First Beta Version of Ulteo Online Operating System
Gaël Duval has announced the first beta release of the Ulteo Application System. This innovative Linux distribution aims to drastically simplify the use of computers applying thin client principles to do so.
Users will not need to install applications; instead programs run centrally on an Internet server. To achieve this, Ulteo provides various online services including the Ulteo Online Desktop, which supports program execution in a browser, and offers up to one GB of online storage where users can store their documents. The recently published Ulteo Application System (Ulteo AS for short) implements the client for access to these services, and is thus the core element in the Ulteo Framework.
Under the hood, Ulteo AS is based on a pimped Ubuntu distribution. Users log in to the online desk via "Ulteo AA", a Kerberos-based authentication service; the connection is then established via VNC. Local files are synchronized with online versions by a synchronization service; currently an online storage limit of 10MB applies. On top of this, the developers have introduced a "My Digital Life" panel that helps users to manage their own documents and applications in a convenient way.
Ulteo mainly finances its operations with value-added "Gold" and "Premium" services. Ulteo’s founder and CEO Gaël Duval is well-known in the Linux community: he founded Mandrake Linux (later renamed to Mandriva) in 1998. Eight years later he was dismissed. Shortly after this Duval founded the Ulteo WebOS project. Duval tried to launch a similar concept dubbed Eazel, a few years ago but the endeavor failed.
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
-
Advanced Video Coding Still Under Patent
Brazilian patent BRPI0109962B1 has expired, which means that DivX and Xvid are no longer problematic for Linux, but it doesn’t mean that video is all of a sudden fully unleashed.
-
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.