NEW • Distribution Release: ArtistX 0.9

Marco Ghirlanda has announced the release of ArtistX 0.9, an Ubuntu-based live DVD that turns a common computer into a multimedia production studio: "ArtistX 0.9 is based on the Remastersys software for creating live media and includes the 2.6.31 Linux kernel, GNOME 2.28 and KDE 4.3.5, Compiz Fusion and about 2,500 free multimedia software packages, nearly everything that exists for the GNU/Linux operating system. Main features: based on Ubuntu 9.10 'Karmic' with tons of updates, Compiz for 3D desktop effects; most of GNU/Linux multimedia packages and the very easy Ubiquity installer. A partial list of software included in the DVD: 2D graphics software - GIMP, Inkscape, Nip2, Krita, Synfig, Rawstudio, Skencil, Hugin; 3D graphics software - Blender, Wings3D, KPovModeler + POV-Ray 3.6, K3D; video software - Cinelerra, Kino, Openshot, Open Movie Editor, Kdenlive, PiTiVi, Avidemux, DeVeDe...." Visit the project's home page to read the brief release announcement. Download via BitTorrent: artistx_0.9_live_dvd.iso (3,333MB).

http://exo.enarel.eu/mirror/artistx/artistx-0.9.torrent

Sure there's no virus, Matthew? It's a great idea and I'd like to download it but I'm afraid it might ruin my comp...

This isn't just a program, it's an entire operating system. You would have to format (or at least alter) your main PC to install this Artist .9 suite.

No, there is no virus. As opposed to the Microsoft/PC world, Linux users don't have to worry about viruses.

There are hundreds of different "distributions" or "distros" of Linux, and all of them are free. Programmers work on these programs (and operating systems) in their spare time, to develop their skills, add volunteer projects to their resumes, etc.

I've installed many "distros" on extra PCs in years past, and I've never had any problem with viruses, etc. That's one thing you don't have to worry about.

To Joan Scholastica -- you'd have to pretty much give up Microsoft Windows and any Windows programs you use in order to use this Artist .9 suite. I recommend testing it out on an old PC you have lying around first. There are equivalent programs in Linux for most popular Windows programs -- but they take getting used to, of course.

Matthew

A good way to generally explore such programs like Matthew recommended is to use them in a virtual machine. That's a program you run under your main operating system (the host) and inside this virtual machine you can install another operating system (the guest), e.g. Matthew's mentioned .iso and then use this guest within your host.
You can have your guest to run in a window or in full screen on the host, you can pause and freeze the guest, save it, and you can interact between host and guest system, etc.

This way MyrnaM, JoanScholastica and other interested persons could try and use ArtistX 0.9 inside their host with no need for an extra PC or partition.

There are a few virtual machines but I recommend http://www.virtualbox.org/
It's free, it runs on all major operating systems, is fast and relatively easy to use once you've read the "Get started" docuмentation.