Announcing Ubuntu 4.10 (Release Candidate)

Ubuntu is a new Linux distribution that brings together the extraordinary breadth of Debian with a fast and easy install, regular releases (every six months), a tight selection of excellent packages installed by default and a commitment to security updates with 18 months of security and technical support for every release.

Less than a month ago, Ubuntu entered the Linux world with a preview release of its 4.10 distribution. The last month has seen extensive work by the Ubuntu community of testers, translators, contributors and coders. The result of this hard work can be seen in today's release:

Ubuntu 4.10 RC -- Codenamed "The Warty Warthog Release" (warty)

This release candidate contains a snapshot of Ubuntu that the Warty team thinks is ready to release. We believe this release is potentially the final Warty release, and are calling it a Release Candidate to encourage very widespread testing.

If you've heard all about Ubuntu and just want to get the install CD or test the Live CD, you can download it here:

http://www.ubuntulinux.org/download/

If you want a shrinkwrapped CD you can register to have the final release sent to you at no cost when Warty Warthog is released. To receive a complimentary copy of the Warty Warthog release on CD -- or a handful to give to your friends, your school or LUG, register online at:

http://shipit.ubuntulinux.org/

For more information, you can turn to any of the following resources:

Ubuntu Website: http://www.ubuntulinux.org

The website contains some basic background on Ubuntu, an overview of the project, information on how to get it, and some documentation for the software.

Ubuntu Wiki: http://wiki.ubuntulinux.org

The wiki is a shared web space used by the Ubuntu community to develop new ideas for Ubuntu. Anybody is welcome to edit and add to the wiki. You log in to start editing by clicking on UserPreferences in the top right hand corner of the page.

Ubuntu IRC Channel: #ubuntu and on irc.freenode.net

The Ubuntu IRC channel is your best place to start for help and discussion about Ubuntu and the Warty Warthog release. We aim to keep the signal-to-noise ratio as high as possible on that channel, and on all community forums.

Ubuntu Mailing Lists:

Ubuntu mailing lists are the heart of our community. In addition to the announcement list, and lists for users and developers of Ubuntu, there are now Ubuntu mailing lists in German, French, Spanish as well as lists devoted to Ubuntu security, news, translators, and the inevitable lighthearted chitchat list ("the Sounder"). To get more information or subscribe, visit: http://lists.ubuntu.com

Warty Warthog's features include:

• Simple and FAST Installation

  Ubuntu comes on one single CD, with thousands of extra packages available online. The install is optimised for speed and simplicity. Ubuntu has excellent support for laptops (both x86 based and Powerbook / iBook PPC based), and can also be setup in a minimalist server configuration.

• GNOME 2.8

  Ubuntu was the first distribution to ship Gnome 2.8, on the day of its release. Ubuntu is a great way to try out Gnome 2.8 if you have not already tasted it's speed and simplicity!

• Firefox 0.9 (with security patches)

• First class productivity software
  
  

• Evolution 2.0 and OpenOffice.org 1.1.2

• XFree86 4.3 with improved hardware support

  We also worked hard to detect as much hardware as possible, simplifying the X install considerably.

Warty can be installed in a minimalist mode for servers, or in full desktop mode. It works well on laptops and desktops. Warty is secure by design - a key goal was to ensure that Warty was as safe from attack over the Internet as possible after a default install. We hope the Warty Warthog and future releases of Ubuntu will help secure the doors and *cough* windows of your network infrastructure at home, and in the office.

Enjoy!
Benjamin Mako Hill and the Ubuntu Team