Ubuntu Unleashed

Canonical has announced that Ubuntu 11.04 will be available on 28 April.

Canonical had always planned to ship Ubuntu 11.04 on 28 April, however with a week to go it has confirmed that everything is on track for a timely release. Gerry Carr, marketing manager at Canonical told The INQUIRER that last week's second beta was the final pre-production release of Ubuntu 11.04, adding that it is "good enough" not to require a release candidate.

For Canonical, Ubuntu 11.04 is a major release, in that it will be the first where the default desktop will be Unity, instead of Gnome. Carr said that Canonical spent the past two years designing and engineering the multi-touch capable desktop system but added that Gnome will be available to users for years to come. Carr also pointed out that Canonical, through Ubuntu, is still the biggest shipper of Gnome desktops.

When asked why Canonical took the major task of developing Unity when other distributions shipped with Gnome, KDE and Xfce, Carr told The INQUIRER that "other distributions are not as focused on bringing a free desktop to the market". As for whether other distributions might offer the open source Unity desktop in the future, Carr said that he didn't know of any other distribution and held no expectations.

Aside from Unity, Canonical is working to increase that awareness of Linux and Carr said that Microsoft, not other Linux distributions, is the outfit's main rival. Carr said that he "does not mind if people choose other [Linux] distributions". To that end, Canonical will introduce a cloud based trial of Ubuntu 11.04.

Ubuntu had pre-announced that it will be offering a cloud based trial service of Ubuntu 11.04, though Carr said that will come a little after the launch. A live trial version is vital to grow the popularity of Ubuntu, according to Carr, who said that even downloading LiveCDs is a barrier for some.

Carr said that in order to try out Ubuntu 11.04 all users will need is a web browser, but he confirmed that due to rendering limitations, users will only have access to a 2D version of Unity. Nevertheless, being able to try a fully featured Linux distribution should dispel any myths about its supposedly steep learning curve.

Canonical has enjoyed considerable success with its Ubuntu Linux distribution. It has made a brave move to rejig the user interface in order to attract more Windows users to Linux. Whether it will succeed remains to be seen, but Canonical certainly can't be faulted for a lack of effort.

Our recent article entitled Ubuntu As Intended drew in a fair amount of discussion about the base software and configuration in the default Ubuntu install. Some readers pointed out a few alternatives that aim to take the standard Ubuntu desktop and give it more polish than the original. Some of these projects just include a few extra packages, some replace the standard software suite, and others are complete makeovers. Today we aim to sift through a few of the more popular Ubuntu variants to find the best ones of the bunch, and see what they can offer.

Linux Mint

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Linux Mint is an extremely popular Ubuntu variant, and for good reason. Mint provides several desktop solutions including Gnome, KDE, Fluxbox and XFCE, and what they all have in common is a solid software base with several of Linux’s “trickier” packages already installed. This includes some non-free software so that you have support for MP3, DVD, and Flash right out of the box.

Saner Defaults Remix

This is a fairly new project, but it’s beginning to gain a following. The basic idea of the Ubuntu SDR is that the stock Ubuntu is great, but some of the decisions regarding included software may not be ideal. While that is of course subjective, it’s hard to argue with some of the enhancements found in SDR.

Some of the changes you’ll find include:

• Empathy IM replaced with Pidgin
• Min/Max/Close buttons moved back to the right
• Evolution mail replaced with Mozilla Thunderbird
• Simple clean blue (Clearlooks) theme
• Gufw firewall included and activated on install
• All Mono-based apps removed (includes GThumb for photos and Gnote for notes)
• Multimedia repos enabled by default

and more

Ubuntu Ultimate Edition

While some (including this author) find the intensity of the color scheme to be a bit jarring, Ultimate Edition does have a bit working for it, and one of those things is speed. Several of the existing applications have been removed in favor of smaller and faster alternatives. Additionally, UE gives you some help with a few of the more legally or technically complicated packages like Flash and DVD support, either by bundling in to the default system or providing install helpers.

Ultimate Edition is clearly the most “home made” of those on the list, but if you’re willing to tolerate or change the visual theme, it can quickly become a useful desktop.

Lubuntu

One common complaint about the normal Ubuntu release is that can sometimes be a bit slow, especially on older computers. Lubuntu aims to solve that by replacing the normal Gnome desktop with LXDE. Gnome apps like Nautilus and Gnome Terminal have been replaced with the liked of PCMan File manager and LXTerminal. The system is also designed to reduce power usage over the standard install, making Lubuntu and excellent choice for laptops.

There are certainly several other Ubuntu forks worth checking out, including Super OS, gOS, andwattOS. There’s certainly no shortage of high-quality Ubuntu variants out there, so if you’ve got any others to recommend, let us know in the comments!

In our recent discussion about Ubuntu Remixes, there were a few names that kept popping up in the comments. One of them was a distro mostly unknown to MTE but immediately of interest, and that’s Bodhi Linux. With an Ubuntu base it’s got a solid core behind it, but the real kicker is the Enlightenment (E17) desktop. Over the last few years many distros have tried to base their desktops around the notoriously unwieldy Enlightenment, and the success rate has been somewhat limited (though Elive is certainly worth a look). Bodhi seems to not only include a usable Enlightenment desktop, but a few extra options when it comes to choosing just how that desktop will look and act.

A Bit About Bodhi

As an Ubuntu spinoff, it’s got the same behind-the-scenes software as your average Ubuntu remix. The two design principles behind Bodhi could be summed up as:

1. Users should make their own choices
2. E17 is cool

It doesn’t bundle in hundreds of helper applications, and the things it does include are generally pretty light. This keeps the ISO around 400MB.

Setting Up the Bodhi Desktop

When you boot the live CD, you’ll notice that you’re given a couple extra options on boot. This is part of the first principle mentioned above – there’s not one default Bodhi desktop, there are several, for different needs.

Once you’ve got past the language screen, you’ll choose which style of desktop you’d like.

We’ll be going with Desktop Light for the examples here, which looks something like this:

Whereas, for the sake of comparison, the Fancy Dark looks like this:

After that you’ll get to an Applications selection screen, but as it’s only got one option (XTerm), it doesn’t take much explanation.

The Quick Launch screen, however is a bit more complicated, as many of the choices are named similarly and give no detailed explanation as to their function. For example, if you wanted to open Nautilus, would you want File Browser, File Management, or File Manager? For the records, File Browser will get the job done.

These applications will be available on a OSX-style dock at the bottom of the screen.

Modules

Much of E17′s functionality is contained in modules. Modules can be controlled from the Module Settings screen (Main Menu -> Settings -> Modules) and control nearly all the interactive aspects of your desktop. The taskbar, desktop monitor, clocks and even the main menu itself are all modules.

Some aspects of E17′s modules can be a bit confusing (such as remembering the difference between and iBox and an iBar) but they all have a purpose. Remember that many modules can exist independently on the desktop as well as from within other modules (like the iBar).

To create a new dock-type launcher bar, for example, you’d open the main menu by left clicking the desktop. From there you’d go to Desktop -> Shelves -> Add a Shelf. Your new shelf will show up on your desktop, where you can right-click it to view it settings and change the contents.

This modular, layered approach leaves Enlightenment open to nearly unlimited flexibility, but can often cause confusion and frustration when trying to get used to the system.

Conclusion

It’s hard to separate Bodhi as a distro from Enlightenment, its defining characteristic. Ubuntu is clearly a quality base to build on, and E17 has been improving for a (very, very) long time now. Along with Elive, Bodhi seems to be one of the few E17-based distros able to make a thoroughly useable system. While there are a few rough spots here and there, Bodhi seems worth while. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort to master Enlightenment (pun intended), this might the the distro for you.

Hard on the heels of the news earlier this month that Taiwanese firm Tenq has an Ubuntu-powered tablet on the way comes word of yet another iPad challenger running Canonical's popular Linux distribution.

It's a dual-booting machine, this time--running both Ubuntu 10.10 and Windows 7--and it's reportedly even closer to being an iPad twin.

Featuring a 9.7-inch screen, the new device is reportedly much thinner than the Tenq machine is, according to a Friday report on Giz-China. It also features a dual-core, 1.6GHz Atom Z530 CPU, 1GB RAM--expandable to 2GB--and an SSD hard drive, reportedly 16GB on the model Giz-China spotted

Compared with Tenq's P07, the new tablet is "based on a design more similar to an iPad," the publication reported.

Shenzhen Ruixin is the manufacturer of the device, Chinese Newpad noted on Thursday. Newpad also features a number of photos of the new tablet.

The Dual-Booting Trend

It's not yet certain whether this dual-booting device will make it to market, of course, as Giz-China points out. What is becoming increasingly certain, however, is the growing interest among tablet makers in the free and open source Ubuntu operating system.

In addition to these two latest tablets, we also saw last fall Augen's dual-booting Gentouch Espresso Doppio, which takes a different approach by dual-booting two Linux-based operating systems: Android 2.2 and Ubuntu.

Dual-booting, I believe, is a growing trend for 2011, and will be seen on an increasing number of devices this year.

A Natural on Tablets

But while Windows has been slow to adapt to ARM and the era of tablets, Linux-based Android has been on the forefront, posing the first real competition to Apple's market-leading iPad.

Now, it's particularly exciting to see Ubuntu stepping up as another mobile-friendly and Linux-based alternative. With its open source nature, its low resources requirements and its free price, Ubuntu may just prove to be the next tablet winner.

Unleash your inner geek with this killer Desktop PC with a Powerful AMD X2 Dual Core Processor & Fast DDR2 1066 Gaming RAM by Kingston. This features plenty of space with a high speed 3gb/s 500GB Hard Drive to store plenty of Music, Movies, Picture, Games, & Applications.

Power Cord, Motherboard/Processor Booklet, Ubuntu 10.10/10.04 DVD included.

Expansion Slots:
RAM - 8GB Max DDR2 1066
SATA 3Gb/s - 2
1 x ATA133 2 Dev. Max

3 Year Limited Part & Labor Warranty on Motherboard & Processor

Been very busy building computers lately, this runs Ubuntu Like a dream, will ship this out next day anywhere in the United States

• Grid View - A Compact way to see/browse your friends!
• Activity Feed - Unified View for friends activity ie; Twitter, IM Status, Music playing & More!
• Photo Sharing - Flickr Integration, Drag & Drop images to chat window!
• Web Preview - Get a glance of a webpage or video behind a link right in your chat window when you send/share a link!
• Code Sharing - Syntax Highlighted code blocks for easiy collaboration
• Highly Extensible - Plugins are added with extreme ease, and the architecture wont hold developers back in creating new plugins/addons

1. Save this key file to your desktop.
2. At the top of your screen, select System → Administration → Software Sources.
3. On the Ubuntu Software tab, make sure that both main and universe are checked.
4. On the Authentication tab, click the Import Key File button and select the key file you saved in step 1.
5. On the Third-Party Software tab, click the Add button, and paste the appropriate APT line for your version of Ubuntu:

1. After adding the source, press the the Close button at the bottom of the Software Sources window. When asked, click Refresh.
2. Back at the top of your screen, select Applications → Add/Remove. Search for synapse, then in the results check the box next to Synapse Instant Messenger, then click Apply Changes.
3. NOTE: Some users have reported Synapse does not show up under Add/Remove. If you are unable to find Synapse using Add/Remove or Synaptic, Select Applications → Accessories → Terminal, and then type sudo apt-get install synapse. We hope to have a solution to this problem soon. If you have any problems, please see the Support page.

As always the ubuntu developers have worked tirelessly to bring us another Beta release which should be stable enough to test for most people here are some of the features you can look at while downloading the iso or doing a release upgrade:

To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.10 on a desktop system, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release '9.04' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.

To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.10 on a server system: install the update-manager-core package if it is not already installed; edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and set Prompt=normal; launch the upgrade tool with the command sudo do-release-upgrade; and follow the on-screen instructions.

If you choose to download the iso be sure to backup your home directory to another partition and checkout ext4 filesystem for improved performance.

Here are the new features since intrepid:

• GNOME 2.26 - For a Good review of the gnome changes look here
• Improved handling of multiple monitors with an updated gnome-display-properties by Federico Mena Quintero.
• X.Org server 1.6
• New style for notifications and notification preferences - for an example check out the flash video here
• Boot performance - A number of improvements to the Ubuntu start-up process bring significantly improved boot performance to Ubuntu 9.04 Beta. Please open bugs if you experience any degradation, and tag them with boot-performance.
• Ext4 filesystem support - One of my favorite additions, it improves boot performance and overall filesystem performance
• There is a ton of other bug fixes and misc features added, Its been stable for me since alpha 3.

Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:

• http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/9.04/ (Ubuntu Desktop and Server)
  http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/edubuntu/9.04/ (Ubuntu Education Edition)
  http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/kubuntu/9.04/ (Kubuntu)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/9.04/beta/ (Ubuntu Netbook Remix and Ubuntu MID)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/9.04/beta/ (Xubuntu)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntustudio/releases/9.04/beta/ (UbuntuStudio)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/mythbuntu/releases/9.04/beta/ (Mythbuntu)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/netboot/9.04/beta/ (Ubuntu ARM)

For the past couple of years I have been waiting and waiting for the possibility for a Google Browser, there has been rumors over the years and finally Google came out with Chrome. Unfortunately Google Chrome was only released for windows, only until now there is a semi working gui that is actually usable!! Yea I just logged into my gmail account 5 minutes ago with Chromium for Linux! Im impressed, I thought it would never get to this stage, but it has, currently there is allot of issues to be resolved like the sandboxing for example There is also quite a few issues that you can follow here

If you would like to help with its porting efforts you can go here

FAQ: no native 64bit debs planed for now. The amd64 package is using ia32-libs.

Anyways let me show you how easy it is to install and start browsing!

First lets add the chromium ppa, head over to here

Select your Ubuntu version in the drop down where you see:
Display sources.list entries for:

Then input those apt sources into System->Administration->Software Sources-> Click Third-Party Software Tab, then click +Add to add the apt sources

Now press ALT-F2 and enter gedit, paste this into gedit(its the ppa key for security)
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: SKS 1.0.10

mI0ESaSPtAEEAK1nJtoDZ0ewpOOf0ET6Vp28LqO9mB4ubWjzXyRSbiha5pCvnnSIU1K+7Gzb
t3r0iUV9eKLUmf8pqfF/9kwsoqFqFSCjp+XjUzXsEChcGBWvyfGdTX8ClFfwNxSVLvGSqmdX
gZhs0F8tQB0lPWHGy3VvEt7wG/VHqpcOYpdNYRqxABEBAAG0IExhdW5jaHBhZCBQUEEgZm9y
IGNocm9taXVtLWRhaWx5iLYEEwECACAFAkmkj7QCGwMGCwkIBwMCBBUCCAMEFgIDAQIeAQIX
gAAKCRBam/O7Tl4XtV/2BACs/RTpEWB/NUlluJmp1e6iFoyyfbT+HOD3hg35aQMzbdcmijsA
iY9MvIfZ0YKWyqNUdGpDj5n0bUNO0IcvKBBkOn5o4CiBsMp4DJHdrgJU4S00nAJK00E8I/yA
v+x4C9uOacW3yrzSHs7Hv/vG6Z1Jh+1JrabK13hdhwOL8+aY6Q==
=3GDx
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Now save the file and click +Import Keyfile on the Authentication tab of Software Sources, then click close. Then refresh your sources.

Click these packages to install them
chromium-browser
chromium-browser-dbg
chromium-testsuite
chromium-testsuite-dbg
python-tlslite

Once installed Execute Chromium via Applications->Internet->Chromium Web Browser

Now enjoy using Google Chrome in linux, and watch it progress!

Did you know you could get almost anything off of usenet/newsgroups? Yea you can get 0day movies, music, games, apps, linux distro's and anything else you could imagine right off of newsgroup servers. I have been using newsgroups for years to get what I need, torrents are too resource intensive and sometimes crash routers and modems. So here I will share how you can setup Sabnzbd with a few newsgroup providers that offer 100+days retention at a completely free price :)

First you'll need to grab Sabnzbd, I currently use a premade deb from here

The latest version is version 0.4.7 which can be directly downloaded here, be sure to check the above url for an updated version if this post gets old.

Once installed run sabnzbd from the command line and open a browser window to http://localhost:8080/sabnzbd/config/server/

Now enter one of these free servers for ipv6 access:
If I didnt specify a port its 119

1. freebin-auth.readnews.com
password: anything
Username: anything
threads : 8

2. newszilla6.xs4all.nl
threads : 3
speed : 50 per thread

3. readnews
Server:freebin.readnews.com
Threads: 8
Speed: 5 kb per thread
Retention:40?? days

4. Eweka.nl (I use this one)
news.ipv6.eweka.nl
Retention 120 days. Unlimited speed.

5. XSNews.nl
reader.ipv6.xsnews.nl
Retention: around 100 days too, Unlimited???
Signup for Xsnews here and enter your email address, they'll send u a username/password

Free Trials:
Yottanews:
Server: free.yottanews.com
Threads: 1
Username & password: see http://www.yottanews.com/freeaccount.php
Speed: 60 kB/s

News-Service
Server: test.news-service.com
Port: 23
Threads: 4
Username & password: make something up, more than 6 characters.
Retention: 25 days
Speed: 25/30 kB/s per thread

Ok Now input one or all the servers in sabnzbd

You can get free IPv6 access through Freenet6. Visit Freenet6 and register yourself to obtain username and password.


Now lets set up ipv6

Click Here to install tspc or:
sudo apt-get install tspc

Press Alt-F2 then do:
gksudo gedit /etc/tsp/tspc.conf

Find the userid line and enter your useid for freenet6, then find the passwd line and enter your password you set, then set the server as broker.freenet6.net
Like this:
userid=your-name
server=broker.freenet6.net
passwd=your-password

Save the file and exit, then open a terminal:
sudo /etc/init.d/tspc restart

Now lets check if tspc created a new ipv6 interface:
ifconfig
You should see something like:
sit1 Link encap:IPv6-in-IPv4

Lets use ping6 to ping google to make sure its working...
defcon@pc:~$ ping6 ipv6.google.com
PING ipv6.google.com(2001:4860:b002::68) 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 2001:4860:b002::68: icmp_seq=1 ttl=57 time=117 ms <--good stuff :)
64 bytes from 2001:4860:b002::68: icmp_seq=2 ttl=57 time=131 ms


Ok now we got ipv6 setup in ubuntu, this worked perfectly for me with Jaunty.

Now head over to Newzleech or binsearch and leech away!

Here is some other Cool Stuff you can do with ipv6

Thank you Richard H for your donation to Ubuntu Unleashed!

Richard H From Austria- $5.00

I will continue to share Donations to this site in weekly posts, thanks allot for your support!

Ubuntu Unleashed wouldn’t exist without support from readers. Thank you for deciding to keep Ubuntu Unleashed up and running.

Currently Ubuntu Unleashed makes around $100.00 usd per month with adsense, my total costs per month to survive are $1000.00 usd, This covers things like: food, rent, internet and electricity. My website hasnt been updated because im doing side jobs and other things to survive right now, but hopefully Ubuntu Unleashed can help support me more so I can continue to share great articles and news which I love to do.

I have been wanting to improve the user interface of Ubuntu Unleashed and create a user generated part of this site. I would like this site to be more of a news oriented site that developers can go to to share their new project. Possibly with a rss feed of new releases from project sites all over the web. If you are a web developer and share my passion in open source and Ubuntu, and want to help me improve Ubuntu Unleashed, Contact me below

Or via email @ defconoii at gmail dot com

Omg I am so happy Google Voice is out, and it got released in perfect timing, cell phone rates are high, home phone rates are high and people are getting broke quicker, including myself(already broke) Google voice also has the ability to send/recieve free texts!, and you may be able to get free calls by adding your number to your service if you are allowed to call certain favorite people for free :) Now I'll explain how to make free calls with Gizmo5 and Google Voice to save you some money!

Google voice also had the ability to send/recieve free texts!

Ok First and foremost you need to have a Grandcentral account as of this moment for migrate over to Google Voice.

If your an existing Grandcentral user you will need to login here and click upgrade to google voice

Or create an account at Google.com/voice if it lets you yet, because Google Voice will be rolled out slowely all over the united states.

Once you got a Google Voice account all set up, grab Gizmo5 from Here(There is also other os versions at that link as well!)

Grab the debian .deb

Double click it to install, click Accessories->Internet->Gizmo5

Follow the directions to create a gizmo5 account.

Once created Click Home->Edit Profile

Now Copy your Sip #

1. Sign in to Google Voice.
2. Go to the Settings link at the top right of the page.
3. Click the Add/Edit Number link right above your phones, to the right of the page.
4. Click the Phones tab.
5. Click Add a new number.
6. Select Gizmo in the Phone Type drop-down menu.
7. Enter your SIP number without 1.
8. Enter a name for that phone, if you want.
9. Click Save.

Woohoo ok now we are all done setting it up, now lets get to calling :)

You will need to place all your calls with your Google Voice account, you click Call, Enter the number you want to call, select Gizmo with the dropdown list of phones you want to ring, then select Place Call.

Gizmo will ring and connect you to any United States phone number for Free.

Also if you have a Android Based G1, in a few days Evan will have an app released for the G1 to make calls with Google Voice More Info Here

Feel free to donate any small amount to Ubuntu Unleashed by clicking donate on the top right, right now this is my only job ;\

Upgrading from Ubuntu 8.10

To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.10, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release '9.04' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.

New features in Jaunty

These features are showcased for your attention. Please test them and report any bugs you find on Launchpad:

http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu

Updated packages

As with every new release, packages--applications and software of all kinds--are being updated at a rapid pace. For a list of all packages being accepted for 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope, please subscribe to Jaunty-changes:

https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/jaunty-changes

X.Org server 1.6

The latest X.Org server, version 1.6, is available in Jaunty. For a little while, this will again cause increased instability for some users while the proprietary video drivers catch up.
Font size optimization

Font dot-per-inch settings are now optimized based on your monitor's capabilities, rather than defaulting to 96 dpi. You can further customize your dpi settings via System → Preferences → Appearance → Fonts → Details...
New style for notifications and notification preferences

Included in Jaunty is a simple menu which can be used to set preferences for notification icons, such as where they pop up on the taskbar. There is a possibility that Ubuntu 9.04 will get a whole new notification system, as shown in the Flash movie here:

http://www.markshuttleworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/jaunty904_notifications_example1_web_092.swf
Linux kernel 2.6.28

Alpha 5 includes the 2.6.28-8.26 kernel based on 2.6.28.7.
Ext4 filesystem support

Alpha 5 supports the option of installing the new ext4 file system. ext3 will remain the default filesystem for Jaunty, and we will consider ext4 as the default for the next release based on user feedback.

Alpha 5 adds Ext4 support to gparted (Curtis Gedak).
Download Alpha 5

Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/jaunty/alpha-5/ (Ubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-5/ (Ubuntu Education Edition)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-5/ (Kubuntu) Kubuntu release notes
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-5/ (Xubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntustudio/releases/jaunty/alpha-5/ (UbuntuStudio)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/mythbuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-5/ (Mythbuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-netbook-remix/releases/jaunty/alpha-5/ (Ubuntu Netbook Remix)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-mid/releases/jaunty/alpha-5/ (Ubuntu MID)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/netboot/jaunty/alpha-5/ (Ubuntu ARM)

Known issues

As is to be expected at this stage of the release process, there are several known bugs that users are likely to run into with Jaunty Alpha 5. We have documented them here for your convenience along with any known workarounds, so that you don't need to spend time reporting these bugs again:

The installer sometimes fails to tell the kernel to reload the partition table during partitioning. This is a race condition, so not everyone will be affected, but if you are then you may have to re-try partitioning a few times before it completes successfully. We believe that the main problem lies in udev, and will be fixing that immediately after Alpha 5. 334278

A new XServer, version 1.6, is included in Alpha 4. The binary proprietary fglrx driver is not yet supported for this server and will exhibit various serious issues if run against it. Users of this driver are encouraged to wait or to switch to the open source -ati driver in the meantime. 313027

Users of Intel i845 or i865 video chipsets are unable to load X, getting an error message of "Fatal server error: Couldn't bind memory for BO front buffer". Users on these systems are advised to wait for a resolution to this bug before upgrading. 304871

OEM configuration fails in Jaunty Alpha 5 due to a repeating error pop-up when setting up the end user. This bug will be resolved for Jaunty Alpha 6. 334281


Users testing the ARM images on NSLU2 systems will need to take special measures to avoid time-consuming locale generation. Use the 'Go back' button in the installer, select "Change debconf priority" from the main menu, and select medium priority; once at the detailed locale selection screen, de-select all locales. Detailed instructions can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/NSLU2. In Jaunty Alpha 6, this will be handled by default.

Ctrl-Alt-Backspace is now disabled, to reduce issues experienced by users who accidentally trigger the key combo. Users who do want this function can enable it in their xorg.conf, or via the command dontzap --disable.

Font sizes may be abnormally small or large on monitors which mis-report their capabilities. If you suspect this may be the case, please see X/Troubleshooting/HugeFonts for steps to troubleshoot this issue.

Reporting bugs

It should come as no surprise that this alpha release of Jaunty Jackalope contains other bugs. Your comments, bug reports, patches and suggestions will help fix bugs and improve future releases. Please report bugs through the Ubuntu bugtracker

If you want to help out with bugs, the Bug Squad is always looking for help.
Participate in Ubuntu

If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways you can participate at

http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/

More information

You can find out more about Ubuntu on the Ubuntu website and Ubuntu wiki.

To sign up for future Ubuntu development announcements, please subscribe to Ubuntu's development announcement list at:
http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-announce

Announcing GNOME Do 0.8. With 20 new plugins, faster search, better results,
animated themes, and 111 fewer bugs, your desktop's killer app just got killer-er.

Awesome New Plugins

Banshee, Bibtex, Cl.ickable, Claws mail, Google search, Opera, Ping.FM, Remember the Milk, System services, TinyUrl, Tracker search, and Translate to name a few. Plugins also install much faster now.

Faster Search, Better Results

Memory usage is down, and searches are noticably snappier. Our relevance algorithms are also better than ever -- Do will learn your habits and offer personalized search results immediately.

Animated Themes

Do's themes -- Classic, Mini, Glass, and the newly added Nouveau and Docky -- now sport gorgeous animations and dropshadows. Watch for falling jaws.

Docky

Docky is our attempt to make Do more discoverable and memorable. It's the same Do you know and love, just a little friendlier.

File Previews

We've added preliminary support for viewing file thumbnails, so you can better recognize the images, movies, and documents you encounter in Do. If your file manager displays thumnails, Do will attempt to show them.

Improved Text Entry

With support for copy, paste, and longer lines of text, Do's new extended text entry mode is perfect for composing emails and tweets. Activate text entry mode by pressing your period key.

Many Bugs Exterminated

82 core bugs and 29 plugin bugs have been meticulously tracked and squished. There's still a lot of work to do, but Do 0.8 is one well-oiled machine.

New Plugin API

In creating a more cross-platform codebase, a wonderful, platform-agnostic plugin API emerged. Plugins now have extensive access to notifications, logging, relevance information, threading tools, and much more.

Howto Install:

8.10 (Intrepid)

$ sudo aptitude install gnome-do

8.04 (Hardy)

If you are upgrading from an old installation of Do, please be sure to completely remove your old version.

$ sudo aptitude purge gnome-do gnome-do-plugins gnome-do-plugin-rhythmbox

and remove the Do plugins configuration directory

$ rm -rf ~/.local/share/gnome-do/plugins/

Once you have removed your old installation, or if this is your first time, follow these instructions.

Add the Gnome Do PPA Repository to your sources list. (See the Ubuntu Repositories).

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ubuntu hardy main

In Synaptic Package Manager, search 'gnome do' or install from the terminal:

$ sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude install gnome-do

7.10 (Gutsy)

Add the following to your /etc/apt/sources.list (here's how)

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ubuntu gutsy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/do-core/ubuntu gutsy main

then run

$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gnome-do

The Ubuntu team is proud to announce the release of Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS, the
second maintenance update to Ubuntu's 8.04 LTS release.  This release
includes updated server, desktop, and alternate installation CDs for the
i386 and amd64 architectures.

In all, over 200 updates have been integrated, and updated installation
media has been provided so that fewer updates will need to be downloaded
after installation.  These include security updates and corrections for
other high-impact bugs, with a focus on maintaining stability and
compatibility with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.

To Get Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS
------------------------

To download Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS, or obtain CDs, visit:

 http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

We recommend that all users read the release notes, which document
caveats and workarounds for known issues.  They are available at:

 http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/804

About Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS
-----------------------

This is the second maintenance release of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS, which
continues to be supported with maintenance updates and security fixes
until April 2011 on desktops and April 2013 on servers.

Over 200 post-release updates have been integrated, and a number of
bugs in the installation system have been corrected.  These include
security updates and corrections for other high-impact bugs, with a
focus on maintaining stability and compatibility with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.

See http://www.ubuntu.com/usn for a full list of Ubuntu security updates.
As of 2009-01-20, all updates affecting packages on the CD have been
applied.

A summary of notable updates follows.  See
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu for specific information about a
particular bug number.  A complete list of post-release updates can
also be found at:

 https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardyReleaseNotes/ChangeSummary/8.04.2

Installer Updates
-----------------

* Create sambashare group and add the initial user to it (#238224)

* Permissions on some system files and directories were set wrong when
  installing from Desktop CDs.  For users tracking the recommended
  hardy-updates repository, this issue has already been corrected
  post-install (#288479)

* Record the partition table as changed when a single partition's file
  system type has changed, fixing bootloader installation failures
  when installing onto existing partitions (#149832)
      
* Fix writing of /var/log/installer/oem-id in OEM mode (#251751)

* Use the correct mirror for -security in the event of
  apt-setup/security_host being preseeded (#306356)

Desktop Updates
---------------

* Fix a race which can lead to a gvfs-fuse-daemon crash when closing
  session (#235698)

* Prompt for restarting session when installing samba to take into
  account sambashare group membership and the need for libpam-smbpass to
  create NTLM password hash (#212098)

* Fix undeletion of menu items with the alacarte menu editor (#225941)

* Stop/start anacron on suspend/resume and on power-cycle (#249220)

* Fix hang on "Loading..." when opening a PDF file (#256048)

* Fix incorrect handling of authentication cases leading to excessive
  gnome-keyring CPU usage (#236171)

* Fix printing to remote ipp:// printers (#258104)

* Don't look for a Trash directory on autofs mounts (#210468)

* Fix GNOME session blow-up when using GUI to join a Windows domain
  (#222224)

* Fix ICQ connections in pidgin (#244591)

Server updates
--------------

* Fix race with mdadm/devmapper while looping for the root filesystem
  (#244926)

* Revert "TC action parsing bug fix", which broke shorewall and
  wondershaper
  (#194623)

* Support booting degraded RAID devices (#290885)

General Updates
---------------

* Set hdparm power management to 254 for all hard drives while on AC, and
  128
  while on battery (note that suspend/resume still breaks this, and a more
  complete fix will be forthcoming for Ubuntu 8.04.3) (#59695)

* Support CDs with no uncompressed Packages files, only compressed ones,
  enabling upgrade to future releases using CDs (#255545)

* Conflict with old mysql 4.1 packages to ensure smooth upgrades from
  Ubuntu 6.06 (#208695)

* Backport cifs.upcall, to support Kerberos-authenticated CIFS kernel
  mounts
  (#236830)

* e1000 checksum recheck after reset (#60388)

Helping Shape Ubuntu
--------------------

If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways
you can participate at

 http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/

If you have a question, or if you think you may have found a bug but
aren't sure, try asking on the #ubuntu channel on IRC.FreeNode.net, on
the Ubuntu Users mailing list, or on the Ubuntu forums:

 http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
 http://www.ubuntuforums.org/


About Ubuntu
------------

Ubuntu is a full-featured Linux distribution for desktops, laptops, and
servers, with a fast and easy install and regular releases.  A
tightly-integrated selection of excellent applications is included, and
an incredible variety of add-on software is just a few clicks away.

Professional technical support is available from Canonical Limited and
hundreds of other companies around the world.  For more information about
support, visit http://www.ubuntu.com/support

More Information
----------------

You can find out more about Ubuntu on our website:

 http://www.ubuntu.com/

To sign up for future Ubuntu announcements, please subscribe to Ubuntu's
very low volume announcement list at:

 http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-announce