Ubuntu 7.10 continues to deliver the best of the open source world to your desktop, laptop and server. New desktop features include improved hardware management features, integrated desktop search and enhanced visual effects. Server improvements include increased security through AppArmor, and tools to rapidly deploy Mail, Print and Database servers.

Read released notes for furthermore information.

Te popular desktop Linux distribution that tries to bring the latest and greatest open-source programs every six months, arrived Oct. 18. The Gutsy Gibbon Ubuntu 7.10 Desktop Edition includes improvements in advanced plug-and-play printing, enhanced browsing and the option of a smooth new user interface built on top of the new GNOME 2.20 desktop.

The distribution, based on Desktop Linux’s survey of Ubuntu’s download sites and mirrors.

The latest version of Ubuntu includes numerous new features. In particular, its hardware support has been improved. Besides better plug-and-play configuration for printers, the new Ubuntu includes automatic firmware installation for Broadcom Wi-Fi cards.

Laptop users will also be pleased to see improved support for display systems. With Gutsy Gibbon, full external VGA (projector) support is available out of the box, with easy reconfiguration when hardware is switched.

This version also comes with compiz and Compiz Fusion enabled by default. This part brings 3-D desktop and other eye candy that improves the desktop’s visual appeal. Ubuntu 7.10 automatically detects whether the hardware is capable of running compiz. If it’s not compiz-capable, it will fall back to normal desktop. Additional effects can be enabled in “System/Preferences/Appearance” under the “Visual Effects” tab. You can also disable the effects entirely. Some users, even with high-end graphic cards and the appropriate drivers, may run into trouble. For more on potential graphics problems, see the Ubuntu 7.10 release notes.

Ubuntu 7.10 users now have full read and write capability for all Windows partitions, including NTFS files. This is especially useful for users with dual-boot Windows/Ubuntu systems. This support comes from NTFS3G–an open-source, freely available read/write NTFS driver for Linux. While this will allow users access to Windows XP and Vista file systems, users are not encouraged to try to run disk-intensive Linux applications, such as the MySQL database, off NTFS drives.

Ubuntu 7.10 also includes a new option in the Ubuntu application installer to help users select and automatically install several popular Firefox plug-ins. These extensions and plug-ins have been validated by Ubuntu for a richer, safer Web-browsing experience.

The distribution also comes with greatly improved and easier-to-maintain security. This comes to Ubuntu thanks to AppArmor. Shuttleworth describes this as the second generation of Linux security.

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Filed under: Linux News - @ October 22, 2007 5:57 pm