Element OS was a Linux

Linux

Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...

 operating system that was intended for Home theater PC

Home theater PC

A Home Theater PC or Media Center appliance is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, music playback, and sometimes video recording functionality...

 computers. It was discontinued in 2011.

Features

Element OS was based on Xubuntu

Xubuntu

Xubuntu is a Canonical Ltd. recognized, community maintained derivative of the Ubuntu operating system, using the Xfce desktop environment.The name Xubuntu is a portmanteau of Xfce and Ubuntu...

 and maintained compatibility with the Ubuntu repositories. It used the Advanced Packaging Tool

Advanced Packaging Tool

The Advanced Packaging Tool, or APT, is a free user interface that works with core libraries to handle the installation and removal of software on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution and its variants...

 with Element's own custom repositories and the Ubuntu repositories. In addition to the package manager, Element OS incorporated the AllMyApps software center to allow additional applications to be downloaded.

Element employed a customized Xfce

Xfce

Xfce is a free software desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms, such as Linux, Solaris, and BSD – though recent compatibility issues have arisen with regard to BSD Unix platforms...

 interface with similar full-screen windowing effects seen on netbook and mobile interfaces such as the Ubuntu Netbook Remix

Ubuntu Netbook Remix

Ubuntu Netbook Edition , known as Ubuntu Netbook Remix prior to the release of Ubuntu 10.04, was a version of the Ubuntu Linux distribution that had been optimized to enable it to work better on netbooks and other devices with small screens or with the Intel Atom CPU.UNE was available starting with...

.

Software

Element OS came with some specialty applications for its role, including XBMC as a media center, the Cooliris

Cooliris

Cooliris, Inc. is a US corporation. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Cooliris develops products intended to enhance user experience of online media...

 Media Browser plugin for streaming content, VLC media player

VLC media player

VLC media player is a free and open source media player and multimedia framework written by the VideoLAN project.VLC is a portable multimedia player, encoder, and streamer supporting many audio and video codecs and file formats as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It is able to...

 to play back video, Decibel Audio Player

Decibel Audio Player

Decibel Audio Player is an audio player written in Python, designed to be straightforward and easy to use. It is targeted at users of the GNOME desktop environment and follows the GNOME human interface guidelines.- Modules :...

 and the Transmission bit torrent client. It also came with the Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...

browser with zoom functionality through the "no squint" add-on to aid in web browsing at the higher resolutions that HTPCs often use.

Hardware

Element OS worked together with Eight Virtues, a hardware reseller, to produce EVTV, a custom built HTPC with Element OS installed.

External links