Yet another (quite amusing) Ubuntu derivative

[Daniel]

This is quite amusing.

From the sourceforge.net community hub: (The link I had to this story didn't work so here is the story in it's entirety.)

Earlier this year, 17-year-old developer Taylor (who prefers not to publish his last name) had a brainstorm. There’s a version of Linux available for almost every niche, but nothing that targets the tween demographic – young people too old for elementary school but too young for the big leagues. Who better to bring Linux to that market than Hannah Montana, Disney’s real-life pop princess? Thus was born Hannah Montana Linux.
The distribution is based on Kubuntu, the Ubuntu version that runs the KDE desktop, but Taylor says he stripped out software such as OpenOffice.org and KOffice to make the distro lightweight enough to fit on a 700MB CD. (Of course users can employ the apt-get utility to download those applications or any of thousands of others for free.) He also added a lot of themes featuring the tween idol. “Kubuntu isn’t that hard to customize,” he says. “You just have to be an artist and a hacker – hacker in the good sense, that is.”
Hannah Montana Linux screenshot
Taylor released the software July 15. The existence of the distro began to spread by word of mouth. “I just told a few people about it,” Taylor says. Soon there was a review on Desktop Linux Reviews, another on the Linux Critic Blog, and coverage on OSNews, Linux Today, and elsewhere. Taylor says that, according to his torrent counter (which keeps getting reset), more than 2,500 people have downloaded the distribution in the last two months.
“Some people think it’s crazy,” Taylor admits, “but almost no one says it’s a bad thing.” In fact, Taylor says, Miley Cyrus personally gave him a thumbs-up for the project. Her corporate masters at Disney so far have been silent.
Taylor says he is continuing to develop the distro. He plans to include KOffice and a few new apps, including HMExec, which will allow users to run a script without opening a terminal window. He will also fix the boot screen, which currently displays a blue square that doesn’t belong there. Taylor hopes to release new versions every six months or every year.

[M0E-lnx]

I saw this a while back... thought it was rediculous...

At first I thought Hannah M. herself was behind this, until I just read your post here

[nitehawk]

I saw some mentioning of this "new" distro on some other forums.  I dunno,..maybe it's a good thing to get the youngsters into linux.  But I can't help wondering what the little GUYS gonna use?  Maybe a "Transformers" or "Power Rangers" Linux???   

[GrannyGeek]

I don't understand why people are so negative about this. It's actually just Kubuntu with Hannah Montana themes, wallpapers, and icons. The program mix is somewhat different so it'll fit on one CD. I didn't think leaving out a word processor was such a good idea because I know my grandchildren have to write papers and the 13-year-old uses PowerPoint regularly for class projects. But these programs can be downloaded, so it's not like the kids have to do without.

If it appeals to the tween market, why not? If someone wanted to bother, VL could include Hannah Montana themes, too. If Transformers and Power Rangers would get a tween boy interested in using Linux, that's fine, too. We're just talking about decoration, but there are ages when kids like to have a desktop their friends will think is cool.

I wonder when Disney will say "no" to the use of the themes, etc. They aren't known for standing idly by while their characters are treated like they're public domain. Even the name "Hannah Montana" may have some legal restrictions on its use (her real name is Miley Cyrus).
--GrannyGeek

[nitehawk]

I don't understand why people are so negative about this

Oh,..I think it may have to do with the fact that it's a "take-off" of a celebrity (maybe).  But if kids go for that,..meh. You should see how I fixed up an old PIII for my (almost 4-yr-old) grandson.  No,...no celebitys (sp?).  I DID set a picture of his kitty-cat as the wallpaper (the cat is the big celebrity for him).....then just LOADED the thing with toddler games and educational stuff.
  Personally,...if I had enough time,..the idea of the "Transformers" or "Cars" would really hit the spot for him.