Screenshot of MDU 10.10 beta |
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| Developer(s) | Minimal Desktop Team |
| Stable release | 10.10.1 "Attobuntu Update 1" / November 18, 2010[1] |
| Written in | Bash |
| Operating system | Ubuntu |
| Type | Shell script |
| License | GPLv3 |
| Website | Developer Blog |
Minimal Desktop for Ubuntu (previously known as Ubuntu Minimal Desktop) is a Linux distribution designed for workstations. MDU is built on Ubuntu, but has several components and programs removed by default.[2]
Contents |
MDU is a shell script designed to download and install the graphical environment for Ubuntu from the command-line interface. First, the user installs the Ubuntu command-line system from either the Netboot or Alternate install CDs (as the command-line option is unavailable on the Ubuntu LiveCD). Then, either using the wget command or mounting a Flash drive, the user downloads and gives execute permission to the UMD script. On running the script, the user is prompted for the various options of software to install. The system reboots into the graphical Ubuntu system.[3]
In addition to the basic installation (where the user is presented options when they run the script), a script generator named MDU-SG has been developed. MSU-SG is a browser-based system that allows the user to choose the installation options outside a command-line, and just run the script to install. It is useful if one needs to deploy several insallations, or is uncomfortable working on the command line.[4]
Initially released on the developer's personal Web site, the Launchpad ubuntu-desktop-minimal was launched shortly afterward. The project is now managed through Launchpad. After the release of 10.04.1, KDE was added to the support list (using version number 10.04). As of 10.04 Update 2, the GNOME and KDE scripts have been combined[7]. On August 31, 2010, the project was officially renamed Minimal Desktop for Ubuntu (from Ubuntu Minimal Desktop) to be more compliant with the Ubuntu trademark policies. The MDU 10.10 "Attobuntu" release candidate was released on October 6, 2010, four days before the release date of Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat", with the final release on October 10, 2010, the same day as Ubuntu[8].
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