| "Most significant" Ubuntu release ever approaches |
Apr. 21, 2008
In an interview with the BBC News, founder and sponsor Mark Shuttleworth says the Ubuntu Project's 8.04 release (aka "Hard Heron") this week could be its most significant ever. Cited reasons include the promise of long-term support, and the ability to install it under Windows, without risky re-partitioning procedures.
Ubuntu supports its LTS (long-term support) releases for three years on the desktop, and for five years on servers. In his BBC interview, Shuttleworth said he hoped that longer-term support might appeal to organizations contemplating large-scale roll-outs.
The 8.04 build of Ubuntu is scheduled for release on Thursday, Apr. 24. As an LTS (long-term support) edition, it is designed to provide users of the earlier 6.06 LTS release from 2006 with a supported upgrade path -- really quite a trick, considering everything that has changed in the world of desktop Linux over the last three years. Users of the more recent 7.10 release can also upgrade to 8.04.
Other new features listed on the Ubuntu website include:- New Core System features
- GNOME 2.22
- Linux kernel 2.6.24
- PolicyKit
- PulseAudio
- Xorg 7.3
- New Software Functions
- Firefox 3 Beta 5
- Brasero
- Transmission
- World Clock Applet
- Vinagre
- Uncomplicated Firewall
- Totem
- Inkscape
- New and Improved Support:
- ActiveDirectory integration
- iSCSI support
- Memory Protection
- SELinux Support
- umenu
- Virtualization
- Wubi
- Installation
- LTSP
Shuttleworth said that the use of Linux in high-profile consumer devices may be changing the public's perception of Linux as an OS for specialists. An increasingly network-centric view of personal computing also favors Linux gaining popularity, he suggests. The full interview can be found here.
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