2024-09-20 07:00:00
Windows 11 is a controversial operating system, but it has some good things. If you like the look of Windows but want to use Linux, Deepin is the best choice.
Do you look familiar? Should.
- Deepin v 23 BC It is available now and can be tried for free.
- The latest Deepin Linux desktop looks a lot like Windows 11 and includes all the software you need (including its own AI app).
- Although the OS is stable, there are still some issues with the apps (such as incorrect languages being presented and issues with the AI function).
I have never been a fan of Windows. No incarnation of that operating system caught my attention, but I understand why so many people prefer it. The desktop does not stray too far from the traditional interface, it is predictable and not ugly.
But there are other “things” that are of daily use. There are the Start menu notifications (which can be disabled), the excessive system requirements, and the worry that all Windows accounts will be moved to the cloud. If any of these problems apply to you, I would like to introduce you to the latest version of Deepin Linux. Before you get too excited, this is an RC (release candidate) version, which means it’s not ready for general release. That’s fine because RCs are a good indicator of what’s to come.
I jumped on the Deepin RC bandwagon to see what it was all about. To my surprise, this open source operating system is slowly moving towards looking like Windows 11. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.
From my point of view, this “most beautiful” Linux desktop now looks mediocre. It doesn’t do anything really special anymore (except clone the look and feel of Microsoft’s operating system). But again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing… especially for those who prefer the look and feel of Windows 11.
Of course, since this is Linux, you can always modify the desktop to better suit your needs. For example, you can move the dock right, left or up; align it left, right or center; hide it cleverly; altered opacity; and resize the icons. My only disappointment is that you can’t change it to look more like a traditional dock. Deepin dock is a panel and that’s it.
However, I found that the posts on the left, right and top of the spring were grayed out. I am still trying to figure out why this is happening.
One of the things that keeps driving me crazy with the Deepin desktop is that I keep dragging the cursor to the bottom left of the desktop to open the menu. Guess what? The menu button is not there. Remember, this is similar to Windows, but not an exact clone, so the menu button is the leftmost icon in the centered launcher section of the dock. The icon in the bottom left corner is the clipboard (which I’m used to in the system tray). I understand why Deepin did this, but it’s taking me a while to get used to it.
However, that doesn’t take away from how well Deepin works. It’s smooth, runs well, and is rock-solid (especially for a BC). Yes, there were some issues (like the default web browser, simply called Navigator, being set to Chinese, even with the OS set to English), but overall, I was very impressed with Deepin’s release candidate .
What’s new in Deepin 23?
As for new and improved features, the list is not as comprehensive as you might think. The most notable are:
- New Update Backup option to perform system updates without taking a system backup (use with care)
- New system fonts
- Updated proprietary nvidia-graphics-drivers package
- Video decoding support now supports multiple video streams and video playback in multiple resolutions.
- Optimized to prevent the /boot/ partition from saving too many kernel snapshot backups
- Trial mode installer is optimized
There is also a list of package updates, including glibc 2.38, llvm-toolchain 17, dpkg 1.22.6, apt 2.8, lightdm 1.30.0, openssl 3.2.0, pam 1.5.3, lybxcrypt 4.4.36, libselinux, libselinux probe 3.1.2, libxcb 1.15, ncurses 6.4, FFmpeg 6.1.1, mesa 24, wayland 1.2.0 and many more.
AI is here
AI is unlikely to become standard on Linux desktops. Yes, it can be added via extensions, used within a browser and even installed applications to use ChatGPT , but most distributions refrain from adding it as a default feature.
Deepin decided to go in the other direction and included UOS AI. According to Zhang Lei, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Unisoft, “Currently, UOS AI realizes the ability to access large mainstream models at home and abroad, and incorporates them into the public basic capabilities of Deepin AI; at the time Similarly, we will gradually open the UOS AI source code to third-party applications, so that more applications can directly call the big models in Deepin.”
So AI has arrived on this particular Linux desktop and it looks like it’s here to stay. Something to keep in mind is that UOS AI does not work out of the box. You must first set up an AI account before you can use it.
To set up your account, you’ll need your account name and the API key for the AI service you plan to use (such as GPT 3.5). Interestingly, the app couldn’t connect to my OpenAI test account, so I had to try UOS AI with the test account. It worked well, but it was quite slow. I assume this is because it is a test account. I hope that when the general version is available, the problems will be fixed.
In the end, though, I’m not so sure about using UOS AI over, say, Opera’s Aria.
There is one thing I really like about UOS AI. There is a drop down menu where you can choose between:
- UOS AI – IA
- Deepin System Assistant – Answers questions related to Deepin OS
- Personal information assistant: can answer questions and generate content based on data in your personal file
The only problem I had was when I used the Deepin System Assistant, the responses were in (I think) Mandarin (even though the default language was set to American English). This issue has also been found in the default web browser and some other applications. Again, I hope this is only due to their BC status.
If you ask me, Deepin 23 BC is not ready for the average user. But when it’s available to the general public (provided the language and AI issues are resolved), I can easily see it being the main way between Windows and Linux. Because it looks and behaves very similar to Windows 11 (and even includes AI functionality), this open source operating system should have broad appeal.
If you are interested in trying this version, you will find it in the Download deepin official website .
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