I mentioned earlier today that Ubuntu Linux has their newest release available for download. Version 7.04, codenamed Feisty Fawn is apparently a very, very popular item. The download servers are groaning under the load of people trying to get a copy. One of those people happens to be Michael Dell.
Ubuntu Linux vendor Canonical on Thursday released the latest version of its Linux product to the accolades of both Sun Microsystems and Michael Dell, albeit for different reasons.
Version 7.04 — a.ka. Feisty Fawn — comes in two flavors: desktop and server. Both include a Microsoft Windows migration assistant, wireless networking support, and improved multimedia support. Canonical executives called the release the "most user-friendly version to date and ideally suited to anyone who wants to make the switch to Linux."
Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth said the company was overwhelmed by the public's response to the Feisty Fawn release. Excessive server downloads caused a backup on the Canonical Web site and its 160 mirrored sites, he said. Approximately 65% of the download requests came from North America, while 25% came from Europe and 10% from other areas around the globe. "Very typical," Shuttleworth commented.
"This will be our sixth release, marking the third anniversary of the project's inception, and will be a return to our standard six-month release schedule following the shortened catch-up cycle used for 6.10," Shuttleworth said on his blog this week.
In addition to its own improvements, Canonical said Feisty Fawn has the added benefit of including a free-of-charge Java stack. The stack is comprised of the open source Java Platform, Enterprise Edition 5 implementation known as GlassFish; the Java Platform, Standard Edition (JDK 6); the Java database version 10.2 product (built from Apache Derby) and Sun's preferred software development tool NetBeans version 5.5.
Up until now, I have been playing with version 6.10 "Edgy Eft" and have had great results. There was a bit of a learning curve (learning how to use the "wrapper" utility for wireless cards as an example) but this release sounds even more useful and user friendly. And with Michael Dell admitting he is running Ubuntu on one of his personal laptops, one wonders if a new operating system will suddenly be available for Dell Computers.
Dell has machines that do not have an OS on so that you can install Ubuntu (or your fav. linux distro) on so that you do not have to pay the “Windows tax.” They come with a FreeDOS installer, but a bare HDD. The laptops are all supported by Ubuntu (that I could find) with instructions in the Ubuntu wiki/help pages for configuring components that are not auto-configured.
In the left nav bar beneath the picture, links to desktops and laptops are available. Check out http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/alliances/en/linux?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz
Every, single Dell I own runs Ubuntu perfectly, including the prehistoric GX-1 running a P-II at 333MHz. The wireless connections are the only thing that require some tweaking, as far as I have found. And they run rock solid stable – no crashes at all, unlike my Windows XP installations, especially lately. The “security patches” appear to be causing severe driver issues on most of my boxes and I am running out of patience.
I thought Ubuntu was an African dictator.
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