The next generation Fedora systems!

Oct 4, 2007 15:15 GMT  ·  By

A few minutes ago, the Fedora project team has released the third and last Test CD of the upcoming Fedora 8 Linux distribution. Test 3 features the following improvements over previous test releases:

■ Online Desktop provides a desktop experience designed around online services. A preview of Online Desktop is provided via BigBoard, which is an optional sidebar in GNOME.

■ KDE 3.5.7 is available in the KDE Live image as well as the regular DVD. The KDE 4 (Beta) Development Environment is available in the repository.

■ Live installations are faster and require a smaller root filesystem. The file system layout has also changed. System files for the Live images are now under LiveOS/, and a new README file has been provided as a short introduction to the live image.

■ Package management now features much better performance via yum and friends.

■ The completely free and open source Java environment called Iced Tea is installed by default. Iced Tea is derived from OpenJDK, includes a browser plugin based on GCJ, and is available for both x86 and x86_64 architectures. GCJ is still the default on PPC architecture.

■ CodecBuddy is now included, and promotes free, superior quality, open formats to end users trying to play multimedia content under patent encumbered or proprietary formats.

■ Bluetooth devices and tools now have better graphical and system integration.

■ Laptop users benefit from the "quirks" features in HAL, including better suspend/resume and multimedia keyboard support.

■ There is now improved power management thanks to both a tickless kernel in x86 and x86_64 architectures, and a reduction in unnecessary processor wakeups via powertop.

■ Eclipse 3.3 (Europa), a new release of the great IDE and development platform, is available as part of this release.

■ The pam_console module has been removed in favor of access control via HAL, which modernizes the desktop.

■ NetworkManager 0.7 provides improved wireless network management support. It includes support for multiple devices and provides the capability of system-wide configuration, among many other enhancements. This transition may induce some regressions temporarily, and more testing and feedback is appreciated.

■ Secure remote management capability is now provided for Xen, KVM, and QEMU virtualization.

■ Transifex provides a web-based translation interface to allow users to contribute translation work for Fedora hosted projects as well as being able to provide translations to upstream directly to any upstream project.

■ Integration of unique build IDs into Fedora's software building infrastructure now provides enhanced debugging capabilities and core dumps.

■ Fedora now offers easier rebranding of Fedora derivatives via a generic-logos software package. Changes in Fedora's mirror structure also make creation of derivatives easier.

■ Fedora now includes support for Nepali Language, extending its reach to a lot more users.

Fedora 8 is promising new features like:

■ Optional replacement for GNOME panel that uses online services via mugshot; ■ Enhanced Bluetooth support; ■ Fedora 8 Bookmarks; ■ Make core dumps self-identifying enough to find the exact correct versions of all relevant binaries and debuginfo; ■ Buddy Helper app promotes Free alternatives and guides users trying to play content under restricted codecs; ■ Fix the dictionary proliferation problem; ■ Integrating KDE 4.0, a new major version of KDE; ■ Improved support for using Fedora on Laptops; ■ Support for Nepali Language; ■ Nodoka, new default theme for GNOME; ■ We need to remove pam_console and migrate all users to use the ACLs as set by HAL; ■ Easy and painless administration; ■ Using delta RPM updates by default. Saves heavy amount of bandwidth and time for updates; ■ Feature rich sound server (Pulse Audio); ■ Make rsyslog the new default syslog daemon. Rsyslog has an assorted set of new features that make system administration easier; ■ TeXLive 2007 inclusion; ■ Make the default x86_64 kernel tickless; ■ Secure remote mangement for Xen, KVM & QEMU virtualization; ■ Powertop is included. Need to start tracking egregious offenders; ■ Don't start XFS font server daemon by default and fix font packages. Savings on performance and bootup time; ■ Use and integrate XULRunner which is the Gecko browser engine separated from the user interface.

Fedora 8 release schedule:

7 August 2007 - Fedora 8 Test1 release 28 August 2007 - Fedora 8 FEATURE freeze, Fedora 8 string freeze, Fedora 8 Test2 development freeze 13 September 2007 - Fedora 8 Test2 Release 25 September 2007 - Fedora 8 translation freeze, Fedora 8 Test3 development freeze 4 October 2007 - Fedora 8 Test3 Release 23 October 2007 - Final devel freeze 8 November 2007 - Fedora 8 General Availability

About Fedora:

The Fedora Project is a Red-Hat-sponsored and community-supported open source project. It is also a proving ground for a new technology that may eventually make its way into Red Hat products. It is not a supported product of Red Hat, Inc.

The goal of The Fedora Project is to work with the Linux community in order to build a complete, general purpose operating system exclusively from free software. Development will be done in a public forum. The project will produce time-based releases of Fedora Core about 2-3 times a year with a public release schedule.

You can download Fedora 8 Test 3 now from Softpedia.

You can download Fedora 7 now from Softpedia.