Pinguy OS Puts On a Happier GNOME 3 Face

Pinguy OS 18.04 is an Ubuntu-based distribution that offers a non-standard GNOME desktop environment intended to be friendlier for new Linux users.

This distro is a solid Linux OS with a focus on simple and straightforward usability for the non-geek desktop user. If you do not like tinkering with settings or having numerous power-grabbing fancy screen animations, Pinguy OS could be a good choice.

The GNOME desktop is the only user interface option, but Pinguy OS' developer, Antoni Norman, tweaked the desktop environment with some different software options not usually packaged with GNOME.

His refusal to settle for the run-of-the-mill software typical of mainstream GNOME choices is one of this distro's strongest features. The developer gives you better application options to create the best user experience within the modified GNOME environment.

Pinguy OS is a great pick for beginning Linux users because it is easy to use and offers a satisfying experience. It is also a no-nonsense computing platform for seasoned Linux users who want a GNOME environment that makes more sense.

Pinguy OS comes with user-friendly enhancements and out-of-the-box support for multimedia codecs and browser plugins. The modified GNOME user interface has enhanced menus, panels and dock bars. It includes a handpicked selection of popular desktop applications for many common computing tasks.

Sensible Modernizing

I last looked at Pinguy OS four years ago and found it both useful and easy to use. The developer offers a major upgrade about once yearly. This latest release, which arrived earlier this month, shows significant updating.

For instance, it includes GNOME 3.28. The developer tweaked many of the components to ensure a fast and modern OS. Gone are the gEdit text editor in favor of Pluma. In addition to providing better performance, Pluma is a suitable clone replacement. The file manager app is Nemo 3.8.3.

No email client is bundled with this latest release, but Thunderbird is readily available from repositories. The developer suggests using the GNOME email notifications, which is part of the GNOME desktop and works once you enter online account info into the GNOME account panel.

One of the benefits of running Pinguy OS used to be its support for 32-bit systems. However, the latest tweaking done to Pinguy OS made 32-bit versions a bad user experience. This latest release does not run on very old hardware.

Changes That Work

Earlier versions of Pinguy OS ran Docky, an aging launch dock app. It did not mesh well with the latest Pinguy OS build, so gone it is. In its place are Simple Dock and Places Status Indicator.

Simple Dock and Places Status Indicator are GNOME extensions. Like Docky, Simple Dock places a quick launch bar at the bottom of the screen. Places Status Indicator adds a menu for quickly navigating places in the system.

Simple dock at the bottom of the screen and the panel bar across the top of the screen provide easy access to all system tools. The menu button at the left of the top panel has additional tweaks and improvements.

Some of the default GNOME apps have been replaced with MATE versions. This is another example of why Pinguy OS is not just another retread built on standard GNOME 3.

Earlier versions came with the Conky desktop applets, but all the adjusting done in the Pinguy OS 18.04 made it a distraction at best. The developer reasoned that the OS did not need Conky because it confused new users.

I can not agree more. I have found Conky to be clunky. Most of its displays focused on system readouts. Putting them on a desktop just adds to the clutter.

Under the Hood

Pinguy OS is basically Linux Mint infrastructure under the covers, but the GNOME 3 environment is redesigned with many nice usability features. The tweaking in this latest Pinguy OS goes well beyond the GNOME 3 you see in Linux Mint, however.

Pinguy OS has only one desktop flavor. It comes in two options, though: full version or the mini edition. This supports the developer's goal of making an uncomplicated desktop environment.

The mini option gives you less prepackaged software, but you can add the software not included with a few mouse clicks.

This release uses Linux Kernel 4.15.0-23-generic. It also includes OpenGL version string 3.1 Mesa 18.1.1.

If you are a game player who fancies Window games, you will like the inclusion of Winepak's repository. This makes it easy to install your favorites.

Pinguy OS 18.04 also ships with a new GDM and GTK Theme, which contributes greatly to giving the OS a more modern look.

Look and Feel

The desktop itself is clutter-free. You can not place icons there. That is a feature (or not) of the GNOME 3 desktop.

However, it also reinforces one of the distro's driving principles. The goal of Pinguy OS is to give users a clean desktop with a fine-tuned interface that works without confusion. This distro does that.

Simplicity is not the only distinguishing trait. Pinguy OS is a thing of beauty. Pinguy OS comes with an eye-catching collection of artwork that randomly displays as a new background every five minutes or so.