Ubuntu One

Ubuntu One is a single sign-on OpenID-based service integrated by Canonical Ltd. to permit users logon to several Canonical-owned websites. Also, Ubuntu One was a music store and file hosting service that permitted users to save data "in the cloud" until April 2014.

This service permits the user to online store files and syncs them between mobile devices and computers, as well as stream music and audio from the cloud to mobile devices. Canonical disclosed that the synchronization and cloud storage features would be shut down at the completion of 31 July 2014, leaving the sign-on aspect intact in April 2014.

Features of Ubuntu One

Ubuntu One contained a client application that executed on Ubuntu 9.04 and later, Windows XP or newer, and Mac OS X 10.6 and higher. Other distributions of Linux not executing GNOME were supported by a console client. Also, the source code is available from the launchpad and can be easily compiled for other Unix-like OSes like FreeBSD. There was also a music app of Ubuntu One for iOS devices. 5 GB of free storage is offered by the Ubuntu One account.

The Ubuntu One service was the same as Amazon Cloud Player, Google Play Music, Dropbox, iCloud, and Microsoft OneDrive.
Its client code was specified in Python. It utilized Protocol Buffers and twisted for its protocol description and low-level networking.
Data was synced on a custom protocol known as "u1storage" and saved on Amazon S3.
Ubuntu One provided automatic photo upload taken from Android phone devices for immediate synchronization between computers; development with Mozilla Thunderbird for contacts and Tomboy for notes because of the access to the local instance, i.e., CouchDB.
Also, it had abilities to purchase DRM-free music at the time of synchronizing them with an Ubuntu One Account automatically by the Ubuntu One Music Store.
For developers, Ubuntu One released APIs wishing to create applications with data and file music streaming or synchronization.
An Ubuntu One account provided users access to the Ubuntu One, Launchpad, Canonical Store, and other services of Ubuntu.
It permitted users to save files in the cloud, save their contact information in the interface and use the Ubuntu One Music Store to purchase music activate and from the Ubuntu Software Center.
Also, other sites supported Ubuntu One that supports OpenID authorization.

History of Ubuntu One

The account, i.e., Ubuntu Single Sign On, was re-branded upon Ubuntu One as a part of consolidating the online service of Canonical upon the Ubuntu One brand in June 2013. The announcement also recognized Ubuntu Pay as other services to come upon the brand. Pursuing a security bridge in July 2013, Canonical offered the Ubuntu Forums upon the brand, which means that Forum users login with Ubuntu One instead of the older username-password system.

Canonical announced that the selected Ubuntu One service shut down on 2 April 2014. It was no longer possible to buy music or storage space as of the announcement day. File services will not be available from 1 June, but old users were permitted to download their content until 31 July, when every saved data will be deleted permanently.

Canonical explained they did not wish to spend more on Ubuntu One, which will be needed to end with other services.
Rather, their priority is creating "a converged operating system for desktops, tablets, and phones".
Also, the company announced plans to publish the source code for the Ubuntu One server application to the public upon an open-source license.
The synchronization services and cloud storage shutdown doesn't impact the single sign-on program of Ubuntu One, which will be in place.
The service was shut down, and every file of the user was deleted on 31 July 2014.
Canonical published the file syncing code upon the GNU AGPL in August 2015.
A few other server parts will be published with no ETA.
Ubuntu One has been examined in the Ubuntu community to use a proprietary server application.

No native client development for the Kubuntu release of the Ubuntu OS was available as of January 2013. Kubuntu integration was upon the development and had gotten permission from the Google Summer of Code 2010. Further assessment concerned the imprecise revenue share that will be acknowledged to the community.

Advantages of using Ubuntu One

Ubuntu One might look like an Ubuntu-only file synchronization account, but it is more than that. We can utilize Ubuntu One on Android, iOS, Windows, and from the web. It includes aspects to online share files or folders, streaming music to our smartphones, synchronizing applications around all our devices, and more.

Sync folders
Ubuntu, by default, only synchronizes files in the Ubuntu One folder in our home directory. Although, we can right-click on any folder, point to the menu of Ubuntu One and choose Synchronize This Folder to begin synchronizing it. We can manage our synchronized folders using the Ubuntu One application.
Ubuntu One in Windows
Ubuntu One does not only execute on Linux. It also provides a Windows client along with complete file synchronization support. It is a cross-platform file synchronization account; we can use it if we are any window user that is never used Ubuntu operating system before.
Limit bandwidth
Ubuntu One, by default, applies every available bandwidth for file downloads and uploads, but we can limit its download and upload speed if we are on any slower connection. These bandwidth settings are positioned on the Settings pane inside the Ubuntu One window.
Synchronize installed applications
Ubuntu one can sync the application we have installed from the Ubuntu software center between our systems. So, it is easy to record which application we have installed.
Share files
We can share folders and files publically on the web or privately with any user of Ubuntu One with the help of the right-click menu in our file manager or its website.
Upload photos automatically from our smartphone
The mobile application also contains the ability to upload photos automatically we take on our smartphone to our Ubuntu One cloud, permitting easy access to our photos on our devices.
Use mobile applications
Ubuntu One provides applications for iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone, and Android. With the app, we can access our Ubuntu One files easily from our mobile devices.
Sync contacts
Ubuntu One can also synchronize our contacts and online store them. Currently, we can import contacts on the Ubuntu One website from Facebook or manually add them. Older Ubuntu versions supported sync contact with the Evolution email client.
Music streaming on mobile
Ubuntu One provides an Ubuntu One music application for iOS and Android. The app permits us to stream our music to our mobile devices from wherever we are. Also, we can cache files on our mobile for offline listening. It costs 3.99 dollars a month and contains 20 GB of storage space.
We can also try it free for the initial 30 days. Also, it works in shows with the Ubuntu One Music Store added with the Rhythmbox music player of Ubuntu One. Any music we buy is instantly delivered to our Ubuntu One account and present in the Ubuntu One music application.

Some other aspects of Ubuntu One are mentioned below:

Backslashes are utilized in Ubuntu One like /home/name.
Ubuntu does not contain drive letters.
On Ubuntu, everything is a file, just as all mounted file systems are a directory upon / (the root directory).
Ubuntu applications do not lock absolute access to files.
Mainly, Ubuntu contains open-source applications.
Ubuntu is more reasonable.
Ubuntu was developed with a multi-user scenario.
Scalable and flexible implementation is feasible with Ubuntu.
Only the root user or the administrator has permission to use the kernel
For testing, education environment, etc., Ubuntu is better because it is cost-effective and has easy inclement.

Get started with Ubuntu One

It is a service executed by Canonical, the enterprise that invests much of the integration for Ubuntu Linux. The client software of Ubuntu One was initially made available for installing in the 9.10 version of Ubuntu; beginning with the 10.04 version of Ubuntu; the client is by default installed. We need to sign up with an account to utilize the service. We can do it in many ways:

On the Ubuntu system, select System > Preferences > Ubuntu One. A pop-up screen will guide us during the sign-up process using easy-to-understand links and tabs.
On the Ubuntu system, press our name inside the Me menu on the upper-right side of our desktop and select Ubuntu One through the pop-up menu. It will bring up a similar pop-up window as the older method.
Visit the official website of Ubuntu One and subscribe.

Ubuntu One Registering

Ubuntu One may be authorized from the 11.04 Unity desktop environment version of Ubuntu by pressing the Ubuntu One item inside the launcher.

The welcome screen of Ubuntu One will appear, offering the option for joining the service and taking benefit of the 2GB of free storage space once launched. Press the option, i.e., Join Now, if we haven't registered previously, or choose the option, i.e., "I already have an account", if we have signed up previously for the service.

The Ubuntu One service registration needed that we give a name, password, email address, and willingness for accepting the Ubuntu One terms and conditions.

The control panel of Ubuntu One will be shown once the registration process is finished.

~/Ubuntu One Folder

A new folder called Ubuntu One will be created in the home directory of the user when the user enables the Ubuntu one subscription on any system. A sub-folder or file that is placed in the Ubuntu One folder is stored automatically in the cloud and synchronized with other devices or systems registered with a similar Ubuntu One account. Besides, any folder or file positioned in the Ubuntu one folder is backed up to the cloud automatically and propagated to every other system with a similar Ubuntu One account.

Folder Synchronization with Ubuntu One

The folders and their contents may be chosen for synchronization with Ubuntu One by right-clicking on the folders inside the Nautilus file manager and choosing the option, i.e., Synchronize This Folder, from the pull right menu of Ubuntu One.

Folders are marked with a green check mark that is chosen for Ubuntu One synchronization in the file manager.

If a folder or file requires to be synchronized or is in the synchronization process with Ubuntu One, the below image occurs next to the icon within the file manager.

Any sub-folder or file made in an Ubuntu One synchronized folder is saved in the Ubuntu One cloud and synchronized with other systems registered with a similar Ubuntu One account as a local system.

View Folders of Ubuntu One Cloud

A complete listing of every folder configured currently to be synchronized from Ubuntu One may be viewed by starting the Ubuntu One Control Panel and choosing the tab, i.e., Cloud Folders, as shown in the below image:

Ubuntu One Sharing

Ubuntu One also permits files to be shared from the cloud with any other Ubuntu One user in inclusion to synchronizing. To share a folder or file, the initial step is to make sure that it has been constructed to be synchronized from Ubuntu One. Next, we need to log in to our account on Ubuntu One website, i.e., http://one.ubuntu.com, press the files tab, and press the more link to the folder or file's right side to be shared to show additional options.

Enter the Ubuntu One user email address with which we want to share the folder or file and choose whether or not we want to let the user make changes to the content. On clicking the button, i.e., Share This Folder, the user will be transferred an email message disclosing the share availability and asking them to press a link for accepting the offer. The user will take a page disclosing the share and inviting the user for logging in or make a new account for accepting the share when the link is pressed. The same page, as represented in the below image, will occur once logged.

The item will be mentioned under the Files tab of the user on the Ubuntu One website, through which it may be installed, if necessary, once accepted. Also, the user may enable file local synchronization by starting the Ubuntu One Control Panel on a local system and choosing the tab, i.e., Cloud Folders.

Publish Files using Ubuntu One

Releasing makes files available to everyone publically from Ubuntu One by a short URL link. To publish a file, it must be first placed inside a synchronized folder. We need to right-click on that file and choose Ubuntu One > Publish through the resulting menu. A message will occur on the desktop representing that the file has been released and mentioning the URL by which it may be used.