Ubuntu 8.10 kicks off the new batch of Linux Distribution releases, how does it stack up? Read on…
When the very first version of Ubuntu shipped it was late October of 2004, and the release name was Warty Warthog, I was among the many that rushed to the mirrors to download this new version of the Linux Desktop. Since 2004 Ubuntu has been a Linux desktop trend setter, and it’s with that in mind that I look at the latest version of Ubuntu.
Each release of Ubuntu I spend some time talking about the brown theme, and I do so in the video below a bit more… So I’ll leave it at that, and not re-iterate those comments here.
Watch the video for some screen shots and a general overview of new features:
I’ll breakdown some of the key new features and talk about them. I’ll start with what I think might be the most significant work my way down. I’ll try and give each new major feature a grade, that will reflect its usefulness, and functionality.
The new Gnome 2.24 and a improved File Roller (the Archive manager)
At first I was more than ready to roll my eyes at a tabbed file manager being a major feature, after all with Firefox and every other browser on the planet, we are all kind of tab snobs now and it all seems like such old hat.
But then I stopped to think about it, and realized this is a VERY handy feature that most other
desktop file managers do not have… Oh sure KDE has had it for quite a while as well as a handful of other file managers on Linux, but Windows and OS X still do not. And after all does it matter if we already had it over here, but did not have it over there.. The most important thing is that we have it now! I have spoken with some developers on the Nautilus project and they told me that adding tabs was no easy task, it involved some major re-tooling at the core of the file manager and for a long time they were unsure if it would be worth the efforts.
Well I am very pleased we got this feature, my grade for tabbed nautilus file manager: A+
X.Org 7.4, X11 steps up it’s hot-plug support for display devices
I have been harder and harder on X.org lately. To make a long story short, I feel they are holding the Linux desktop back in some major ways. So any progress forward on multi-monitor support improvements or the ability to plug in projectors and have that project recognized immediately
with the correct resolution (just as OS X or Windows would).
X.org also handles input devices like your mouse and keyboard as well, so it’s critical that a Linux Desktop distribution has a fantastic implementation.
Now all that said, there are real disadvantages to living on the cutting edge of X.org, at the time of this writing the Nvidia and ATI binary (proprietary) drivers do not work with X.org 7.4, that means for many of us, no OpenGL acceleration and no Compiz support.
Now if this was 2006 or mid 2007 and we were looking at a distribution shipping that does not support those drivers, I’d look past it. But this is 2008, and desktop Linux is trying to complete in the same space as OS X and Windows Vista, both of which have accelerated video and utilize transparency with alpha channels to enable better usability.
The product managers at Apple and Microsoft would never even consider taking a “final” version of their operating system to management for approval with out those features, just like the vast majority of us they realize the important it is that users are able to take advantage of the most expensive component in their computer, their GPU. The lack of support for binary drivers is not Ubuntu’s fault, but it is going to be a deal killer for many.
The great improvements in X.org 7.4 with Hot Plug, and the new X safe mode are great, but the short-falls of no binary driver support are a killer. I have to believe that X.org could have worked more closely with Nvidia and ATI to prevent this, after all it would be in Nvidia and ATI’s best interest to do so.
I have high hopes that this is fixed very soon.
X.org 7.4 in Ubuntu 8.10 final grade: D-
NOTE: Sounds like updated drivers are already in the repo, this brings the final grade up to: A-
(more details at the bottom of the post)
DKMS, rebuild kernel modules automatically with kernel updates
DKMS stands for Dynamic Kernel Module Support, DKMS means it’s very easy to rebuild modules (such as drivers, or VMware hooks) as you upgrade kernels. This will allow Linux vendors to provide driver updates without having to wait for new kernel releases while also taking out the guesswork for customers attempting to recompile modules for new kernels.
I see no reason that this should not be HUGE, I want to see this in every distrobution going forward. The best part is that it is working, tested code. Dell (creators of DKMS) have been using
DKMS in house for several years. This is going to bridge that gap between the use of binary drivers and frequent kernel updates, and that is going to be BIG time handy.
Personal side note, members of my family have tried Linux on the desktop after having awful experiences with Windows, but kernel upgrades broke X11 for them too many times, and they gave up and bought a Mac… Needless to say I was very disappointed, my hope is that DKMS will prevent this kind of thing in the future.
DKMS included in the new Ubuntu 8.10 final grade: A+
Other minor features that I think are great, but overall I am not super stoked about:
- Samba 3.2 (good improvements for large enterprise)
- Network Manager 0.7 (improvements in 3G device support, have not tested yet)
- Guest sessions (seems handy, but not something I’ll use)
- Totem BBC plugin (Probably great for my friends across the pond)
Minor features in Ubuntu 8.10 final grade: B+
Final Grade Roundup:
| Gnome 2.4 w/Tabbed File Browser | A+ |
| X.org 7.4 w/o Binary Drivers | A– |
| DKMS Mojo for Modules | A+ |
| Other Minor Features | B+ |
Overall Score
|
A
|
So is Ubuntu 8.10 once again a trend setter? Perhaps, I aruge maybe not what it once was, but it is still a very strong desktop offering. In the end though, thats up to you and everyone else to determine!
You can download Ubuntu 8.10 here: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
UPDATE: A new Nvidia driver (at the time of this writing) is reported to have early support for new X.org version in Ubuntu 8.10: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=122139 and appear to have been included in the repository, still waiting for an official word on ATI drivers (I do not have an ATI card to test with).
