The Ubuntu developers are moving quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. The Jaunty Jackalope Alpha 2 is the second alpha release of Ubuntu 9.04, bringing with it the earliest new features for the next version of Ubuntu.

This is still an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released on April 23rd, 2009.

To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.10, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release '9.04' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.

These features are showcased for your attention. Please test them and report any bugs you find on Launchpad:

• http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu

As with every new release, packages--applications and software of all kinds--are being updated at a rapid pace. For a list of all packages being accepted for 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope, please subscribe to Jaunty-changes:

• https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/jaunty-changes

The latest X.Org server, version 1.6, is available in Jaunty. In the short term, this will again cause increased instability for some users while the video drivers catch up.

Alpha 2 includes the 2.6.28-3.4 kernel based on 2.6.28-rc8.

Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:

• http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/jaunty/alpha-2/ (Ubuntu)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-2/ (Kubuntu)
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-2/ (Xubuntu)
  

As is to be expected at this stage of the release process, there are several known bugs that users are likely to run into with Jaunty Alpha 2. We have documented them here for your convenience along with any known workarounds, so that you don't need to spend time reporting these bugs again:

• A new XServer, version 1.6, is included in Alpha-2. The binary proprietary drivers -fglrx and -nvidia are not yet supported for this server and will exhibit various serious issues if run against it. Users of these drivers are encouraged to wait or to switch to the corresponding open source drivers (-ati and -nv respectively) in the meantime. 308410

• While the user-space component of the EXPERIMENTAL nouveau X driver is available in Alpha-2 universe, the kernel modules this driver requires to work are not yet available. The kernel modules should be uploaded soon after Alpha-2.

• Users of Intel i845 or i865 video chipsets are unable to load X, getting an error message of "Fatal server error: Couldn't bind memory for BO front buffer". Users on these systems are advised to wait for a resolution to this bug before upgrading. 304871

• The OEM mode on Kubuntu images fails after reboot in Jaunty Alpha 2. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. 309482

• Choosing the "encrypt home" option on the Ubuntu server or alternate CD will cause the installation to fail at user setup time. As a workaround, you can set up an encrypted home for your user after install using the steps described in https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/309541.

• Manual partitioning doesn't work with the Kubuntu desktop CD in Jaunty Alpha 2, and with the Ubuntu desktop CD you will not be able to edit partitions as part of manual partitioning. As a workaround, you can install using one of the automatic partitioning options if appropriate, or else you can install using the alternate CD instead.

• Installation to RAID from the alternate and server CDs fails with an error that no devices are marked for Linux RAID autodetect. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. 309555

• Ctrl-Alt-Backspace is now disabled, to reduce issues experienced by users who accidentally trigger the key combo. Users who do want this function can enable it via the DontZap option in xorg.conf. A GUI tool to simplify setting xorg.conf options is under development and will be available in a later Alpha release.