OpenSUSE 11.0 Released With Loads of new features
Novell has announced the release of OpenSUSE 11.0, which offers more than 200 new features and hundreds of application updates.
The 11.0 release of openSUSE includes more than 200 new features specific to openSUSE, a redesigned installer that makes openSUSE even easier to install, faster package management thanks to major updates in the ZYpp stack, and KDE 4, GNOME 2.22, Compiz Fusion, and much more.”OpenSUSE 11.0 is a really exciting and groundbreaking release, perfect for Linux enthusiasts and developers as well as users who are new to Linux,” said Joe Brockmeier, OpenSUSE community manager.
Important updates and package additions compared to 10.3:
| Package | Version | Backport | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abiword | 2.6.2 | text processor | |
| Alpine | 1.10 | console email client and news reader | |
| Amarok | 1.4.9.1 | download | full featured audio player for KDE |
| Apache | 2.2.8 | http server | |
| Banshee | 1.0 | download | media player |
| Bazaar | 1.3 | version control system | |
| Beagle | 0.3.7 | download | desktop search daemon |
| Compiz | 0.7.4 | download | 3D effects compositing window manager |
| Emacs | 22.2 | text editor | |
| Evolution | 2.22.1.1 | download | personal information manager |
| Firefox | 3.0 Beta 5 | download | web browser |
| Gimp | 2.4.5 | The GNU Image Manipulation Program | |
| GNOME | 2.22.1 | download | desktop environment |
| GnuCash | 2.2.4 | personal and business finances accounting (GTK+2 port) | |
| Gnumeric | 1.8.2 | spreadsheet | |
| Inkscape | 0.46 | vector graphics editor | |
| KDE | 3.5.9 | download | desktop environment |
| KDE | 4.0.4 | download | desktop environment |
| KDEPIM | 4.1 Beta | download | KDE personal information applications: Kontact, KMail, KOrganizer, KAddressbook, … |
| KDevelop | 3.5.1 | download | integrated development environment |
| Kile | 2.0 | download | Integrated TeX/LaTeX editing environment |
| KTorrent | 3.0.2 | Bittorrent content delivery tool for KDE | |
| Mediawiki | 1.11.2 | web-based collaborative editing environment | |
| Mono | 1.9.1 | download | Mono application runtime and development stack |
| Monodevelop | 1.0 | integrated development environment | |
| ndiswrapper | 1.51 | use Windows compatible binary wireless network drivers | |
| OpenOffice.org | 2.4 | download | office suite, using OASIS file format, with KDE/GNOME integration |
| OpenSSH | 5.0p1 | client and server for encrypted remote logins and file transfers | |
| Pidgin | 2.4.1 | download | Multi-protocol instant messaging client |
| QEMU | 0.9.1 | virtual machine and cpu emulator | |
| Qt | 4.4 | download | C++ application framework for writing applications |
| SeaMonkey | 1.1.9 | download | all-in-one internet application suite |
| Subversion | 1.5rc5 | version control system | |
| Sunbird | 0.8 | download | calendar application |
| Thunderbird | 2.0.0.12 | download | email client |
| VirtualBox | 1.5.6 | x86 virtualizer | |
| Wine | 1.0rc3 | download | compatibility layer for running MS Windows programs |
| Xfce | 4.4.2 | download | desktop environment |
| xine-lib | 1.1.12 | multimedia player libraries |
“The OpenSUSE Project contributors, inside and outside Novell, have worked hard and should be very proud of this release. It sets the bar for what a Linux distribution should be.”
OpenSUSE 11.0 is also the first Linux distribution to include the 1.0 Banshee release, enabling users to manage and play back digital music and video content.
“The OpenSUSE Project is an important part of Novell’s Linux strategy and is one of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to the open source community,” said Roger Levy, senior vice president and general manager for open platform solutions at Novell.
“OpenSUSE serves as the foundation for our enterprise products and gives Novell an important opportunity to work closely with the community.”
The new version is available for download immediately. A full DVD image or Gnome and KDE live CDs enable users to run OpenSUSE from the CD without modifying their computer.
Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy Heron” Released
The latest release of the popular Linux Distribution Ubuntu, numbered 8.04 and code-named “Hardy Heron,” is available for download and upgrading. Check out the new features and improvements like a nifty Windows-based installer, file-handling improvements and upgraded applications, for yourself hassle-free with a live CD. Ubuntu 8.04 is a free download for any system with a 32- or 64-bit Intel or AMD processor, but you can also request to have free CDs shipped to you. How stable and smooth have you found Hardy Heron to be? What feature or change are you still waiting to see included? Let’s hear it in the comments.
New features include the Wubi Windows installer and Firefox 3 beta 5.
Check out Linux Format’s overview of the release
The mirrors are already getting hit with heavy traffic, so we recommend using the torrent, which is available from the release page.
Ubuntu is released every six months with many new features and the latest versions of popular desktop software applications. Ubuntu 8.04, which is codenamed Hardy Heron, is the second Ubuntu release to offer long-term support, which means that security and maintenance updates will be available for this version for three years on the desktop and five years on the server.
Ubuntu 8.04 includes GNOME 2.22, the latest version of the popular open-source desktop environment. There are many new features and significant architectural improvements in GNOME 2.22, including GVFS—a completely redesigned virtual filesystem abstraction layer—and PolicyKit, a secure privilege elevation system that is safer and more flexible than the anachronistic gksudo mechanism.
Ubuntu now also includes PulseAudio, a powerful new sound server with support for network transparency and advanced mixing capabilities. Although PulseAudio has a lot to offer on the desktop, it still suffers from some transitional issues and integration weaknesses in this release that manifest themselves in certain configurations.
One particularly significant feature included in this release is Wubi, a Windows-based installer that allows Ubuntu and Windows to coexist on the same partition. Wubi installs a fully functional Ubuntu environment into a folder on the Windows filesystem and sets up a boot menu that allows the user to enter Ubuntu at startup. Wubi doesn’t require the user to partition their hard drive and it makes it possible to uninstall Ubuntu directly through the Add/Remove Programs utility in Windows.
There are a handful of new applications included by default in this release, such as the Transmission BitTorrent client, the Cheese webcam application, and a new CD burning program called Brasero.
The next major version is Ubuntu 8.10, which is codenamed Intrepid Ibex and is scheduled for release in October. During the Intrepid Ibex development cycle, the focus will be on mobile computing and desktop scalability. The planning process will begin early next month at the Ubuntu Developer Summit.
Several popular Ubuntu flavors and derivatives have also been released today, including Kubuntu, Xubuntu, UbuntuStudio, Edubuntu, and Mythbuntu. The Ubuntu 8.04 server edition has also been released and includes an impressive set of enterprise-oriented features. It has already been certified on a variety of Sun server products and has ActiveDirectory integration, virtual appliance support, and improved AppArmor security policies.
Update:
Check out some cool snapshots here: Gallery: A peek at Umbutu 8.4
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )RedHat’s loss, Ubuntu’s Win
The Linux world was almost shell-shocked last week over Red Hat’s announcement that the company won’t be focusing on the desktop market.
Here’s the meat of the announcement:
It’s worth pointing out what’s missing in the list above: we have no plans to create a traditional desktop product for the consumer market in the foreseeable future.
An explanation: as a public, for-profit company, Red Hat must create products and technologies with an eye on the bottom line, and with desktops this is much harder to do than with servers. The desktop market suffers from having one dominant vendor, and some people still perceive that today’s Linux desktops simply don’t provide a practical alternative. Of course, a growing number of technically savvy users and companies have discovered that today’s Linux desktop is indeed a practical alternative. Nevertheless, building a sustainable business around the Linux desktop is tough, and history is littered with example efforts that have either failed outright, are stalled or are run as charities. But there’s good news too. Technical developments that have become available over the past year or two are accelerating the spread of the Linux Desktop.
But I have been thinking, why would RH want to do this? Over the years, RedHat was *the* brand that was almost synonymous with Linux which has support. Corporates and businesses when asked the techies “who will support open source” almost always got some pointers in RedHat’s direction. And then this!
What is Red Hat really scared of – Microsoft? But this exit of RedHat will announce in no uncertain terms the victory of Ubuntu too! Today, if XP etc rule the desktop market, Ubuntu has slowly got the mindshare of the Linux users and is the most dominant Linux distribution today.
Does Red Hat’s exit now leave the desktop Linux field open to Ubuntu? I would say, yes!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 2 so far )
Tech Watch 