[ubuntu-za] [Fwd: Announcing the Ubuntu 5.10 release]

Craig Adams craigaa at karg.co.za
Thu Oct 13 02:48:54 CDT 2005 

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Matt Zimmerman <mdz at ubuntu.com>
To: ubuntu-announce at lists.ubuntu.com
Subject: Announcing the Ubuntu 5.10 release
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:10:20 -0700

The Ubuntu team is proud to announce Ubuntu 5.10. This is the 
official Ubuntu 5.10 release, and includes installation 
CDs, live CDs, and combination DVDs for three architectures.

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop or server, with a 
fast and easy install, regular releases, a tight selection of 
excellent packages installed by default, every other package you can
imagine available from the network, a commitment to security updates 
for 18 months after each release and professional technical support 
from many companies around the world.

To Get Ubuntu 5.10
--------------------

Download Ubuntu 5.10 here (choose the mirror closest to you):

  United States:
    http://us.releases.ubuntu.com/releases/5.10/

  Europe:
    http://se.releases.ubuntu.com/5.10/

  United Kingdom:
    http://releases.ubuntu.com/5.10/

  Rest of the World:
    http://releases.ubuntu.com/5.10/

Please download using Bittorrent if possible.

To burn the Ubuntu 5.10 CD images to disk, you will need 700MB
media.

To receive a complimentary copy of the Official Breezy Badger CD -- 
or a handful of them to give to your friends, your school or LUG -- 
place your request at the URL below.

  http://shipit.ubuntu.com/



About Ubuntu 5.10
-----------------

With this release, the Ubuntu family grows in several significant 
directions:

  * Edubuntu
       A partner distribution based on Ubuntu that is specially
       focused on the needs of schools. Developed in partnership
       with the K12-LTSP community, this is a great base distro
       for people working with FLOSS in schools.  Watch for a
       subsequent announcement with download information for
       Edubuntu.

       http://www.edubuntu.org/

  * Ubuntu for Servers
       This is a CD installer specifically optimised for server 
       installation.  Watch for a subsequent announcement with
       download information for the new Server CD.

Major new features in Ubuntu 5.10 include:

  * Thin Client Integration
       Ubuntu is the first distribution in the world to include
       deeply-integrated thin client technology. This allows you
       to deploy Ubuntu in large scale networked environments or,
       for example, in classrooms, with a lightweight Ubuntu image
       booting over the network. All Ubuntu management tools work
       for the thin client image as well as for the server.

  * OEM Installer Support
       This release of Ubuntu has special support for OEM hardware
       vendors. Ubuntu can be pre-installed and tested without
       configuring end user information. The user will be asked to
       complete that configuration (name, timezone and password)
       upon first startup.

  * Launchpad Integration
       Launchpad.net is the new infrastructure that Ubuntu and its
       derivatives use for translation, bug tracking, sharing code
       patches, fixes and technical support. Users of Ubuntu 5.10
       can make technical support requests for any package in Ubuntu,
       and can help to translate their software, directly from the
       built-in Help menu in every desktop application.


To see it all, you'll need to try the CD, but the highlights 
of Ubuntu itself include:

 On the Desktop

  * GNOME 2.12.1
  * OpenOffice.org 2.0 beta 2
  * X.org 6.8.2 with wider hardware support
  * An enhanced tool for easily installing new applications 
    (see "Add Applications" on the Applications menu)
  * A new tool which makes it easy to install support for 
    multiple languages (Language Selector)
  * Editable GNOME menus
  * Applications are now linked into the Launchpad infrastructure 
    (new entries on the Help menus for translation and support)
  * Support for writing audio CDs (Serpentine)
  * Graphical startup process with progress bar (USplash)
  * New documentation (Ubuntu 5.10 Quick Tour and Ubuntu 5.10 FAQ Guide)
  * Language packs with updates from the Rosetta translation platform,
    part of Launchpad.net, which makes contributing translations easy 
    for everybody in any language.

 On the Server

  * Kernel support for cluster filesystems (OCFS2 and GFS)
  * Plone 2.1 & Zope 2.8.1
  * PHP5
  * Support for automatic storage allocation into LVM volumes
  * Built-in thin client functionality produced in cooperation
    with the LTSP project (http://wiki.ubuntu.com/ThinClientHowto)
  * Simple NFS root setup with automatic hardware detection 
    through initramfs-tools
  * Support for up to 4 gigabytes of RAM by default on 32-bit 
    architectures

 Hardware Support Improvements

  * Linux 2.6.12.6 with many updated drivers from third parties
  * Further enhancements to laptop support (hot keys, 
    and working suspend/resume on more models)
  * HP all-in-one printer/scanner devices are supported out of 
    the box
  * Bluetooth input devices (such as keyboards and mice) are 
    supported out of the box
  * Multiple audio devices are handled more gracefully (and one 
    can easily select the default device)
  * 64-bit PowerPC kernel available

 Installation

  * A new OEM mode to simplify the process of preinstalling 
    Ubuntu on computers for resale or redistribution
  * Automatically makes existing hard drive partitions available 
    to the desktop
  * Simple "dual boot" configuration with automatic resizing of 
    an existing installed OS
  * The second stage of the installation now has a progress bar

 "Under the hood"

  * GCC 4.0.1
  * glibc 2.3.5
  * New early userspace infrastructure based on initramfs-tools
  * More modular X.org packaging
  * Python 2.4.2

As always, Ubuntu includes the very best of the 100% free/libre 
application software world, and each new release incorporates 
countless new features and bugfixes from the global development 
community.

Feedback and Helping
--------------------

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 will help ensure
that our next release is the best release of Ubuntu ever.  Please 
report bugs through Launchpad:

  http://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+bugs

If you have a question, or if you think you may have found a bug but 
aren't sure, first try asking on the #ubuntu IRC channel on Freenode, 
on the Ubuntu Users mailing list, or on the Ubuntu forums:

  http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
  http://www.ubuntuforums.org/


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

You can find out more about Ubuntu on our website, IRC channel and wiki.
If you're new to Ubuntu, please visit:

  http://www.ubuntu.com/


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

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