Ubuntu Archive

The Ubuntu team announced the release of Ubuntu 6.10, codenamed 'Edgy Eft'. Highlights for the desktop include GNOME 2.16, Firefox 2.0, OpenOffice.org 2.0.4, Gaim 2.0 and two new applications, F-Spot and Tomboy. This release also features a pre-release of the upcoming LTSP-5, as well as the usual updates of the base system, with GCC 4.1.1, Glibc 2.4 and Linux 2.6.17. There's a screenshot tour already, while Mark Shuttleworth commented on the news concerning Oracle and Linux. Update: The first review in what will probably become a long list. Update II: Kubuntu 6.10 is released as well.

The Ubuntu team not only released the first release candidate for Edgy Eft (release notes), but also started pondering their next release, dubbed the 'Feisty Fawn'. "In the next cycle we'll expand on the brand new infrastructure that has landed in Edgy as well as branching out in some exciting new directions. This combination of courage and restlessness is also found in a young deer that sets out to explore a world that is new and exciting - seeing the world through eyes unprejudiced by what has gone before. In that spirit, the release will be be code named 'The Feisty Fawn'."

"Is Ubuntu an operating system? Last week at EuroOSCON, Mark Shuttleworth gave the closing keynote outlining what he believes are the major struggles faced by the open-source/free-software community. During his talk, it became clear that Ubuntu is trying to achieve a radical shift in the software world. Ubuntu isn't trying to be a platform for mass-market application software: it is trying to be the primary provider of both the operating system and all the application software that a typical user would want to run on his machine. Most Linux distributions are like this, and I think it is a dangerous trend that will stifle innovation and usability."

"For years, most Linux distributions have been using an init daemon based on the one found in Unix System V. The init daemon is spawned by the kernel itself, and tasked with booting the rest of the system, starting all other processes, and taking care of them when they need to be stopped or when they die. While the System V init setup has worked well for Linux in the past, it hasn't aged well - which is why we're replacing the aging init system with Upstart in Ubuntu 6.10, codenamed Edgy Eft."

The Ubuntu team has released the first beta of Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft. It includes GNOME 2.16, OpenOffice.org 2.0.4 RC2, Xorg 7.1, Linux kernel 2.6.17, and a new init system. Download locations are listed in the release announcement. Update: Kubuntu 6.10 beta 1 has been released as well. Other than that, Ubuntu is taking over the BBC. And all they show is underwear. I don't get it.

"A friend of mine phoned to ask if I thought he should install Ubuntu Linux on his Macs - a 1.33 GHz G4 iBook currently running OS X 10.4 Tiger and a 1.25 GHz Power Mac G4 tower with OS X 10.3 Panther installed. My friend had read a feature in the local newspaper extolling the virtues of Ubuntu Linux and thought it sounded interesting. Does Ubuntu Linux make any sense for Macintosh users? In my friend's case, I would say no, and I did." My take: I wrote about this subject earlier.

MadPenguin takes a short look at Automatix, and concludes: "While we would use Automatix on a regular basis, we think this utility is taking new steps into a much needed territory. In the ease of today's latest program managers, we still run into those that still can’t seem to use these simple package installation solutions. With any luck, endeavors such as Automatix will help to address this need, and once again prove just how far desktop Linux has actually come."

The endless stream of Ubuntu derivatives just refuses to end. "Fluxbuntu is a Ubuntu-based derivative that uses FluxBox as the desktop environment. It is lightweight, swift and efficient compared to Gnome or KDE. These features makes Fluxbuntu suitable for vast range of computers, from low-end to high-end." There's a screenshot gallery as well. Laugh at me all you want, but I want a ROXbuntu. I'm not kidding. Anyone?

"The release of Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake), back in June, brought not only a new desktop system to the Linux world, but also a server system with long-term commercial support. It has one key advantage over similar offerings from Redhat and Novell; the flexibility of the Debian dpkg packaging system." Read the review here.

"So most of us have read review after review on just how fantastic Ubuntu is. And you know something, they're right - this really is a fantastic Linux distribution for the newer Linux enthusiast. But there often times appear to be some confusion as to accomplishing tasks they once would do in Windows pretty easily. On the whole, the confusion stems from hardware compatibly issues and today we are going to look into resolving those issues with ease." Don't look at me concerning that weird sentence. I have no idea how to make it grammatically correct.

"Unless you have been living in a cave somewhere in Redmond you would no doubt have heard of Ubuntu and its many derivatives, touted as 'Linux for human beings'. Ubuntu has become the darling of the Linux media and has stolen the limelight from other prominent distributions such as the stalwart Red Hat and, the now Novell owned, SuSE. The question is why?" More here.

The Ubuntu team has released the 2nd alpha release en route to Edgy Eft. "The primary changes from Knot 1 have been implementations of feature goals as listed on this page. Common to all variants, we have upgraded Xorg to the 7.1 release. In Ubuntu, GNOME has been updated to 2.16.0 Release Candidate 1. Other notable changes are listed on here. KDE has been updated to 3.5.4. Other notable Kubuntu changes are listed on here."

Ubuntu is developing the "upstart", a replacement for the init daemon, the process spawned by the kernel that is responsible for starting, supervising and stopping all other processes on the system. The article compares upstart to Solaris SMF, Apple's launchd, and initng.

Even though by now the bug is fixed, many people alerted us about the fact that updates to Xorg in Ubuntu broke X, leaving users with a command-line machine. If you happen to be one of the unhappy few, Ubuntu user tseliot provides the commands to fix your system. In the meantime, others are wondering how such a bug got past testing.