that the leader of the number one Linux distribution on Distrowatch in 2002, 2003 and 2004, the distribution that won me over from Windows, has made a comeback with an innovative, new Open Source project. Hats off to you Gaël Duval! All the best!
