AcetoneISO 2.3 Review

Sometimes people just get tired of using the terminal to do the simplest things, in most of the Linux distributions. Some will claim this method offers more freedom, but the reality is we just don't have the time anymore to waste on such trivial matters. That's why AcetoneISO exists, to remove the need to perform a simple mount command that sometimes proves to take longer than it really should.

AcetoneISO is a software that provides a clean interface, which is used mainly to mount and dismount any type of image format you could possibly think of, but this is just at first glance.

The truth is that AcetoneISO is a much more complex piece of software, even though all its other features are not properly advertised. I, for one, had no idea of its complexity and sleuth of functions, using it for the straight forward mount interface and for its compatibility with all the image formats I've tried.

Installation

Ubuntu users can find AcetoneISO in the default software repository, using Ubuntu Software Center or Synaptic Package Manager. Just Hit the CTRL+ALT+T key combination on your keyboard and paste the following command in the terminal window:

sudo apt-get install acetoneiso

The developers have provided packages for all other major distributions, a subversion repository for developers and a source archive, all of which can be found on their Downloads page.

Usage

As I mentioned above, AcetoneISO is used mainly to mount images, and most people will stop in the main screen. Unfortunately, the software doesn't yet support drag and drop, at least in Ubuntu, but there is also a history panel which can be used to mount images with the click of a mouse.

In the right side of the main pane, there is also a fancy database field. Although it looks like a feature that is aimed at heavy users, it's quite easy to configure and it makes finding the images stored in a computer a lot easier.

On the other hand, when running the software for the first time, users can choose a series of default settings, like the default directory of the images, which media player to use (this is quite a big part of AcetoneISO) and which file manager to utilize (KDE, Nautilus, Thunar, LXDE, or none at all).

AcetoneISO will recognize a ton of images: ISO, MDF, NRG, BIN and many others. Unlike using a terminal, the mounting operation will not require the administrator's password.

Another great feature implemented in AcetoneISO is the possibility to convert images (PowerISO will need to be installed by the application). We all know what a problem this can be sometimes, with images created on a Mac or Windows OS. The software will transform any ISO image in any of the other formats mentioned before. It even has a special entry “Convert a MacOS Image”.

Besides the image management functions, the software can also generate ISO images right from a folder and do the opposite, extract folders from an image.

In the utilities section of AcetoneISO users will find an option to mount in a specified folder, an option to calculate MD5 and Sha sums, an option to extract a boot image, and even one to create BIN/Cue files.

Archive manager is another important feature, in which are gathered useful functions: Split/Merge Image (self-explanatory), Compress/Extract image, Encrypt/Decrypt image, and Extract a RAR password protected archive.

Although AcetoneISO is used mainly to mount images without much hassle, the extra functions are not to be neglected. It can also be utilized to burn images and to erase rewritable CDs and DVDs, making it more of a media manager than just a software with a specific purpose.

AcetoneISO can do some video related operations, but they depend on Mencoder, a tool that comes with Mplayer. If users choose to, they can rip DVD to Xvid format, convert FLV type files to AVI, and even convert videos specifically for the PSP format. If users also have ffmpeg installed, they can even rip audio from a video source.

The Bad

It's hard to find faults with this software. It's stable and hasn't crashed even once. The only problem I could find and some users will certainly agree, is that mounted images can only be unmounted from the software, the usual way, through the terminal, being unusable.

The Good

With a simple interface and supporting most of the image formats, AcetoneISO is one of the best software you can find for this type of operations and, if we count the other features, it's hard not to like it.

Conclusion

AcetoneISO is without a doubt one of the best software of its kind. Sure, we can still pretend to like the terminal way of doing stuff, but who has the time to doodle with a terminal when there is a software that can do it with one click or two, if we count the one needed to open the program.

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