14 DAY TRIAL // The fourth alpha version of the upcoming Ubuntu 9.04 (codename Jaunty Jackalope) was uploaded a few minutes ago on the official mirrors. As usual, we've downloaded a copy of it in order to keep you up to date with the latest changes in the Ubuntu 9.04 development.
What's new in Ubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4? Well, the big news is that Nvidia and AMD have finally released some new and improved video drivers for Linux systems, in order to keep up with the latest technologies. Therefore, starting with this alpha, the Nvidia proprietary video driver has been added and it supports the latest X.Org server, version 1.6 (see screenshots three and four on the first row). ATI users will have to wait a little bit longer, as the fglrx proprietary video driver is not yet supported (it will be fixed until the Beta release arrives).
And now for the "hot stuff"... Starting with this fourth alpha release of Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope), the fonts will be automatically optimized based on your monitor's "skills." We've tested the release on two LCD monitors, a 19-inch DELL from 2006 and a 17-inch BenQ LCD from 2005. On the former, the fonts were automatically adjusted at 86 dots per inch, while on the latter, they were at 96 dpi, the default value. However, this can be further customized by the user from System -> Preferences -> Appearance -> Fonts -> Details. See the second screenshot on the third row and the second screenshot on the fourth row for details.
We've noticed another interesting thing in Ubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4... that the development team is trying to change the Ubiquity installer, in a good way! Therefore, the installer will now be displayed in full screen if the user chooses the "Install Ubuntu" option when the Live CD is inserted, and it will automatically detect the keyboard layout.
The wallpaper and the theme are still unchanged; the GNOME desktop environment has been updated to version 2.25.5, as well as most of its components. Among the applications that have been updated in this fourth alpha of Ubuntu 9.04, we can notice the final and stable OpenOffice.org 3.0.1, Brasero 0.9.1, the newly released Firefox 3.0.6 (see the last screenshot on the third row) and the kernel packages 2.6.28-6.17, based on Linux kernel 2.6.28.2.
Bugs? Hell yes... there are a lot of them in this release. For example there's two (yes, two) volume control applets. One of them can be removed, but the other one is built-in. I guess the developers didn't decide which one to keep. For more details, take a look at the first two screenshots on the second row. Moreover, icons can not be set to desktop shortcuts, and a few applications crash often and unexpectedly.
What's new in Kubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4? Well, as the developers said (again) in the release announcement... everything! The fourth alpha version of Kubuntu 9.04 brings the newly released KDE 4.2 desktop environment (see below for screenshots), the latest versions of Amarok 2, Quassel, KMail, Akonadi and Kdebluetooth. Last but not least, there is a brand new KDE4 Network Manager Plasmoid, which replaced the old knetworkmanager panel applet.
Once again, a Live CD is available for everyone who wants to see for themselves what's new in Ubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4 and Kubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4 (see below for download links), without installing anything on the hard drive. Here is the screenshot tour for Ubuntu and Kubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4. Enjoy!
November 22, 2008 - Alpha 1 release
December 19, 2008 - Alpha 2 release
January 16, 2009 - Alpha 3 release
February 5, 2009 - Alpha 4 release
February 26, 2009 - Alpha 5 release
March 12, 2009 - Alpha 6 release
March 26, 2009 - Beta release
April 16, 2009 - Release Candidate
April 23, 2009 - Final release of Ubuntu 9.04.
What is Ubuntu? Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop or server, with a fast and easy install, regular releases, a tight selection of excellent packages installed by default, every other package you can imagine available from the network, and professional technical support from Canonical Ltd. and hundreds of other companies around the world.
Download Ubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4 (Jaunty Jackalope) right now from Softpedia.
Download Ubuntu Server 9.04 Alpha 4 (Jaunty Jackalope) right now from Softpedia.
Download Kubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4 (Jaunty Jackalope) right now from Softpedia.
Download Xubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4 (Jaunty Jackalope) right now from Softpedia.
Download Edubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4 (Jaunty Jackalope) right now from Softpedia.
Download Ubuntu Studio 9.04 Alpha 4 (Jaunty Jackalope) right now from Softpedia.
Remember that this is an alpha release and it should NOT be installed on production machines. It is intended to be used for testing purposes only. Please report bugs to the Ubuntu Bug Tracker.
