Help Identifying a Distro

Mcmullan · 07-31-2012, 10:46 AM

Hi guys. I'd be very grateful if someone can identify the distro being used in the following film, Shooter, which was released in 2007.

My understanding is that in the absence of corporate sponsorship, movies tend to use open-source OS and software. Also, the character is a ex-military, where I believe linux is quite commonplace.

273 · 07-31-2012, 11:19 AM

I'd say it's likely impossible to tell which Distro -- someone might identify the DE or Window Manager but that would about all I would expect and even that could be hard.
For example I have had Linux Mint, Debian, PCBSD, OpenSolaris, and a few others all looking the same as one another. The only way to tell the distro is if it changes a menu icon or desktop background but in the pictures you posted either the menu has been de-branded or it wasn't changed in the first place and the wallpaper isn't showing.

Reuti · 07-31-2012, 12:32 PM

As it should have a known behavior during the shooting (actors won’t like errors to occur I think), it might even be not a real OS but just running a prerecorded screen play or a designed presentation for this scene.

273 · 07-31-2012, 12:36 PM

Yes, there's that too. Sometimes they just make the desktop up in Paintbrush.

John VV · 07-31-2012, 04:16 PM

i have seen that movie and at the time thought that almost looks like amiga ??

some OS from the late`80's

now as per actors using something

Nmap WAS used in the second matrix movie

NyteOwl · 07-31-2012, 06:35 PM

That "chat" screen looks much like the one they sued in The Net, which was Apple based.

Given skina ability the browser shot could be almost anything as could the terminal screen.

Of course the most likely is that it's a pre-programmed movie (eg Flash etc) designed to the movie.

Mcmullan · 08-02-2012, 09:21 AM

Thanks for your input guys. I was naive enough to assume it would have been a slightly less known distro, based on the advice I was initially given.

---------- Post added 02-08-12 at 15:22 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by John VV

i have seen that movie and at the time thought that almost looks like amiga ??

some OS from the late`80's

now as per actors using something

Nmap WAS used in the second matrix movie

John, funny you say that as I had the following suggestion from another forum:

'Looks like old DOS booting up with Logitech mouse driver (the blue part scrolling over the top).' But perhaps its a pre-fabricated recording/setup rather than a complete OS.'