OEone HomeBase 1.0 Linux Review, Part II

By Joe Klemmer <klemmerj@webtrek.com>

In the Apr 4th issue of LWN I did a quick little "review" of OEone's HomeBase Linux 1.0. As is always the case, a few hours after the publishing of that review I was able to contact the tech support for OEone. With their help I have been able to install and try HomeBase Linux. Here is my take on this product.

First an explanation for why I was having so much trouble getting it going in the first place. There were a few things that were interfering with getting HomeBase installed and running. One, that is not clear in the documentation, is when you are installing HomeBase on your own system you must select Generic Internet Computer from the options. Also, make sure you are on an i686 or better CPU. HomeBase will not boot on a K5. If you your HD space is 2GB or less, do not select the Automatic Partition option. Lastly, under Select Package Groups, there are two options. These are for installing on the HW that OEone sells so for a Generic Internet Computer do not select anything. The rest of the install is very much like a Red Hat install.

Now that it is finally installed it's time to take a look. My first impression: Wow! I have not been this blown away by a Linux Distribution since MCC & TAMU moved us off of the boot/root floppies.

Upon the first boot after install you are asked if you want to Connect to the Internet or Start Using the Computer Now, with a "recommended" on the Internet Connection. Selecting this brings you to a screen where you can select from a very limited list of ISPs or choose one of the following -

DHCP
Dial-Up
LAN
PPPoE

There is plenty of help and explanations for each option so that even the most non-technical user should be able to choose the right option. Once this is done you are asked if you wish to Sign Up for Free Services (Recommended) or Start Using the Computer Now. Selecting the Free Services will allow you to register your system with OEone. This part asks for your name, address and other info but you can skip it or, if you change your mind, quit the registration and just Start Using the Computer. Here is where it gets fun.

The GUI interface is nothing like any other computer I've seen. You can go to OEone's web site and get specifics (and see a real nice, albeit Flash, tour of the GUI) so I will not go into detail here. Instead I will describe what it is like to use this interface.

Recently I have had the pleasure of working on an iMac running OS X. The interface, as would be expected from a Mac, is very easy and intuitive. My 5 year old son can use it with no trouble at all. I mention this because I think that the way OEone has designed and built their interface to the computer is as good as, and in some ways better than, Aqua on OS X. I don't say this lightly. The ease of use is fantastic but, as it is Linux, you can still get to the guts of the system if you want to. This really is the Linux Distro for Grandma.

There are some down sides. Since it is designed for non-techies, this isn't a system for a power user or hacker. Also, it isn't quite clear what the license for the OS is. Someone who can understand the legal-speak might want to take a look at it and follow up. And I do not believe there are downloadable ISO images available.

The bottom line is that if you are looking for something different to use as an Internet Computer/Appliance for home it would be well worth looking at HomeBase. As a Linux distro, it really stands alone with respect to user interface and usability.

Joe Klemmer is a "Unix SysAdmin/Ad Hoc Programmer"