Ubuntu 8.04

[Eldmannen]

Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron" is released.

It is an LTS (Long Term Support) release of the worlds most popular Linux distribution.

It features Xorg 7.3, kernel 2.6.24 and GNOME 2.22. New is PolicyKit and PulseAudio. It has virtualization, Active Directory integration, iSCSI support, etc.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/804features/

Press-release: http://www.ubuntu.com/news/ubuntu-8.04-lts-desktop

Download: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu

Link: Lunarsoft Frontpage

Edited April 24, 2008 by Tarun
Inserted frontpage link.

[Tarun]

Posted on the frontpage. Thanks!

[Ultimate Predator]

I am tempted to try out Xubuntu. Is it any more difficult to sue than Ubuntu?

[Eldmannen]

I am tempted to try out Xubuntu. Is it any more difficult to sue than Ubuntu?

I am not sure. I haven't used Xubuntu.

Ubuntu is the main flavor.

I don't think Xubuntu should be any difficult though. Most people would go with Ubuntu though.

[greenknight]

What I think is really interesting in Ubuntu 8.04 is the wubi installer, lets you install it right inside Windows (and uninstall). Saw this on ZDNet and couldn't see how this could work, so I checked it out. They had it right:

There is a new installation option for Windows users. Wubi allows users to install and uninstall Ubuntu like any other Windows application. It does not require a dedicated partition, nor does it affect the existing bootloader, yet users can experience a dual-boot setup almost identical to a full installation. Wubi works with a physical CD or in stand-alone mode, by downloading an appropriate ISO to install from. It can be found on the root of the CD as Wubi.exe. A full installation within a dedicated partition is still recommended, but Wubi is a great way to try Ubuntu for a few days and weeks before committing dedicated disk resources.

Should be a big boost to Linux adoption, I'd think, if well publicized.

[Eldmannen]

Yes, Wubi is pretty cool.

It creates a file and uses that as a virtual partition, and adds an entry to boot.ini, so you can easily install without any modification to the system, and easily uninstall it from the Control Panel in Windows.

Everyone should try it. It is very easy to install it with Wubi, and it doesn't mess with the system. It is always good to look at other systems to see whats happening on other fronts. You might like it.

And if not, then you can always uninstall it.

[Ultimate Predator]

Yes, Wubi is pretty cool.

It creates a file and uses that as a virtual partition, and adds an entry to boot.ini, so you can easily install without any modification to the system, and easily uninstall it from the Control Panel in Windows.

Everyone should try it. It is very easy to install it with Wubi, and it doesn't mess with the system. It is always good to look at other systems to see whats happening on other fronts. You might like it.

And if not, then you can always uninstall it.

It is what I plan on doing. If I like it, wiht all the information I have had, it'll get a full install. Is it full-featured when run under Wubi (as in being able to connect to the internet).

In referece to your answer to my questions, does Ubuntu still run better than Windows, in terms of peformance? It is what appeals to me about Xubuntu.

[Ma TriX 0978]

I dual-booted Ubuntu wit Vista, and i would take Ubuntu over vista anyday. Its all running with the same specs and ubuntu still runs 10x faster all around. It also has sick special effects for the desktop. also you dont have to worry about any mal-ware problems cuz there barely any out there for linux operating systems.

[Eldmannen]

In referece to your answer to my questions, does Ubuntu still run better than Windows, in terms of peformance? It is what appeals to me about Xubuntu.

I guess it depends what version of Windows you compare, Vista or XP.

And what type of performance, under what conditions and scenarios, and in what applications you use.

In power usage, Ubuntu seems be slightly better than Vista.

* http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=arti...power&num=1

In a benchmark conducted with SPECviewperf, Ubuntu beats Windows in most of the tests.

* http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=arti..._perf&num=1

I don't play much games, but the few times I tried, the performance has been alright.

In an old review from Sept 2007, Windows beat Linux pretty good.

* http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=arti...m=860&num=1

But I have heard that it has improved, and the gap is smaller and the diff is around 10%, but I don't know.

I would guess Windows probably have better performance (hardware vendors put more effort into the Windows device driver).

In desktop application performance, if you use desktop effects with window animations the programs start slightly slower, since you have to watch the animations. Desktop performance in Ubuntu is ok, but I feel the startup speed of applications is slightly faster in XP. Maybe because Ubuntu does not use pre-caching. Hopefully performance will increase with new version of X.org, GNOME and GTK+ libraries. There is a patch for pre-caching, so perhaps that will be integrated in the future.

For desktop application performance, it also matters what desktop environment you use.

Ubuntu wants it to work on many computers, even on old computers, so its compiled for i386. Some distributions such as Arch Linux are compiled for i686 and hence have performance optimizations.

I dual-booted Ubuntu wit Vista, and i would take Ubuntu over vista anyday. Its all running with the same specs and ubuntu still runs 10x faster all around. It also has sick special effects for the desktop. also you dont have to worry about any mal-ware problems cuz there barely any out there for linux operating systems.

Yeah, the desktop effects are awesome. When I first got Ubuntu, I was playing around like a little kid with them, all excited. Opening windows, closing windows, opening windows, closing windows, and again and again.

And I were spinning that cube and stuff.

If not installed, then install "Simple Compiz Config Settings Manager" (simple-ccsm) and "Compiz Config Settings Manager" (compizconfig-settings-manager);

You can do that using the command;

$ sudo apt-get simple-ccsm compizconfig-settings-manager

Or using the Synaptic Package Manager in System->Administration.

After you installed it, goto System->Preferences->Advanced Desktop Effects settings.

Right-click on your two virtual desktops in lower-right corner, select "Preferences" and change to 4 instead of 2.

In the Desktop Effects Manager enable "Desktop Cube", "Rotate Cube", "Cube Reflection" and "Cube Caps".

Now, hold down the middle-mouse button (scroll wheel) and move your mouse. Amazing, eh?

Click on the "Desktop Cube" plugin in the settings manager, and select the "Appearance" tab, and enable "Skydome" and and ""Animated Skydome", download some of these skydomes;

* http://compiz-themes.org/content/show.php/...e?content=72349

And choose to use that as the skydome.

This is crazy, it will blow your mind. You will be spinning that cube like a 5 year old on Christmas Eve or a fat boy in a cake factory.

P.S. also try Ctrl+Alt+Left, Ctrl+Alt+Right, Ctrl+Alt+Down, and WinKey+E. :D

[greenknight]

Is it full-featured when run under Wubi (as in being able to connect to the internet).

Hibernation is not supported, otherwise it's fully functional. Hard disk access is slightly slower than a normal install, but it should still out-perform running as a live CD.

[Ultimate Predator]

Is it full-featured when run under Wubi (as in being able to connect to the internet).

Hibernation is not supported, otherwise it's fully functional. Hard disk access is slightly slower than a normal install, but it should still out-perform running as a live CD.

I see. I don;t mind about hibernation, my laptop is nearly always plugged in. I can't wait for my disk to arrive! Also got to go and get a backup disk for Vista.

Are there any torrents for a Vista installation disk? Not an illegal one, I have my product key under my laptop, but a normal backup disk just in case?

[SenutyEnool]

G'day Ubunutu aficianados..

Downloaded Ubuntu and installed using Wubi (bless it's little cotton socks) and it performed brilliantly.

BUT.... Can someone please explain how I can make it recognise that I'm running a dual 24" monitor system and how do I change the screen resolution? Currently the highest screen resolution I can get is 1024x768, which is a waste of real estate seeing I'm using 24" monitors.

Also, can I tap into my Windows Directory as I don't feel like copying all my files across into Ubuntu just to be able to use them?

Apart from that, it seems clean and relatively easy to use and those are all the questions for today

Cheers :wave:

[Eldmannen]

G'day Ubunutu aficianados..

Downloaded Ubuntu and installed using Wubi (bless it's little cotton socks) and it performed brilliantly.

BUT.... Can someone please explain how I can make it recognise that I'm running a dual 24" monitor system and how do I change the screen resolution? Currently the highest screen resolution I can get is 1024x768, which is a waste of real estate seeing I'm using 24" monitors.

Also, can I tap into my Windows Directory as I don't feel like copying all my files across into Ubuntu just to be able to use them?

Apart from that, it seems clean and relatively easy to use and those are all the questions for today

Cheers

If you cant set a higher resolution than 1024x768 in System -> Preferences -> Screen Resolution, then perhaps it does not recognize your monitor.

The X Window System uses EDID (like Mac & Windows) to communicate with the monitor to get its capabilities. For some reason this sometimes fail for some people (including me). Perhaps this is the culprit.

This is a known bug;

* https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/x...ver/+bug/194760

It should be possible by manually editing the xorg.conf file, located in /etc/X11 and the screen resolutions and refresh rates the monitor is capable of.

If you are using a NVIDIA card, you probably want to enable the official/proprietary graphics device drivers in System->Administration->Hardware Drivers as they yield better performance, and install their 'nvidia-settings' configuration tool.

In the 'Places' menu (top bar), it should list your disk partitions, so you can select your partition from there, and it will mount, and you can access it from the desktop. Is that what you wanted?