[plug] Ubuntu, Edubuntu and Kubuntu 5.10 (breezy) _just_ released

[Senectus .]

As usual you may order from shipit or download from the usual mirrors.
http://releases.ubuntu.com/5.10/
or for the KDE fans
www.kubuntu.org/download.php

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/

I've been using Breezy for the past 2 1/2 months.. and it's truly a
thing of beauty, yet another supurb job.

Some features in this release:

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

AND

Here is what's new in Kubuntu 5.10

Adept and Adept-Updater

  Adept is a new package manager for KDE. With advanced search
  facilities using debtags, hunting for packages is now easier than
 ever.

 To help keep your system current, adept-updater checks to see which
 packages have changed and makes it easy to download and install the
 latest fixes.

KDE System Settings

  Kawabunga! The traditional KDE Control Center has been replaced with
  KDE System Settings. This change is not part of KDE, but is unique to
  Kubuntu. The new interface is cleaner, faster, simpler and comes with
 improved usability features such as quick search.

Guidance Configuration Tools

  Guidance is a set of configuration tools new to Kubuntu. Currently
 included are modules for user accounts, mount configuration and
 system services selection.  You can find the Guidance modules in
 System Settings.

KDE Language Packs

  Kubuntu now includes KDE translations on the CD for the most popular
 languages,
 over 50 languages are supported in total.

KDE Bluetooth Framework

  The KDE Bluetooth tools aim to provide easy access to Bluetooth
  profiles and facilitate the communication between Bluetooth enabled
  devices such as cell phones and PDAs.

Katapult

  Katapult is used to start applications and bookmarks. Just press
 Alt+Space then type the name of the program you are interested in, it
 will quickly become the most useful tool on your desktop.

OpenOffice.org 2

  OpenOffice.org 2 is installed by default and now comes with KDE
 integration.

GStreamer for AmaroK and Kaffeine

  Our Kaffeine video player and AmaroK music player now use the
  GStreamer media framework, a large range of GStreamer plugins are
 available to support a wide range of different media file formats.

Krita

  A new advanced image editor program from KOffice.

KLaptopDaemon

  To help out our laptop users, KLaptopDaemon now works for hibernation
  and uses acpi.

Locate File Search

  Having problems finding that file? In Konqueror just type locate:/
  followed by what you are looking for. Konqueror will search for it.

  Searching for something on the web? Use Konqueror's search bar and
 Google suggest to help find exactly what you are looking for.

KOffice 1.4 and Kexi

  KOffice 1.4 is now included in the main repository. This lightweight
  but powerful office suite includes Kexi, a powerful database
  frontend.

X.org 6.8.2

  For better hardware support Kubuntu 5.10 has updated X.org to version
 6.8.2 and comes in new modular packages.

KDE WinFOSS

--
Ubuntu Breezy 5.10
CNet News.com: So that would be the philosophical difference between
Microsoft and what Google is up to at this point?
Bill Gates: Well, we don't know everything they are up to, but we do
know their slogan and we disagree with that.
www.modmeup.net