Freespire

Linspire, developer of the Linspire commercial and Freespire community desktop Linux distributions, and CNR.com, a free Linux software delivery service, announced on August 8 the immediate availability of the controversial Freespire 2.0 distribution -- the Linux distribution that embraces proprietary software.

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The new Freespire 2.0 uses Ubuntu 7.04 as its baseline. To that popular community Linux distro, Freespire 2.0 adds legally licensed proprietary drivers, codecs and applications in its core distribution, to provide a better user experience. Freespire 2.0 also continues to offer users the ability to choose what software they want installed on their computers, without limitations or restrictions, as a result making available proprietary software where there are no viable open-source alternatives.

Thanks to San Diego-based Linspire's recent Microsoft partnership, Freespire 2.0 also provides users with enhanced Microsoft Word document interoperability by including Open XML translators that allow OpenOffice to open and edit Microsoft Word .docx formatted documents.

Freespire is able to provide improved out-of-the-box hardware, file type and multimedia support, such as MP3, Windows Media, RealNetworks, Java, Flash, ATI, Nvidia, Wi-Fi and Adobe Acrobat support. Freespire is also the first desktop Linux operating system that will include a CNR plug-in for the soon-to-be-released CNR Service.

The new CNR is designed to give users free one-click access to thousands of open-source applications, as well as options for legally licensed DVD playback software, Sun's StarOffice, Parallels Workstation, Win4Lin, CodeWeaver's CrossOver Office, TransGaming's Cedega, commercial games and many more. Linspire plans to make CNR services available to other Linux distributions starting with Ubuntu, and then OpenSUSE, Debian and Fedora.

"Version 2.0 is the first Freespire based off of the popular Ubuntu distribution," newly appointed Linspire president and CEO Larry Kettler said in a statement. "Freespire 2.0 picks up where Ubuntu leaves off by adding proprietary software, drivers and codecs, to make for a more complete turnkey solution for mainstream desktop computing."

Kettler, Linspire's former vice president of worldwide sales and marking, has been with Linspire since 2001. He replaces longtime CEO Kevin Carmony, who recently resigned from Linspire to pursue other business and political interests.

"This is by far our most advanced desktop Linux system we've released to date," Kettler said. "Everything is cutting-edge, utilizing the latest core technologies, from the kernel to KDE, with the infrastructure in place to keep Freespire updated and current, moving forward."

Linspire will continue to develop and release new commercial versions of its industry-leading desktop Linux operating system, the Linspire OS. While Freespire is more accessible to developers, enthusiasts, hobbyists and those in or curious about the Linux community, Linspire is more geared toward OEMs and the retail channel and offers premium channel-oriented support.

The newly revamped distribution is now available for free download through the Freespire Web site.