Which GNU/Linux distribution that gives you absolute 100% free software? Is it Slackware? No. Is it Debian? No. Is it Red Hat’s Fedora Core? Ok you got to be kidding, no! It’s Ututo-e!
The strange sounding name hit me off-guard for a moment. For all these years, i’ve been believing that only Debian offers 100% Free Software in its GNU/Linux distributions. But after doing some reading and research, i found out that although Debian keeps all the non-free software clearly separated, they do distribute it. Thats why Richard M. Stallman now advocates users to use Ututo GNU/Linux, the only distribution which comprise 100% of Free Software. He also dubs Ututo as “the only free distribution”.
Upon entering the Ututo website, you will notice that a lot of the website are in fact in Spanish! This is because Ututo is an Argentinian base and is community developed GNU/Linux distribution, much of it like slackware’s. Ututo primary language is in Spanish while its also offers (rather incomplete) english version of the website at https://e.ututo.org.ar.
The Ututo GNU/Linux seemingly favours the i386 (Intel-based) PC platform. The Download link on the website offers Ututor builds optimized for specified IBM-PC based CPU such as 486, Pentium, 686, Athlon MP, Athlon XP, Semphron, Pentium 3 and Pentium 4. This reminds me of the Gentoo GNU/Linux distribution which also offers their GNU/Linux build optimized for the specific (PC) CPU platform.
The upside of Ututo distributions is, you will have a completely free GNU/Linux operating system comprises of 100% Free Software. You also will have a chance to appreciates every Free Software included in the distributions and its usefulness.
The downside is, being a relatively new distribution the Ututo GNU/Linux offers little support for a newbie users. And most of its help & support forums is in Spanish! Besides the Free Software Foundation endorsement and promotion, I find the Ututo is kinda lacking in the advertisement department.
Lastly, whatever my personal opinion is, the Ututo is regarded as “the only free distribution” by RMS himself and the Free Software Foundation is seemingly endorse it by mirroring Ututo ISO in their servers. Enough said.
I prefer to pronounce it GNU-slash-Linux, or GNU-plus-Linux. The reason is that when you say GNU-Linux it is very much prone to suggest a misleading interpretation. After all, we have GNU Emacs which is the version of Emacs which was developed for GNU. If you say “GNU Linux”, people will think it means a version of Linux that was developed for GNU. Which is not the fact.
– Richard M. Stallman
References :
1. Richard M. Stallman interviews
2. Ututo-e website
3. The Free Software Foundation
Thanks for you coment about UTUTO.
Is importan for us all opinions.
Please see a review about new version.
It will be released at June 15 of 2005.
Thank again and regards.
Daniel Olivera
UTUTO Development Leader