Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) Beta 2 Released!

[Kate Stewart]

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the final beta release of Ubuntu
12.10 Desktop, Server, Cloud, and Core products.

Codenamed "Quantal Quetzal", 12.10 continues Ubuntu's proud tradition 
of integrating the latest and greatest open source technologies into a
high-quality, easy-to-use Linux distribution.  The team has been hard 
at work through this cycle, introducing new features and fixing bugs.

With Ubuntu 12.10, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu and 
Ubuntu Studio also reached Beta 2 status today.   These images will 
continue to have daily updates for the remainder of the release.


Ubuntu Changes
--------------

Some of the new features available since Beta 1 are:

 * Quantal Beta-2 includes the 3.5.0-15.23 Ubuntu Linux kernel which 
   is based on the v3.5.4 upstream Linux kernel. 

 * Unity has been updated to version 6.6 which contains the new 
   default web application in the launcher, a new shopping lens,
   improvements to the dash and multiple bug fixes.

 * GNOME has been updated to 3.5.92 for most components (some to 3.6.0)

 * Accessibility is turned on by default. 

Please see http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/ for details.


Ubuntu Server and Cloud Images
------------------------------

 * Cloud Images now have Quick Start buttons to enable Quick Start like 
   function for Amazon AWS images.  They also no longer have a five 
   second boot time out.

 * Ubuntu now has native packaging for Amazon AWS RDS (rdscli), 
   Identity Management(iamcli), Elastic LoadBalancing (elbcli), 
   ElastiCache (elasticache), and CloudWatch (moncli).

Please see http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/ for details.


Kubuntu
-------

 * The addition of encrypted and LVM partitioning options in the 
   Kubuntu desktop images removes the need for alternate images, 
   which will no longer be shipped for 12.10.

 * Calligra's Krita adds a world class painting application while
   Kexi provides a full featured database application.

Please see https://wiki.kubuntu.org/QuantalQuetzal/Beta2/Kubuntu for
details.


Edubuntu
--------

 * The Gnome Fallback session (also known as the "Ubuntu Classic") will 
   now be made default when LTSP is selected, since Unity 2D is no 
   longer available in the archives.

 * Changes from the Ubuntu defaults for certain packages.

For more details on what has changed in Edubuntu 12.10, please refer to
http://www.edubuntu.org .


Xubuntu
-------

New features in Xubuntu Beta 2 include:

  * Updated artwork, including new wallpaper, documentation looks and 
    updates to LightDM, Greybird and Ubiquity slideshow.

  * New versions of Catfish and Parole 

For more details on what has changed in Xubuntu 12.10, please refer to
http://xubuntu.org/news/quantalbeta2/ .



Lubuntu
-------

Lubuntu has seen many bug fixes applied since Beta 1.  There
are some known issues with PowerPC ports that are being worked through
so they aren't part of Beta 2.

For more information about the changes in Lubuntu 12.10, 
please go to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Lubuntu .


Ubuntu Studio
-------------

Ubuntu Studio has had many bug fixes applied since Beta 1. 

Please see http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/quantal/beta2 for more details
on the above products.


About Ubuntu
------------

Ubuntu is a full-featured Linux distribution for clients, servers and
clouds, with a fast and easy installation and regular releases.  A
tightly-integrated selection of excellent applications is included, and
an incredible variety of add-on software is just a few clicks away.

Professional technical support is available from Canonical Limited and
hundreds of other companies around the world.  For more information
about support, visit http://www.ubuntu.com/support .

If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways
you can participate at:  http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate .

Your comments, bug reports, patches and suggestions really help us to
improve this and future releases of Ubuntu.   Instructions can be 
found at: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs .


To Get Ubuntu 12.10 Beta 2
--------------------------

To upgrade to Ubuntu 12.10 Beta 2 from Ubuntu 12.04, follow 
these instructions:

  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/QuantalUpgrades

Or, download Ubuntu 12.10 Beta 2 images from a location near you: 

  http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/download (Ubuntu and Ubuntu Server) . 

In addition they can be found at the following links:

  http://releases.ubuntu.com/12.10/ (Ubuntu, Ubuntu Server)
  http://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/12.10/beta-2/
  (Ubuntu Cloud Images)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/12.10/beta-2/
  (Ubuntu community supported images, source)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-core/releases/12.10/beta-2/
  (Ubuntu Core)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/netboot/12.10/ (Ubuntu Netboot)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/12.10/beta-2/ 
  (Kubuntu)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/12.10/beta-2/ 
  (Edubuntu)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntustudio/releases/12.10/beta-2/
  (Ubuntu Studio)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/releases/12.10/beta-2/
  (Lubuntu)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/12.10/beta-2/ 
  (Xubuntu) 


The final version of Ubuntu 12.10 is expected to be released 
on October 18, 2012.


More Information
----------------

You can find out more about Ubuntu and about this beta release on our
website, IRC channel and wiki. 

To sign up for future Ubuntu announcements, please subscribe to Ubuntu's
very low volume announcement list at:

  http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-announce