Ubuntu 5.10 released

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

Please download using Bittorrent if possible. You can find a list of download locations here.

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 in our ShipIt facility.

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.

• Ubuntu for Servers: This is a CD installer specifically optimised for server installation. Download this image if you will be setting up servers running Ubuntu.

Major new features in Ubuntu 5.10

• 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

• 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. 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. 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.

More Information

You can find out more about Ubuntu on our website, IRC channel and wiki. If you’re new to Ubuntu, please visit www.ubuntu.com. To sign up for future Ubuntu announcements, please subscribe to Ubuntu’s very low volume announcement list.