Freespire 2.0 with Proprietary Components
US distributor Linspire has finally released version 2.0 of its free Linux variant Freespire, three months behind schedule.
Freespire is designed for use on desktops and laptops and claims to be newbie-friendly. The new version is the first to be based on Ubuntu Linux (7.04). Besides updated program packages the distribution's unique selling point, according to Linspire, is the integration of proprietary software. Freespire supports MP3, Windows media, Quicktime, Java, Flash and Realplayer files. Proprietary add-ons include drivers for ATI and Nividia graphics cards. Users can visit Linspire's CNR ("Click and Run") software warehouse to purchase and install more proprietary programs including DVD players, Sun's Staroffice or Wine-based helpers for running Windows programs, such as Cedega or Crossover.
"Freespire 2.0 picks up where Ubuntu leaves off", says the new President and Linspire CEO, Larry Kettler, "by adding proprietary software, drivers and codecs, to make for a more complete turn-key solution for mainstream desktop computing". This is very much in key with former Linspire boss Kevin Carmony who recently left the company. Carmony had criticized GPL v3 in a Linspire saying that the free software license was too restrictive with respect to the use of proprietary software.
Linspire's close integration of Ubuntu is the result of a technological cooperation agreement that Canonical and Linspire signed in early February. According to the original roadmap the commercial Linspire 2.0 was due for release four weeks after the free variant. Freespire 2.0 can be downloaded from the company.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
2,000 Vulnerabilities per Linux Release
Thanks to AI bug hunters, the Linux kernel is seeing record numbers of vulnerabilities, and it's overwhelming developers.
-
Linux Exempt from California’s Age Verification Law
So long as Linux is distributed under the GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses, the OS is exempt from being required to verify the age of its users in California.
-
Roll Out the Cake: Linux Turns 35
35 years ago, a Finnish student began a humble project that would forever change the course of technology.
-
China Switching from Windows to Linux
China has ordered several government agencies to drop a Chinese-developed version of Windows 10 in favor of either KylinOS or UOS.
-
Pine64 Halts Production of Linux Devices
With continued DRAM and eMMC shortages, Pine64 has decided to discontinue production of Linux devices.
-
The Bullet-Proof KDE Software Initiative Is Coming
KDE, Techpaladin, and Kubuntu Focus have announced a new initiative that will provide at least three years of support for KDE Plasma 6.6 LTS and related software.
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.