EasyPeasy is a Linux-based operating system

Operating system

An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...

 for netbook

Netbook

Netbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers.At their inception in late 2007 as smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost — netbooks omitted certain features , featured smaller screens and keyboards, and offered reduced computing...

s. EasyPeasy is built upon Debian

Debian

Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential...

 and Ubuntu

Ubuntu (operating system)

Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...

, but is customized for low-powered computers and access to web application

Web application

A web application is an application that is accessed over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. The term may also mean a computer software application that is coded in a browser-supported language and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable.Web applications are...

s. EasyPeasy is maintained as an open source

Open source

The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...

 project, yet it uses popular web applications or proprietary software

Proprietary software

Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...

 over free and open source software alternatives (e.g. Skype

Skype

Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...

 over Ekiga

Ekiga

Ekiga /i k ai g a/ is a VoIP and video conferencing application for GNOME and Windows. It is distributed as free software under the terms of the GNU General Public License. It was the default VoIP client in Ubuntu until October 2009, when it was replaced by Empathy...

) when the functionality offered is deemed better by its users.

Main characteristics

• Uses a recent Ubuntu
  Ubuntu (operating system)
  Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
  
   release as a base
• Support for many netbooks
• Pre-installs some widely used applications and codecs like Adobe Flash
  Adobe Flash
  Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
  
   and MP3
  MP3
  MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
  
  
• Uses well known proprietary software, instead of open source alternatives
• Strives to deliver netbook functionality like the Social Desktop and automatic file synchronization
  File hosting service
  A file hosting service, online file storage provider, or cyberlocker is an Internet hosting service specifically designed to host user files. Typically they allow HTTP and FTP access. Related services are content-displaying hosting services A file hosting service, online file storage provider, or...
  
  

History

Ubuntu Eee was started by Jon Ramvi in December 2007. At that time it was only some script

Scripting language

A scripting language, script language, or extension language is a programming language that allows control of one or more applications. "Scripts" are distinct from the core code of the application, as they are usually written in a different language and are often created or at least modified by the...

s which modified a regular Ubuntu

Ubuntu (operating system)

Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...

 installation to support the Asus Eee PC

ASUS Eee PC

The Asus Eee PC is a subnotebook/netbook computer line from ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated, and a part of the Asus Eee product family. At the time of its introduction in late 2007, it was noted for its combination of a light weight, Linux operating system, solid-state drive , and relatively low cost...

s. In June 2008 the project was disbanded as a script and Ubuntu Eee 8.04 was released as a stand-alone distribution

Linux distribution

A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...

, based on Ubuntu

Ubuntu (operating system)

Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...

 8.04 with EeePC support installed out of the box. On September 5 followed the 8.04.1 version. It used a new Linux kernel, came with a new user interface and Flash

Adobe Flash

Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...

 10.

It was renamed EasyPeasy in January 2009, and has been downloaded well over a million times from the main mirror.

Trademark issues

On September 10, 2008, Canonical

Canonical Ltd.

Canonical Ltd. is a private company founded by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth to market commercial support and related services for Ubuntu Linux and related projects. Canonical is registered in London and employs staff around the world...

 notified Jon Ramvi by email that the project's use of Canonical's names, URLs, and logos violated Canonical's trademark

Trademark

A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...

s in the original name Ubuntu Eee.
In response, the owners of the project announced that they would use a new name EasyPeasy and version 1.0 was released January 5, 2009.

See also

• Comparison of netbook-oriented Linux distributions
  Comparison of netbook-oriented Linux distributions
  Netbooks are small laptops, with screen sizes between approximately 7 and 12 inches and low power consumption. They use either an SSD or a hard disk for storage, have up to 2 gigabytes of RAM , lack an optical disk drive, and usually have USB, Ethernet, WiFi and often Bluetooth connectivity...
  
  
• Aurora
• Joli OS

External links

• EasyPeasy official site