Introduction
The
Ubuntu developers are moving very quickly to bring you the absolute
latest and greatest software the Open Source community has to offer.
With Ubuntu "Intrepid Ibex" Alpha 4 come some new features as well as
lots of bug fixes.
Note:
This is still an alpha release. Do not install it on production
machines. The final stable version will be released on October 30th,
2008.
In General
These
features are showcased for your attention. Please test them and report
any bugs you find. If you want to see what the developers have cooking
for the next alpha release take a look through the intrepid blueprint
page https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/intrepid
Upgrading from Ubuntu 8.04
To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.04, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" without the quotes and accept the "New Distribution Update."
New features in Intrepid
X.Org server 1.5
The latest X.Org
is available in Intrepid. This now also brings much better support for
hot-pluggable input devices such as tablets, keyboards, or mice. At the
same time this will allow the great majority of users to run without an
"/etc/xorg.conf" file.
Linux kernel 2.6.26
Alpha 4 includes the 2.6.26-5.15 kernel based on version 2.6.26.2.
Encrypted Private Directory
The ecryptfs-utils package was recently promoted to Ubuntu main, with support for EncryptedPrivateDirectory (per-user encrypted ~/Private directories).
To test, simply open up Terminal (by going Applications ? Accessories ? Terminal.) and type:
-
sudo apt-get install ecryptfs-utils auth-client-config
-
sudo auth-client-config -p ecryptfs_standard -t pam-auth,pam-session,pam-password
-
ecryptfs-setup-private
Guest session
The
GNOME user switching applet now provides an extra entry for starting a
guest session. This creates a temporary password-less user account with
restricted privileges; it cannot access any regular user's home
directory, or permanently store data. This is sufficiently safe to lend
your laptop to someone else for a quick email check, or using it as a
surf station for guests in your house.
Network Manager 0.7
Intrepid Ibex ships Network Manager 0.7.x, which comes with long-expected features. Some are:
- Managing system wide settings (no need to log in in order to get a connection.)
- Managing 3G connections (GSM/CDMA.)
- Managing multiple active devices.
- Managing PPP and PPPOE connections.
- Managing devices with static IP configurations.
- Managing routes for devices.
More information can be found on the Network Manager wiki
Download Alpha 4
Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:
Caveats
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 Intrepid
Alpha 4. 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:
-
When
using manual partitioning and configuring crypt+LVM, the partitioning
will fail in certain configurations. As a workaround, you can use the
"entire disk with encryption" install option. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/251640
-
The Intrepid 2.6.26-5 kernel fails to boot as a guest under Virtualbox. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/246067
-
On
Ubuntu systems, the "Shutdown" button on the GNOME desktop does not
shut down the system, but instead logs the user out. Investigation of
this issue is ongoing. As a workaround, to shut down the system you can
log out of GNOME and then shut down from the login screen. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/250506
-
On
Ubuntu systems, the default desktop theme is wrong. As a workaround,
please select "Human-Murrine" (or another theme of your choice) in
System ? Preferences ? Appearance. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/257317
-
The X.org configuration file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf) still has InputDevice entries for the mouse and keyboard, but they are ignored now because input-hotplug is used. The keyboard settings come from /etc/default/console-setup, and to change them please use "dpkg-reconfigure console-setup". After that hal and X needs a restart.
-
After upgrading to this version, some keys might misbehave in X. Please make sure you have set the keyboard model as Generic - evdev managed keyboard in the GNOME keyboard configuration. If some keys still have problems, please file a bug against xkeyboard-config, and provide the output of "setxkbmap -print" and attach the output of "xkbcomp :0 -".
-
The
OEM mode on both Desktop and Alternate CDs gets stuck in a loop.
Alpha-4 is thus not suitable for doing installations in OEM mode. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/257590
-
The "Print server" mode of the server CDs does not install the CUPS printing system. You can fix that after installation with "apt-get install cups". https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/257780
Reporting Bugs
It
should come as no surprise that this alpha release of Intrepid Ibex
contains other bugs. Your comments, bug reports, patches and
suggestions will help fix bugs and improve future releases. Please
report bugs through the Ubuntu bugtracker
If you want to help out with bugs, the Bug Squad is always looking for help.
Participate in Ubuntu
If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways you can participate at
