The Ubuntu Business Desktop Remix is based on Ubuntu 11.10, and is intended for institutions and businesses to evaluate the Ubuntu desktop.
The release removes some of the consumer-focused applications on the Ubuntu desktop, such as games, file-sharing clients, and sysadmin tools, and instead bundles VMware View, Adobe Flash plug-in, and OpenJDK 6.
All of the software that’s included is freely available within Ubuntu’s Software Centre, and none of the software has had any customisation done to it.
“No secret sauce [...] we’re not creating a RHEL; we already have an enterprise-quality release cadence called LTS, and we like it just the way it is. This is a convenience for anyone who wants it,” wrote Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth in a blog post.
Due to the inclusion of proprietary applications such as VMware View, the download is covered by an End User Licence Agreement, and is therefore not freely distributable.
The remix can be downloaded from the Ubuntu site once a registration form has been completed.
The desktop used by the remix is Ubuntu’s standard Unity desktop, with installation images only currently available in 32-bit x86 format.