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First Look: Ubuntu 8.10 Arrives, Bringing More User-Friendly Features

Scott Gilbertson — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:39:46 +0000

The official next generation release of Ubuntu Linux has just landed. Intrepid Ibex, as this version is known, promises a number of subtle but important feature updates that help make Ubuntu even more user-friendly.

Overall not too much has changed from the beta release we tested earlier, but there were a few last-minute additions worth mentioning: “Cruft Remover” is new utility that tries to get rid of unneeded software packages, and there’s also a new tool for creating a bootable USB stick.

Ubuntu 8.10 is already burning up the torrent tubes, but if you’re holding back here’s a few of the new features that make Ibex a worthwhile upgrade:

GNOME 2.24 — Tabbed windows! Need we say more? See our review of GNOME 2.24 for the gritty details.

Network Manager — now manage WiFi, 3G and other connections all in one spot. No need to mess with manual configuration files.

Guest users — The user switching app had been moved to top right corner and now offers a guest account if someone wants to use your PC and you don’t want them messing things up.

Xorg 7.4 — hotpluggable devices (tablets, keyboards, mice, etc) and better stability.

More — there are some other small but nice additions — support for encrypted private directories, a new versions of Samba, LDAP and more.

Of the new stuff in Ubuntu 8.10, the most useful in my testing has been the updated version of GNOME. In addition to the tabbed file browser windows many of the GNOME panel applets have seen some very nice updates. The Deskbar search app for instance can now perform calculator operations, search Google and even update Twitter, which has made my old solution — Gnome-do — largely unnecessary.

One thing that still hasn’t changed is the Ubuntu look — the default theme remains more or less the same with some new desktop art. Experienced Linux fans are of course experts at customizing their systems so for many it probably isn’t a huge deal since they’ll change the defaults anyway. Of course there is a new dark theme (pictured above), but you’ll need to delve into the themes panel to enable it (we really like this look, it stays true to Ubuntu’s esthetics, but is considerably more polished).

However, from a new-user point of view, Ubuntu’s look is, well, looking a bit long in the tooth. And with Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth publicly calling for more emphasis on interface design it seem odd that, thus far, the default theme remains nearly the same.

Still, despite the familiar look (which may be a good thing for some users) Ubuntu 8.10 is a worthwhile upgrade. You can grab the latest version from the Ubuntu downloads page. And as with all Ubuntu releases, Kubuntu and the other derivatives have been updated as well.

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Ubuntu Linux Gearing Up for Final Release of ‘Intrepid Ibex’

Scott Gilbertson — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:16:54 +0000

The next major version of Ubuntu Linux is almost ready. The Ubuntu Linux team has announced release candidate 1, which will be followed by the final release due next week. It may not be quite ready for prime time, but RC 1 of “Intrepid Ibex,” as this release is known, promises a number of important improvements for the popular Linux distribution.

The latest release of Ubuntu 8.10 follows in the footsteps of Ubuntu 8.04, nick-named “Hardy Heron,” with some subtle, but important feature updates that make Ubuntu even more user-friendly.

The main changes from the earlier beta release are bug fixes and stability improvements. For more details on what’s new in Ubuntu 8.10, check out our review of the first beta.

Most of the changes are improvements to the Ubuntu UI — tabbed windows in GNOME, a better Network manager, improved encryption tools, etc — but one thing to be aware of is that the X.org version behind Ubuntu 8.10 drops support for some older, proprietary nVidia video drivers.

The 71 and 96 series of proprietary nVidia drivers (the ones previously included in the nvidia-glx-legacy and nvidia-glx packages) are not compatible with the version of X.Org that ships with Ubuntu 8.10. If you have a PC with one of the affected chipsets you’ll need to upgrade to the free nVidia driver instead, but unfortunately that driver does not support 3D acceleration.

Other known issues include problems with Intel 4965 wireless chips, which can cause system crashes (there’s a solution available using the backports feature).

Still, despite the lingering issues, Ubuntu 8.10 is shaping up to be a very nice update for the popular Linux distro. We’ll be sure to give you a full review when the final version is available. In the mean time you can test the release candidate by grabbing a copy from the Ubuntu downloads page.

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First Look: Ubuntu ‘Intrepid Ibex’ Beta Delivers Improved UI, New Features

Scott Gilbertson — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:35:40 +0000

The first beta for the next major version of Ubuntu Linux is now available for download and testing. While it isn’t finished yet, the beta version of “Intrepid Ibex,” as this release is known, promises a number of important improvements for the popular Linux distribution.

The first beta of Ubuntu 8.10 follows in the footsteps of Ubuntu 8.04, nick-named “Hardy Heron,” with incremental upgrades that, while not necessarily flashy and obvious, make for a much nicer user experience.

Perhaps the most noticeable change in Ubuntu 8.10 is the new GNOME 2.24 desktop, which brings tabbed Nautilus windows and some new apps like Empathy, a new instant messaging client. Ubuntu, however, seems to be sticking with Pidgin as the default IM client, to enable Empathy you’ll need to install it via Add/Remove.

You’ll also notice some new applets in GNOME 2.24, including a much improved Deskbar search app which can now perform calculator operations, search Google and even update Twitter.

For more details on everything that’s new in GNOME 2.24, be sure to check out our earlier review.

Update Twitter using the GNOME Deskbar

Some of the less obvious, but equally nice improvements in the 8.10 beta include an upgrade for X.org, which offers better support for hot-pluggable input devices — tablets, keyboards, mice, etc — and should stop most people from needing to muck with the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

It’s a tiny change, and may be unique to the beta, but long time Ubuntu users will notice that the login chime has been changed — no more drumming sounds of the African Savannah.

Ubuntu’s new default Guest account

Also new in 8.10 is the inclusion of guest accounts for the fast user switching feature. The guest account creates a temporary password-less user account with restricted privileges; guests cannot access any home directories or permanently store data, which makes it a safe way to let your friends check their e-mail without needing to worry that they’ll mess something up.

Ubuntu 8.10 also features the latest version of Network Manager, the graphical interface for setting up and tweaking both Ethernet and wireless network connections. The manager has a host of new features, including a very easy way to manage of 3G connections — good news for those hacking Ubuntu onto their GSM-enabled netbook.

As with all Ubuntu releases, the alternative distros have also released beta versions. Perhaps the most significant is the release of Kubuntu, which is based on the KDE desktop instead of GNOME, and includes the latest stable version of KDE 4. See our earlier coverage for more on what’s new in KDE 4.1.

If the new features have you wanting to upgrade, head over to the Ubuntu downloads page and grab an ISO image, but be warned: this is a beta and bugs do exist. Unless you’re looking to just do some testing, we suggest holding out for the final release, which is set to arrive later this month.

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Ubuntu Linux Looks to the Cloud for ‘Jaunty Jackalope’

Scott Gilbertson — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:16:03 +0000

Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth has announced that the upcoming Ubuntu 9.04 will be code named “Jaunty Jackalope” and should arrive April 2009. While most Ubuntu users are probably looking forward to 8.10′s release next month, Shuttleworth and team are already looking to the future, one that will push the OS toward hybrid “weblications.”

Shuttleworth, who has previously said that in order for Linux to compete on the desktop, it must “look as good as OS X,” promises that 9.04 will make the Ubuntu experience “comparable to those of the traditional big OSV’s — Microsoft and Apple.” But he also stresses the importance of what he calls “weblications” — desktop apps that integrate with web-based counterparts.

In a post to the Ubuntu mailing list Shuttleworth writes, “the bar is set very high, and we have been given the opportunity to leap over it… we want to make sure that the very best thinking across the whole open source ecosystem is reflected in Ubuntu, because many people will judge free software as a whole by what we do.”

As for the specifics of Jaunty Jackalope, Shuttle worth says the focus will be improving boot time and making the general performance snappier. He also writes that Ubuntu 9.04 will focus on the web-desktop metaphor, which is why the Ubuntu team has chosen the Jackalope code name:

Another goal is the the blurring of web services and desktop applications. “Is it a deer? Is it a bunny? Or is it a weblication — a desktop application that seamlessly integrates the web!” This hare has legs — and horns — and we’ll be exploring it in much more detail for Jaunty.

More specifics will likely be hammered out at the Ubuntu conference in Mountain View December where the developers will finalize their Jaunty plans.

[photo credit, Mykl Roventine, Flickr]

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Shuttleworth: ‘Linux is Mobile OS of the Future’

Adam Duvander — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:01:38 +0000

Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth gave a keynote at O’Reilly’s Open Source Convention in Portland on Tuesday, affirming that Linux is the platform for the future. On Monday, he gave a more laid-back version to a couple hundred people at a theater pub, including mostly Q&A.

He discussed his 2002 trip to the International Space Station, including a lively anecdote about nearly activating the escape sequence. Where Shuttleworth really preached was when he discussed the future of free software to the open source crowd.

On Mobile

“I have no doubt Linux is the platform for mobile devices in the future.”

“iPhone set the benchmark for what to expect of a mobile phone.”

Shuttleworth noted that the influence of iPhone will go beyond phones. There will be many devices that are neither laptop nor desktop.

“We’re talking about picture frames, remote controls, television sets, hotel in-room, video-on-demand, porn-delivery systems. Anything in the future that you can imagine touching or interacting with.”

On Open Source

In 2003 “we were just scratching the surface of what is possible with free software, both in terms of the amount of energy that’s going into the free software stack and in terms of the economics of it.

We needed to find a way to deliver a certified free software stack, something that’s good enough for production, that’s not a second class offering, and deliver that free of charge. That means trying to find business models around it that are entirely service-based.”

Shuttleworth lauded Redhat and Novell for reaching their technical audiences who enjoy playing OS mechanic. He said to go further, we need to focus on the audiences that require software to work without tinkering.

“Users have the right to expect secure, robust, tested, integrated and supported software.”

Signs are that Linux is making positive improvements. Shuttleworth said recent data from Chinese users given Linux machines is that as many as 20% leave Linux installed, surprisingly high for a country where piracy is less shunned.

One of Shuttleworth’s larger laughs of the night came from a quip about users installing copied versions of Windows:

“People say installing Linux is hard. You should try installing (pirated) Windows.”

On Microsoft

“I have great respect for Microsoft. A lot of people forget this, but Microsoft made software cheap. Before Microsoft, software was expensive.”

Shuttleworth also noted that Microsoft created standards where there were none before. Then he shrugged and acknowledged that the standards might not be the ones that Open Source advocates wanted.

“In the 80s, that was the best way to move software forward. Now I think free software is the best way to move software forward.”

On Shrink-wrapped Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a free operating system, but one audience member relayed a story of seeing a boxed version on a shelf at Best Buy.

“I’m delighted. I want to see other companies be successful around the platform. If that gives people who would not otherwise try free software a reason to try free software, I think that’s great.”

On One Laptop Per Child

“Extraordinary success. Entire category of sub-notebooks would not have happened without One Laptop Per Child.”

On Linux Gaming

“There are two pieces: networking, where we’re strong, and graphics where we’re weak.”

Shuttleworth suggested that casual gaming, where users do not have high graphical expectations, is a place to start.

On Developers

Shuttleworth lamented the decrease in software engineering degrees, then predicted a software-rich future.

“Some people don’t think software matters any more. Look at the iPhone, or Facebook. The whole experience is a software experience. More and more interactions in our life will be driven by software.”

For those who want the full effect, listen to a crowd-recorded audio version of Shuttleworth’s talk.

Shuttleworth photo courtesy of Hockley Photography

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Check Out Ubuntu’s New ‘Dark Knight’ Look

Scott Gilbertson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:44:51 +0000

As Ubuntu fans know progress on the next version, dubbed Intrepid Ibex, is already underway, with a second alpha release available. We’ve already taken a look at what’s scheduled for Ubuntu 8.10, but one thing we haven’t seen yet is the new theme.

Originally a new theme was planned for Ubuntu 8.04, which came out earlier this year, but at the last minute the theme was pulled.

However Ubuntu 8.10 alpha 1 debuted a radical new look for Ubuntu with a much darker, more subdued theme than the familiar orange and brown we’ve all come to love or hate depending on your tastes.

Phorolinux has a nice collection of screenshots of the theme in alpha 1 which are worth having a look at. Before you rush out and install, keep in mind this is alpha software and should not be used in a production environment (I can’t even get it to install in my virtual machine).

Also keep in mind that this is simply one of what could be many test themes, although, that said, the theme didn’t change between the alpha 1 and alpha 2 releases.

If you’ve got opinions on Ubuntu’s new look (ephemeral though it may be) be sure to let us know.

[via Tombuntu, screenshot from phorolinux]

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First Look: Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex Alpha 1

Scott Loganbill — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:57:01 +0000

The Hardy Heron has passed the torch to the Intrepid Ibex. The next iteration of the Ubuntu Linux distribution was made available Saturday. You can download the alpha release of Ubuntu version 8.10a from Ubuntu’s website.

Intrepid Ibex features updates to the Linux kernel under the hood as well as some interesting new gizmos on the desktop. The most noticeable change to Linux’s leading desktop is a darker brown visual theme. The new design is not a major departure from the brown theme of previous releases, but it’s the first face lift for Ubuntu’s user interface in a while. This visual refresh was actually considered for Hardy Heron (version 8.04), but it was later removed from that release.

As far as what’s in store for the final release of Ibex, you can find all of the planning details on the Ubuntu wiki.

Ibex will introduce some new networking configuration tools that let users find and connect to wi-fi networks more easily through the user interface. The new network manager will include support for most broadband wireless 3G networks. Effort is also being dedicated to speeding up the system’s performance. The new alpha is utilizing some pre-fetching techniques to cut down on boot speed and the amount of time it takes to load programs. Another notable improvement to be included in the final release is support for USB-based installation images.

These enhancements demonstrate Ubuntu’s dedication to the mini-notebook and mobile internet devices (MIDs) markets. Canonical, the company which sponsors Ubuntu’s development, has announced its plans to compete more fiercely in this space beginning with Intrepid Ibex. Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth said in March that Ubuntu’s developers were “re-engineer[ing] the user interaction model so that Ubuntu works as well on a high-end workstation as it does on a feisty little subnotebook,” and that Ubuntu 8.10 would focus on providing “pervasive internet access, the ability to tap into bandwidth whenever and wherever you happen to be.”

Since then, Canonical has released two specific builds of Ubuntu for low-power and handheld devices — Ubuntu Netbook Remix for ultra-portable notebooks and Ubuntu MID Edition for mobiles powered by Intel’s Atom chipset. Canonical was especially quick to move in the mini-notebook space once Microsoft announced its plans to phase out Windows XP, a decision Redmond quickly amended by offering to continue sales of XP on these low-power devices.

Intrepid Ibex will also include to better Flash support and better KDE support for Firefox. Basic installations will include the upcoming release of Open Office 3.

It remains to be seen how earth-shattering any of the enhancements will be on more high-performance machines once they’re baked into the final release.

Additional alpha releases are forthcoming. Stable beta releases should begin hitting the Ubuntu site sometime around the beginning of October. The final release is scheduled for October 30. New Ubuntu releases appear twice every year, as Canonical is dedicated to a strict six month release schedule.

Note: There is no LiveCD for this alpha. You can only run it by using a text-based installer. Later alpha releases will include a LiveCD build so you can run Intrepid Ibex in a live environment without installing it.

Firefox on the Intrepid Ibex desktop with the new brown user interface — sure to cause some controversy.

The default desktop wallpaper for Ubuntu 8.10a Intrepid Ibex.

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Ubuntu ‘Netbook Remix’ Promises a Sleek, Fast, Atom-Optimized Linux

Scott Gilbertson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:19:49 +0000

The ever-growing popularity of diminutive, cheap laptops like the EeePC and its brethren have convinced Canonical, makers of Ubuntu Linux, to release a new “netbook remix” of Ubuntu optimized for such machines.

The Ubuntu netbook remix is being developed around two common elements of ultraportable laptops — limited screen size and Intel’s Atom processor.

Rather disappointingly the remix will not be available as a free download. Instead the plan is offer the system directly to manufacturers. The main reason there won’t be downloads available is that Canonical has licensed proprietary media codecs and other software like Adobe Flash.

The strange thing is you can still download the test code from the netbook remix site. It’s possible the company may release a public version of netbook remix without the proprietary code, but so far it hasn’t made any announcements.

As for what’s different in the netbook remix, most of the changes are in the underlying system code, which is optimized for Atom chips. Judging by the limited screenshots available, netbook Ubuntu also features a slick-looking new launcher for accessing apps and files. The concept is similar — though considerably better looking — to the launcher that ships with the Xandros version of the EeePC.

Aside from being one of the hottest retail PC markets — EeePC maker Asus claims to have shipped a million units in the six months after its debut — so-called “netbooks” are notable because, to keep retail prices down, most manufacturers have opted to ship Linux rather than Windows.

The EeePC comes with a modified version of Xandros Linux and the Fedora community is hard at work on Eeedora, which, as the name suggests, is optimized for the EeePC.

Canonical’s press release says that netbooks featuring Ubuntu Linux Remix will be on retail shelves within six months, though so far no manufacturers have announced anything specific.

[via Tombuntu, photo credit]

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Ubuntu Netbook Remix Coming Soon to an EeePC Near You

Scott Gilbertson — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:16:50 +0000

Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth has spilled the beans on a new version of the popular Linux distro geared specifically toward ultraportable laptops like the EeePC. Bringing together Ubuntu’s ease-of-use with ultraportables’ low prices could prove a huge win for Linux.

The new Ubuntu flavor will be known as Netbook Remix and is apparently being developed with direct input from Intel, which makes the low-power chips found in many tiny laptops such as the EeePC.

Talking to the Guardian about Ubuntu, and Linux in general, Shuttleworth reveals that “we’re announcing it in the first week of June… we’re working with Intel, which produces chips custom-made for this sector.”

There’s already a website up, but it doesn’t have many additional details about what users can expect. Although the ordinary Ubuntu release will install on an EeePC, the process is not without some pitfalls (mainly related to the wifi card in the EeePC). Presumably this is exactly the sort of problem that the coming Ubuntu Netbook Remix will seek to solve.

Within the Linux community it’s no secret that Linux on ultraportables is a potential gold mine for finding new converts, and Ubuntu is certainly not the first distro to target a release especially for such devices. The Fedora community has a similar project, Eeedora, geared specifically toward the EeePC and OpenSUSE is working on a version tailored to similar machines.

Linux has proved a popular option with ultraportable manufacturers since eliminating the Windows licensing fees helps keep retail prices down. When you’re shipping a $2000 laptop cutting off $100 isn’t a big deal, but when you move down to $350 versus $450 the cost of Windows becomes much more significant.

Of course the default Linux distros that ship with most ultraportables will work just fine for many users. However, given that Ubuntu is a such popular choice for those just poking a toe in the Linux waters, a version tailored to devices like the EeePC will make Linux newcomers even more comfortable.

[via Slashdot]

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