Software Review – UbuntuOne

By Drew Kwashnak

Computers are great, aren’t they? What else can help you lose so many files, pictures and home videos so easily?  When you have more than one computer, then you have double the chance of losing anything (plus your sanity)!

That’s where the Internet comes to help. The folks who bring you the Ubuntu Linux distribution have made a great product that helps organize and keep your files where you can find them. They call it …

Despite the “One” in its name, UbuntuOne is two components; the installed application that has come by default on each Ubuntu Linux release since 8.04 LTS, and the site located on Canonical servers on the Internet.  The real magic, though, is where these two components meet.

Typically, online file storage requires you to install their application and set a particular directory to be synchronized with your account.  With UbuntuOne, on the other hand, the application is already installed on every version of Ubuntu since release 8.04.  The difference is that instead of selecting a single directory to be synchronized with your online space, you can select a number of existing or created directories to synchronize.  In this way, you can keep your documents in your Documents directory, pictures in your Pictures directory and anything you want in any directory. When a file is added, deleted or updated in a designated directory, the system automatically synchronizes the changes with your online location, depending on Internet access.

The beauty of this stands out especially when you have more than one Ubuntu system associated with your UbuntuOne account.  First, when Ubuntu is set to use your UbuntuOne account on a new system, whatever directories you had set to synchronize before will be automatically set to synchronize on your new system as well.  No need to remember which directories are set and which ones are not.

Afterward, regardless of which system modifies a file in a synchronized directory, that change will automatically be updated in all other systems connecting to your account.  So you can make a slide show presentation on the desktop and have it automatically updated on the laptop the next time it logs in to UbuntuOne over the Internet, and vice versa.  If you don't have Internet access then, then it will synchronize the next time it is able to connect.

All the while, you still have a web interface available that allows you to upload files, add directories and delete files when you are not in front of your Ubuntu Linux computer, and have it automatically update your Ubuntu systems the next time it synchronizes.  You can even download or publish files from your UbuntuOne account through this interface.  Published files are accessible to other people, without having to grant them access to all of your files.

This is where UbuntuOne pulls ahead of the other sites with features they just don't have.  Ubuntu synchronizes more than just files.

If your monitor is outlined by sticky notes like a lion's mane, you may be happy to learn that Ubuntu comes with its own note taking application, Tomboy.  Tomboy notes, combined with UbuntuOne, can be synchronized just as easily as are your files.   For those times you are not in front of your Ubuntu Linux machines, you can use the web interface to add, update and delete your notes, which will be updated on your systems the next time they are synchronized.

Have you ever wanted to send an email and find you have it on your other machine?  Just as Notes can be synchronized with UbuntuOne, so can the contacts you have stored in Ubuntu's default email client, Evolution.  Evolution is an email, calendar, task and contacts application similar to Microsoft's Outlook, except the address book can be automatically synchronized with UbuntuOne.  Likewise, as you can edit notes through the web interface, you can add, edit and remove contacts through the web interface.

Even better, UbuntuOne now offers UbuntuOne Mobile that allows you to synchronize your contacts with your iPhone, Android, Blackberry or any of the 1,000 of phones supported.  One address book to rule them all!

With a simple Firefox Add On called Bindwood, your bookmarks can be synchronized with your UbuntuOne account.  So by signing into one simple account you can get your files, notes, contacts and bookmarks automatically synchronized across multiple machines, or all of your information put back onto a fresh installation or upgrade.  Yet UbuntuOne does more than just file storage and synchronization. 

With version 10.04 LTS, Lucid Lynx, the people from UbuntuOne introduced the UbuntuOne Music Store.  This combines the default music player Rythmbox with an online music store so you can browse, buy and play your music, through the same application.  Songs bought are high quality 256 kbps or higher DRM-free MP3s and are placed in your UbuntuOne account, which is then accessible and downloadable, by all of your Ubuntu Linux systems synchronizing with your account.  Don't worry about running out of space, there is no storage limit to the music you purchase.

Not only can you buy, store and access your music from any of your Ubuntu Linux systems, UbuntuOne Mobile allows you to stream your own music from your account, including your bought music, to your iPhone or Android.  So now your music can be stored in one location, and accessed by your computers and your phone.

Don't think they are done adding features, either.  Currently the UbuntuOne team is working on a beta version that runs on Microsoft Windows as well as adding to UbuntuOne Mobile the ability to automatically synchronize pictures taken with your smart phone.

I know what you are thinking, how much does all of this cost?  The basic account gives you 2 GB of space free.  This allows you to synchronize your files, contacts, bookmarks and tasks between all of your Ubuntu Linux systems and to use the web interface.   If you need more space, you can purchase a 20-pack; 20 GB blocks of added storage space for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.  Purchased music synchronizes with your account regardless, and if the combination of your music and your files puts you over your limit, it still doesn't stop you from buying more music.  You are not able to add any more files to your UbuntuOne account until either your combined files and music are brought down to fit within your storage space, or your storage space is increased to more than the combined files.  UbuntuOne Mobile includes the Contact synchronization as well as music streaming capabilities for $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year.

Support for Windows is still in the early stages of Beta, but if you are interested in getting involved, more information is available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuOne/Windows.  It's very early, and only allows synchronizing the Ubuntu One folder manually unless you make it a scheduled task to synchronize every few minutes or so.  The ability to synchronize other folders, contacts, bookmarks and notes are on the project's To Do list.

If nothing else, UbuntuOne makes it easy to backup and store files, music and pictures while at the same time making it so simple to restore these to a replacement, new or updated system.  On a personal note, I have been using UbuntuOne to keeps files on my desktop and laptop in sync and it has been doing a wonderful job.  This and other articles have been saved in a synchronized folder and I have had no problems accessing and updating the files from one system to the other.  With the basic version and Ubuntu Linux free of charge, why not give it a spin and try it out for yourself?

For more information, go to https://one.ubuntu.com/

Drew Kwashnak has been using Ubuntu off-and-on for over 5 years now, and with the way UbuntuOne is helping keep his files accessible and in check, it looks like he may be sticking with Ubuntu for a while now.