Thelatest version of Ubuntu,code name Lucid Lynx and with the version number 10.04, is being released today. Due to a problem inGrub, the boot manager, the release have been delayed somewhat, but hopefully it will be out today.
Among thenews in this version, which is a LTS (Long Term Support) version, is a further polished user interface, with many similarities to MacOS. The maximize/minimize buttonsare now defaulting to the left side of the title bar, but of course the user can move that around and reconfigure the interface.
Built-in support in the operating system for social network sites/services is something that very few, if any, operating systems have. The cloud storage service Ubuntu One have been updated with additional functions, you can now access contacts and files stored in the cloud from mobile phones/devices. No Windows client, though, so you can’t access your files at home from your Windows computer at work. Ubuntu One will also allow you to share files with family and friends in an easy way. Every Ubuntu user get 2 GB free storage, and for $10/month you get 50 GB storage.
The software repository/manager have been updated, and an online music store for DRM-free music have been added.
Some programs have been removed(GIMP being one of them) and others have been added (for example the video editing program PiTiVi).
Another thing that Canonical, thecompany behindof Ubuntu, have been pushing is faster start-up time. I don’t restart my computer that often, so 10 seconds of 25 seconds is no big deal to me. But for laptops it is nice. Talking about laptops, there will also be a special "Remix" version for netbooks.
As always, you can download and burn an ISO image and test it on a computer without having to install anything. This will test your hardware and give you an idea about the looks and functionality of the operating system.
As my FaceBook and twitter followers might have noticed last night, I cleanedand backed up my existing system (using Clonezilla, highly recommended tool) in anticipation of installing 10.04 in the next day or so. I plan to first try an install on top of the existing version 9.10, then make a backup of that, wipe the partition and install 10.04 from scratch to see if any of the hardware I hjad to get separate drivers for is now supported out of the box.