Don't ever Dis The Gibbon! After a long wait, Ubuntu (Kubuntu) Gutsy Gibbon has made it into beta. It looks like a dual boot will be in order: Mandriva for Work, and Ubuntu for play; KDE on one, and GNOME on the other, both with the absolutely amazing Compiz-Fusion desktop effects. I had planned to review Mandriva 2008 final today (supposed to be released on 9/27), but until it does arrive, will have to satisfy my curiousity on the state of the Gibbon, Ubuntu's latest and greatest release: Gutsy Gibbon 7.10. There are a ton of new features, but keep in mind that it is still a beta release, with the final on 10/18.
A huge mea culpa for ever doubting the folks at Canonical; tried out Tribe 5 (Alpha 5) and was not too impressed, especially since there seemed to be little in the way of new features, and desktop effects randomly caused complete computer freeze-ups.
The download (linked above) is very fast, with the liveCD clocking in at a little over an hour; the number and spread of software mirrors guarantees that you will get exactly the same speed, limited only by your internets connection. Don't even bother with a torrent on this one.
Desktop effects are enabled by default when entering the liveCD; one can choose from the Preferences menu <appearance<visual effects the level of effects: None, Moderate, Extreme, and once the Compiz Config Settings Manager is installed (through the handy Synaptic Package Manager), Custom. If you have bothered to watch any of the Youtube vids I've put up over the course of these diaries, then you have a fair idea of what you're in for--some of it totally waste of time, and some of it productive, and all of it fun.</p>
On the upper menu bar is a new item called Desktop Search that allows you to quickly find anything with the added benefit of being configurable with associated actions: hunting for videos allows you to choose (for example) launch Videoplayer, etc.
Fast-user switching is another new feature that allows multiple users to switch between accounts, um, fast; no need to log in and log out--just set it and you're golden.
Getting Flash or the Open Source Gnash is easy through the Firefox plug-in window; a number of other security and pop-up blockers, etc. are also available this way.
The Graphical front end for adjusting the X server is a nice touch, though my own (cruddy) monitor and video card were set up properly from the get go, as was my HP all-in-one printer, nearly every laptop button (volume, screen brightness, and so on), and the correct drivers for my wireless card were set up and the nearest wifi hotspot was recognized, all of this in mere liveCD mode--fairly impressive overall.
When downloading a (non-RIAA protected) mp3 to test out the music player and clicking on the file, an amusing box popped up asking if I would like to hunt for the appropriate codecs, accompanied by the scary warning: 'these may be illegal in your area, contact your lawyer for further information'; throwing caution to the wind, I downloaded the oh so scary mp3 codecs, and the crisp sound of Jolin Tsai flooded in. There is a corresponding pop up when you try to play various forms of video files, also with the legal disclaimer.
The thing that struck me most when using this beta was the feeling that it was not some kludged together effort (my impression of Feisty) but a very cohesive, responsive system that really is ready for anyone at all to use, no matter their level of knowledge/experience with Open Source, Linux (i.e., non-Windows/Mac) systems: the installation is very straightforward (and fast!, only 18 minutes), and corresponding shutdown/restart times are impressive as well. The graphical menus for (literally) everything are well laid out, with a little pop-up balloon coming out for each one (at mouse-over), informing you exactly what that menu setting does.
As Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Edubuntu all share the same base, it is easy work to switch between them--if, for example you downloaded the wrong CD, get sick of GNOME, or for whatever reason--a quick visit to the Synaptic Package Manager will sort you out, downloading all the necessary files, at which point you simply have to log out and log back in, selecting the session from the log in window.
I've been using Mandriva of late, and with the demise of my test machine (an old Compaq laptop, now cannibalized for parts) I was faced with a bit of a quandary: erase my completely tweaked Mandriva desktop, install to an external USB hard drive, or set it up as a dual boot, all with the prospect of an untried beta OS going haywire and trashing the whole deal.
After trying (and failing) to install to the USB HD (actually installed, but screwed the pooch in the BIOS), I then tried to install on the main hard drive, and was offered the chance to resize my Mandriva install, as well as importing any settings (bookmarks, files, etc.) from that same install; this went flawlessly, and I immediately booted into my Mandriva desktop to check out that nothing had been screwed up.
Upon rebooting yet again, this time into Ubuntu, I then set about checking out how solid it ran, and what new features were available. This install method (re-sizing and importing info, files, etc.) will also work with a Windows install, should you consider dual-booting with Ubuntu. Be warned, though: once you get into it, you may find yourself using the Windows partition less and less.
This is an impressive achievement for a beta version, and the final version will undoubtedly be nothing short of astonishing. Highly recommended for those wishing to try out an alternate OS/wanting to dual boot, or just wanting to use the liveCD. Your mouse will be inexorably drawn to the 'Install' icon after you have tried out the various features in this wonderful release. Update: Perhaps to belabor the obvious, but this is still beta; I have had a couple of freezes over the course of the past 12 hours or so--this is not ready for full-time production use. Cheers!