Canonical has released the latest version of Ubuntu Linux. Version 6.10, codenamed Edgy Eft, is the fifth version of the popular Debian-based distribution since its release in 2004 and features both design tweaks and enhancements to bundled software and security.
Announcing the release in a conference call, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth said it continued the promise of free software.
"Both the economics and the culture of free software are different," he said. "Ubuntu is available globally free of charge and with guaranteed security updates for a limited period, but commercial support is available from Canonical. The culture is one of openness - there is transparency and participation at all levels."
Ubuntu 6.10 will be maintained for 18 months, with free security updates for all users. For deployments which require additional service guarantees, full telephone and online support on commercial terms is available globally from the support team at Canonical and service partners.
Desktop
Desktop users of Ubuntu have access to a number of new tools bundled with the distribution including:
* Tomboy, a note-taking tool;
* FSpot, a photo management tool that enables tagging, photo editing and automatic uploading to online Web management sites such as Flickr;
* GNOME 2.16;
* Upstart, a replacement start-up manager that Canonical says offers a substantially faster boot time;
* The latest version (2.0) of the Firefox Web browser, which offers inline spell check support in Web forms, easy recovery of crashed sessions, built-in phishing detectors, enhanced search engine management with built-in OpenSearch support, and better support for previewing and subscribing to Web feeds, the developer says;
* Proactive security management; and
* Evolution 2.8.0.
Server
The Ubuntu server edition includes a pre-release of the upcoming Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP), allowing administrators to eliminate the cost of updating individual workstations to ensure their security.
"LTSP5 is the culmination of over one-and-a-half years of collaboration between the LTSP project, the Ubuntu project, and the open source community to define the next generation of Linux thin client technology," said Oliver Grawert, LTSP project manager at Ubuntu.
New versions of Kubuntu and Edubuntu, Ubuntu derivatives, are also being released, Canonical said. Kubuntu includes the KDE desktop environment. Kubuntu 6.10 includes KDE 3.5.5, which brings speed improvements, updates to the instant messenger and improved translations. Edubuntu is focused on the education market. Edubuntu 6.10 includes the LTSP enhancements described above, as well as an enhanced student control panel.
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