New Ubuntu Linux Out

By Greg McNevin

April 23, 2007: The latest Ubuntu Linux distribution is out, bringing with it a host of improvements and new features including better wireless and multimedia capabilities and integrated virtualisation.

Version 7.04 or “Feisty Fawn” is promising better hardware compatibility and more proprietary drivers, two factors that have proved inhibitive for some users making a full switch to Ubuntu.

It also includes version 2.6.20 of the Linux kernel and its integrated support for hardware-enhanced virtualization, good news for those interested in making the switch to open source thin clients. And for those mulling over a full migration from Windows, Ubuntu has also introduced a new integrated migration assistant to make the switch smoother.

Feisty Fawn has also tightened up its integration with Sun’s Java, giving it greater capabilities when it comes to rich web applications.

“Sun and Canonical are working together to bring the full power of the Java platform in a fully integrated and easy to install fashion to the free and open source software communities,” says Ian Murdock, chief operating systems officer, Sun.

“Packaging NetBeans and Java for Ubuntu ensures that we are able to distribute it efficiently to the huge community of Ubuntu users,” adds Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu. “Developers who are interested in Sun's latest Java technology can install it instantly if they are running Ubuntu. As Java components are released under free software licenses, we will consider these components for inclusion in the core of Ubuntu.”

Feisty Fawn 7.04 will be supported for 18 months on both desktops and servers, the next major update is “Gutsy Gibbon” (Version 7.10) due in October.

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