Ubuntu Tutorials

Ubuntu’s latest release is here, version 9.10 “Karmic Koala”, and with it a batch of new users. It seems like each new release brings a pool of new adopters, and with it a pool of new questions. With this post I thought I would outline the simple process of adding all of the “extra” goodies to your installation.

Ubuntu Restricted Extras

Ubuntu has simplified the method for installing codecs and other plugins by capturing the most popular within a single meta-package. This package, ubuntu-restricted-extras, provides a list of packages that will complete most of your multimedia requirements. From the package description:

Installing this package will pull in support for MP3 playback and decoding, support for various other audio formats (GStreamer plugins), Microsoft fonts, Java runtime environment, Flash plugin, LAME (to create compressed audio files), and DVD playback.

To install this package, enter the following command in the Terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) or simply click on the link below:

sudo aptitude install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Additional Codecs

If you want more codecs and additional support for encrypted DVD playback you’ll need to go one step further. You’ll need to take advantage of the Medibuntu repository, which is a fully functional, community maintained repository specializing in Multimedia, Entertainment and Distractions in Ubuntu.

Adding Medibuntu

The following few commands will simplify the process of adding the Medibuntu repository and importing its signing key:

cd /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list
sudo apt-get -q update
sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring
sudo apt-get -q update

Installing Medibuntu Packages

After this is finished you’ll be able to install additional packages. The most popular packages from Medibuntu are the w32codecs (w64codecs for 64bit installations) and libdvdcss2 for encrypted DVD playback support. To install these simply use the commands below in your terminal, or click the link.

DVD Playback

sudo aptitude install libdvdcss2

Windows Media Codecs – 32bit

sudo aptitude install w32codecs

Windows Media Codecs – 64bit

sudo aptitude install w64codecs

I hope these packages are able to provide the multimedia functionality that you’re looking for. You might also want to check out the VLC package for additional media playback support. Enjoy!

Happy Ubuntu release day! The latest and greatest that the Ubuntu team has to offer is now available for download. Good luck getting it from the main site though. The only chance of getting a reasonable download speed is getting it from an alternate location, or updating what you currently have! In this short article I will outline how to update your existing alpha, beta or RC images to the final image in a fraction of the time it takes to download the full CD!

zsync

The download mirrors for this release have started to include .zsync files. zsync is similar to rsync, but it puts the load on the client vs the server, and it allows you to update your existing images in a fraction of the time it would take to re-download the full image.

I just finished using zsync to update my existing RC image, and I had the final version in just under three minutes. Not bad considering the amount of people trying to download!

To get started using zsync you’ll need to run the following command (or click the link):

sudo aptitude install zsync

Once that is installed you’ll need to rename your existing image, whether it be the alpha, beta or RC image, to the final image. As an example, I did:

mv ubuntu-9.10-rc-desktop-i386.iso ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso


After you’ve renamed your image to match the final, you can run zsync using one of the commands below. Find your version (Desktop, Alternate, Netbook Remix or Server) and architecture:

32bit Desktop

zsync http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ftp.usf.edu/pub/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.as29550.net/releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs-Ubuntu/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu-cd/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.osuosl.org/releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.inode.at/cdimage/karmic/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso.zsync

64bit Desktop

zsync http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ftp.usf.edu/pub/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.as29550.net/releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs-Ubuntu/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.osuosl.org/releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu-cd/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.inode.at/cdimage/karmic/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso.zsync

32bit Alternate

zsync http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ftp.usf.edu/pub/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.as29550.net/releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs-Ubuntu/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.osuosl.org/releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu-cd/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.inode.at/cdimage/karmic/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso.zsync

64bit Alternate

zsync http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ftp.usf.edu/pub/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.as29550.net/releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs-Ubuntu/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.osuosl.org/releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu-cd/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.inode.at/cdimage/karmic/ubuntu-9.10-alternate-amd64.iso.zsync

32bit Netbook Remix

zsync http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ftp.usf.edu/pub/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.as29550.net/releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs-Ubuntu/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.osuosl.org/releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu-cd/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.inode.at/cdimage/karmic/ubuntu-9.10-netbook-remix-i386.iso.zsync

32bit Server

zsync http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ftp.usf.edu/pub/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.as29550.net/releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs-Ubuntu/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.osuosl.org/releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu-cd/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.inode.at/cdimage/karmic/ubuntu-9.10-server-i386.iso.zsync

64bit Server

zsync http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ftp.usf.edu/pub/ubuntu-releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.as29550.net/releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs-Ubuntu/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.osuosl.org/releases/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://mirrors.xmission.com/ubuntu-cd/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-server-amd64.iso.zsync
zsync http://ubuntu.inode.at/cdimage/karmic/ubuntu-9.10-server-amd64.iso.zsync

zsync will automate the rest of the process by scanning your image, comparing it to the list of files on the final image, and then synchronizing the two. Your download speed may vary, but mine was finished in just a few minutes.

Once you have the final image please seed it by downloading the .torrent file and allow it to share the updated .iso!

So the new Ubuntu is here and you’re just dying to upgrade and have a look at all the new features! With just a few simple steps you’ll be up and running the new system in no time! Before you dive right in there are a few things you should know, and a few ways to (hopefully) make your upgrade process more pleasant.

Upgrade vs Fresh Install

You may wonder if its a better idea to do a fresh install vs upgrade your current installation. There are benefits to doing a fresh installation, but there are also benefits to upgrading your system in place. First, you don’t need to deal with finding and backing up all of your data. Ever done that before and forget something? It’s easy to do. Doing a fresh installation will require that you backup anything you want to keep, because a fresh install will clobber your drive and start fresh. An upgrade on the other hand can be done in place, and you can generally keep working while it churns along in the background. Keep working on the web, or write emails. Do whatever it is that you normally do while your machine upgrades quietly in the background. This is not a problem with the upgrade process.

Another reason that I might suggest doing an in-place upgrade is that it is supposed to be a supported method to move from one release to another, and we should ensure that is the case by using and testing it. The last thing we want to do is provide new and exciting releases every six months, yet require everyone to start fresh each time. This goes particularly for those running Ubuntu that are not tech enthusiasts. Ubuntu should be easy to install, once, and then easy to upgrade as needed after that. I would suggest doing an in-place upgrade and ensure that process continues to mature.

Preparation

Before you get started there are a few things you should know.

First, this upgrade only works from Ubuntu 9.04 to 9.10. If you’re on a previous version (8.10 or earlier) you will not be able to directly upgrade to 9.10. In that situation you’ll either want to do a fresh installation OR do incremental upgrades leading up to 9.10. Incremental upgrades are beyond the scope of this article, but there is plenty of documentation regarding the process here.

Second, I suggest that you apply all available updates to your current system before you move to the new version. You can do this in two ways. One involves the command line and another includes the graphical interface. I’ll outline each below.

Command Line Updates (Pre-Upgrade)

On the command-line (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) you can run the following command to check for and apply any updates pending for your current installation.

sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude safe-upgrade && sudo aptitude full-upgrade

Apply any updates that are pending from the command above before you move onto the next step, Upgrading. Follow any suggestions to reboot before moving on as well.

Graphical Updates (Pre-Upgrade)

If you prefer the graphical environment you can check for and apply updates by way of the Update Manager tool (System > Administration > Update Manager). This tool will automatically scan for and list any pending updates. Again, be sure to apply these before moving to the next step. This includes applying and rebooting for kernel updates before proceeding.

Selecting a Mirror

The steps outlined below describe how to do a network-based in-place upgrade. This will require an internet connection as well as a repository to connect to. I can’t stress this next point enough. Please. Please configure your system to use an alternate Ubuntu mirror other than the default. The default mirror(s) will be so overwhelmed with traffic that it’ll take forever to update your system. I might suggest using something like mirrors.kernel.org or another public mirror with a healthy pipe. You can also look for regional mirrors here. The list of regional mirrors also communicates how up to date the mirror is. You will, of course, need to select and up to date mirror.

To configure your system to use an alternate mirror you can follow the following steps:

1. Open “Update Manager” (System > Administration > Update Manager)
2. Click “Settings”
3. On the “Ubuntu Software” tab there is a drop-down box labeled “Download From”
4. Select “Other”
5. Manually select a regional mirror OR click the button “Select Best Server”

Upgrading to Ubuntu 9.10

So you’ve applied all of the pending updates for Ubuntu 9.04 and now you’re ready to move on to Ubuntu 9.10. As above, this can be done via the command line or graphical interface. In this case, I might suggest the graphical interface.

Navigate to System > Administration > Update Manager and let it scan for available updates.

If you are reading this after the release of Ubuntu 9.10 (Oct 29th), this tool will automatically suggest that there is a new version available and offer to let you upgrade. This process will be automated for the most part, and quietly work in the background while you continue with your day. When it is finished it will suggest that you reboot your machine for the changes to take effect. When your machine comes back up you’ll be ready with Ubuntu 9.10.

Enjoy!

Well it’s almost here! Ubuntu 9.10 “Karmic Koala” will be released in just a few short days (Oct 29th) and this release has packed in a long list of new and exciting features. From boot time to Desktop, Ubuntu 9.10 continues in the tradition of offering the best that Free Software has to offer. Let’s take a quick look at some of the changes available.

Upstart

Upstart has been included in Ubuntu for a number of releases now, but with Ubuntu 9.10 there have been some major improvements. Previous releases of Upstart in Ubuntu were incremental. The plan was to ease into the new system. Ubuntu 9.10 now offers Upstart in its entirety. Congratulations!

Upstart is an “under the hood” change that you may not notice right away, but by the release of Ubuntu 10.04 the changes will be more apparent. Upstart is the tool that handles the boot up sequence, meaning it handles what daemons and services are started at boot time and in which order. Upstart is really a big shift from the traditional (and aging!) SystemV init sequence that you’ll find on most other major Linux distributions. While traditional systems use a pre-defined order of operations, Upstart handles the boot process in a more event-driven manner. This has and will continue to improve the boot times you find on Ubuntu.

Upstart has also been adopted by Fedora, which is great news. More adoption means better stability and more attention paid to the project. I’m happy to hear that Fedora has decided to adopt this exciting new technology.

You can read much more about Upstart at http://upstart.ubuntu.com.

XSplash

The addition of XSplash is another boot-time improvement that I think you’ll enjoy in Ubuntu 9.10. This replaces the short-lived USplash that was found in the previous release. I had problems with USplash so I’m happy to see it replaced with something else. So far XSplash has been a nice change (based on initial Beta and RC testing), and I don’t experience any flicker or similar during boot up. XSplash also offers a new splash screen during boot, which I like. There isn’t a whole lot more to say about XSplash, other than I think you’ll be impressed with the change since Ubuntu 9.04.

Security, Security, Security

Ubuntu 9.10 offers a lot of improvements in terms of security. From the kernel to the Desktop there have been security-minded changes that will help you feel more secure on this rock-solid platform.

Ubuntu 9.10 enables a feature called “non-exec memory” in the Linux kernel. This means that Ubuntu is able to activate protections for non-executable memory regions such as heaps or stacks. This feature is generally referred to as Non-eXecute (NX) or eXecute-Disable (XD). In the past this feature required PAE enabled kernels, but is now partially emulated on 32-bit systems without PAE support. 64-bit systems are protected by this feature as well.

In addition, the kernel offered with Ubuntu 9.10 offers the possibility to disable the loading of any additional kernel modules once the system is up and running. This adds yet another layer of protection against potential security vulnerabilities. In certain cases, an attacker will require the addition of a malicious kernel module in order to take control of a system. With this feature enabled this type of vulnerability is no longer possible. While this may not be something that the day-to-day Desktop user may use or appreciate, this is a huge win for Server installations and multi-user environments.

Desktop Love

Likely the most noticeable change to the end-user are the changes made to the Desktop environment with GNOME 2.28. I think this has been another fantastic release from the GNOME Foundation and I think you’ll agree. For those of you that have seen the new GNOME Shell demonstrations, GNOME 2.28 might be the last release before GNOME Shell hits us. I’m super excited to see GNOME Shell, don’t get me wrong, but this could be the last release in the environment that we’re used to. (As far as I understand, it is still undecided whether GNOME Shell will ship with GNOME 2.30 or 2.32).

GNOME 2.28 offers a number of new features as well as stability and general improvements. For those that use Bluetooth enabled devices, you’ll love the new GNOME Bluetooth management tool. GNOME Bluetooth supports hundreds of Bluetooth devices, including mice, keyboards and headsets. This also includes PulseAudio integration for headsets and headphones. Also included with GNOME Bluetooth is the ability to access the internet through your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. No more tethering! This is exciting news!

You’ll also notice some Ubuntu-specific interface improvements, such as the notification system and tray. Very clean default icons in the tray, and the Growl-like popup notifications are improved as well. The default theme, icons and login window are improved since Ubuntu 9.04 as well. Also, an improvement that I’m particularly excited about, is the addition of my favorite themes and fonts to the core Ubuntu repositories. These packages include:

• ttf-droid
• shiki-brave-theme

Conclusion

I have to say that this has been a very solid release so far. With so many improvements both under the hood and on the user interface, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t find something new and exciting about Ubuntu 9.10. The best part though? All of these improvements are merely leading up to the powerhouse that will be Ubuntu 10.04, the next Ubuntu Long Term Support (LTS) release. With goals of 10 second boot times, improvements in the new Ubuntu Software Center, improved Artwork, as well as a long list of other improvements, Ubuntu 10.04 is sure to blow you away!

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop and Server editions, Ubuntu 9.10 Server for UEC and EC2, and the Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Codenamed “Karmic Koala”, 9.10 continues Ubuntu’s proud tradition of integrating the latest and greatest open source technologies into a high-quality, easy-to-use Linux distribution.

We consider this release candidate to be complete, stable, and suitable for
testing by any user.

Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop Edition improves on the work of 9.04 to get you going faster, with improved startup times and a streamlined boot experience.

Ubuntu 9.10 Server Edition integrates Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud setup in the installer and provides improvements to system security with AppArmor, including an AppArmor profile for libvirtd to further isolate virtual machines from the host system.

Ubuntu 9.10 Server for UEC and EC2 brings the power and stability of the Ubuntu Server Edition to cloud computing, whether you’re using Amazon EC2 or your own Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud.

The Ubuntu 9.10 family of variants, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, Ubuntu Studio, and Mythbuntu, also reach RC status today. This release sees the first technology preview of Kubuntu Netbook.

The final release of Ubuntu 9.10 is scheduled for 29 October 2009 and will be supported for 18 months on both desktops and servers. Users requiring a longer support lifetime on the server may choose to continue using Ubuntu 8.04 LTS, with security support until 2013, rather than upgrade to 9.10.

Before installing or upgrading to Ubuntu 9.10 please review the instructions and caveats in the release notes:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/910

In addition, there are a small number of known bugs in the release candidate that will be fixed before the Ubuntu 9.10 release, but warrant highlighting for your attention:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/910overview#Known%20issues

About The Release Candidate
—————————

The purpose of the Release Candidate is to solicit one last round of testing before the final release. Here are ways that you can help:

* Upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 to the Release Candidate by following the instructions in the release notes referenced above.

* Participate in installation testing using the Release Candidate CD images, by following the testing and reporting instructions at
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/ISO

Desktop features
—————-

GNOME 2.28 featuring Empathy: with this latest release, Ubuntu now uses the Empathy instant messaging service by default, introducing the Telepathy framework.

Ubuntu Software Center: the first step in a replacement for Add/Remove Software has landed.

New boot experience: multiple changes to look, feel and speed of the boot experience have been included in the Ubuntu 9.10 release candidate.

Server features
—————

Cloud computing: Ubuntu 9.10 builds on the tantalizing cloud support in Ubuntu 9.04, with support for Eucalyptus configuration at install time and publishing of standard VM images for UEC.

AppArmor: Ubuntu 9.10 continues to raise the bar for server security, with AppArmor profiles enabled by default for ntpd and libvirt providing another layer of protection from attacks on the network or via guest virtual machines.

UEC and EC2: Ubuntu 9.10 includes the first official release of Ubuntu Server images for UEC and for Amazon’s EC2, giving you everything you need for rapid deployment of Ubuntu instances in a cloud computing environment. UEC images, and information on running Ubuntu 9.10 on EC2, are available at:

http://uec-images.ubuntu.com/releases/9.10/rc

Ubuntu Netbook Remix features
—————————–
Ubuntu Netbook Remix is optimised for Intel Atom netbooks and compatible x86 devices. It includes a new consumer-friendly interface that allows users to quickly and easily get on-line and use their favourite applications. This interface is optimised for a retail sales environment.

It includes the same faster boot times and improved boot experience as Ubuntu desktop.

Kubuntu features
—————-

Kubuntu 9.10, built on KDE 4.3, brings users a complete, full-featured KDE 4 desktop with many new applications and innovations.

This is the first release for a new Kubuntu variant, Kubuntu Netbook Edition. Built on a Kubuntu base, it brings users an exciting first look at KDE’s netbook-oriented desktop environment.

New features include better integration with OpenOffice.org and various social website connections for applications. Notable problems with network management and user configuration have been fixed.

Please see https://wiki.kubuntu.org/KarmicKoala/RC/Kubuntu for all the details.

For upgrade instructions from Kubuntu 9.04 or 8.04 see
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/KarmicUpgrades/Kubuntu

Xubuntu features
—————-

Xubuntu 9.10 comes with the light-weight Xfce 4.6 desktop environment to provide a desktop designed for productivity while conserving system resources.

Xubuntu 9.10 is proud to offer an improved multimedia experience with the Exaile media player, a more integrated power management solution with the Xfce4 power manager, and more convenience built right in with improved multimedia volume key support and more consistent desktop notifications.

Please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu/KarmicKoala/RC for the full list and details about all the great enhancements Xubuntu 9.10 has to offer.

Edubuntu features
—————–

Edubuntu 9.10 transitions from an add-on educational CD that depended on an existing Ubuntu installation to a full Ubuntu derivative delivered on as a DVD image. This allows prospective users and decision makers to try the educational offerings prior to installation and the flexibility to make Edubuntu a first class educational operating system.

Mythbuntu features
——————

Mythbuntu 9.10 introduces MythTV 0.22. The entire stack has been ported to QT4 and now allows for very neat UI effects. Also 0.22 adds support for VDPAU hardware acceleration, and HD-PVR hardware support.

Please see http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Release_Notes_-_0.22 for more details about changes introduced in 0.22.

See http://mythbuntu.org/9.10/rc for information about the Mythbuntu release candidate.

A more complete tour of the features new in 9.10 can be found at
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/910overview

About Ubuntu
————

Ubuntu is a full-featured Linux distribution for desktops, laptops, netbooks and servers, with a fast and easy installation and regular releases. A tightly-integrated selection of excellent applications is included, and an incredible variety of add-on software is just a few clicks away.

Professional services including support are available from Canonical and hundreds of other companies around the world. For more information about support, visit http://www.ubuntu.com/support

To Get the Ubuntu 9.10 Release Candidate
—————————————-

To upgrade to Ubuntu 9.10 Release Candidate from Ubuntu 9.04, follow these instructions:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/KarmicUpgrades

Or, to perform a new installation or try out 9.10 “live” from CD, download the Ubuntu 9.10 Release Candidate here (choose the mirror closest to you):

Asia:

* http://mirror.unej.ac.id/ubuntu-cd/9.10 (Indonesia)
* http://ubuntu.qualitynet.net/releases/9.10 (Kuwait)
* http://ftp.linux.org.tr/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (Turkey)

Europe:

* http://ubuntu.ipacct.com/releases/9.10 (Bulgaria)
* http://ucho.ignum.cz/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (Czechia)
* http://ubuntu.univ-nantes.fr/ubuntu-cd/9.10 (France)
* http://ftp.uni-kl.de/pub/linux/ubuntu.iso/9.10 (Germany)
* http://ie.releases.ubuntu.com/9.10 (Ireland)
* http://releases.ubuntu.fastbull.org/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (Italy)
* http://no.releases.ubuntu.com/9.10 (Norway)
* http://se.releases.ubuntu.com/9.10 (Sweden)

North America:

* http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs/9.10 (United States)
* http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (Canada)
* http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (United States)
* http://ubuntu.media.mit.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (United States)

Oceania/Australia:

* http://ftp.citylink.co.nz/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (New Zealand)

South America:

* http://mirrors.ucr.ac.cr/ubuntu-cd/9.10 (Costa Rica)

Rest of the world:

http://releases.ubuntu.com/9.10 (Great Britain)

Please download using Bittorrent if possible. See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BitTorrent for more information about using BitTorrent.

Feedback and Participation
————————–

If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways you can participate at

http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/

Your comments, bug reports, patches and suggestions will help turn this Release Candidate into the best release of Ubuntu ever. Please note that, where possible, we prefer that bugs be reported using the tools provided, rather than by visiting Launchpad directly. Instructions can be found at

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs

If you have a question, or if you think you may have found a bug but are not sure, first try asking on the #ubuntu IRC channel on FreeNode, on the Ubuntu Users mailing list, or on the Ubuntu forums:

http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/

More Information
—————-

You can find out more about Ubuntu and about this preview release on our website, IRC channel and wiki. If you are new to Ubuntu, please visit:

http://www.ubuntu.com/

To sign up for future Ubuntu announcements, please subscribe to Ubuntu’s very low volume announcement list at:

http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-announce

Last week I volunteered my weekend to help represent the GNOME foundation at the Utah Open Source Conference. The conference was a lot of fun and we got to meet a lot of interesting people as they came to say “Hi” at our booth. I found that a large percentage of the conference attendees were “Fans of GNOME”, and we even took some pictures with many of them.

Will is one of the conference organizers.

The Ubuntu Utah booth guys representing our favorite distribution, all decked out in brown!

Paul Frields from the Fedora Project came to show us some GNOME love.

Our friends from the OpenVZ booth next door. I heard their speech so many times I feel like I could have run their booth myself!

Clint, giving us his biggest smile!

Even our friends from KDE came by to show us that we can all just get along.

Here we have Josh trying to recreate the GNOME foot.

Derek is excited to see us!

..and finally, my favorite, Mike Basinger REALLY showing us how much he likes GNOME!

As you can see, the conference was a lot of fun and I had a great time being a part of GNOME for the weekend. Since that time I have started contributing to GNOME a bit more. I’m still trying to find just the right place, but I’ve been meeting a lot of new people and learning about a lot of the exciting things coming up for GNOME 3.0! There are some exciting things coming up, and there is a lot of work to be done. I know we can make it all happen with your help.

If you are a “Fan of GNOME” I invite you to become an official “Friend of GNOME” by contributing to the GNOME foundation. You can find out more at the “Become a Friend of GNOME” website. You can donate any amount, and all donations are very much appreciated. Together we can make GNOME do great things! Thank you.

I had a request the other day at the Utah Open Source Conference to share a very small script that I have that checks for, and reports any available updates on a YUM based machine. This means CentOS, RHEL, Fedora, etc. I have been using this script at work for some time now and, by placing it in the /etc/cron.weekly/ directory, it reports to me on what packages are available for update. I find this to be a simpler solution than manually checking and trying to keep on top of all of my machines all the time.

I have outlined two revisions of this script below. The first one has properly formatted reports, the second one only reports if there are available updates. I would like to combine the functionality, but I’ve only briefly looked at doing so.. and I don’t feel like doing it now.

If anyone has any other solutions, or perhaps an official program with the same functionality I’d love to hear about it.

/etc/cron.weekly/check-update.sh – revision #1

#!/bin/bash
#
# Weekly check-update report
#
usr/bin/yum check-update > /tmp/.check-update
cat /tmp/.check-update | mail -s "Errata Report for $(hostname)" admin@example.com

/etc/cron.weekly/check-update.sh – revision #2

#!/bin/bash
#
# Weekly check-update report
#
MESSAGE=$(/usr/bin/yum check-update)
if [ $? -eq 100 ]; then
echo ${MESSAGE} | mail -s "Errata Report for $(hostname)" admin@example.com
fi


I presented earlier today at the Utah Open Source Conference and briefly demoed some of the use cases for screen. During the presentation I had a number of requests for my .screenrc file, so I thought I would attach it here. If you use screen for any reason you might find this useful.

Download

## general tweaks
vbell off
autodetach on
startup_message off
defscrollback 1000
attrcolor b ".I"
termcap xterm 'Co#256:AB=\E[48;5;%dm:AF=\E[38;5;%dm'
defbce "on"
#term screen-256color

## apps I want to auto-launch
#screen -t irssi irssi
#screen -t mutt mutt

## statusline, customized. (should be one-line)
hardstatus alwayslastline '%{gk}[ %{G}%H %{g}][%= %{wk}%?%-Lw%?%{=b kR}[%{W}%n%f %t%?(%u)%?%{=b kR}]%{= kw}%?%+Lw%?%?%= %{g}][%{Y}%l%{g}]%{=b C}[ %D %m/%d %C%a ]%{W}'


Yesterday I installed the Ubuntu 9.10 “Karmic Koala” Beta release by way of the desktop (Live-CD) based installer. The installation was very clean and polished. It has been a while since I’ve used a graphical installer and I am pleased with the improvements that I found. It definitely rivals any “professional” or “enterprise” install session that I’ve ever seen, and easily beats them in terms of speed and ease. I’d like to give a short review of the Beta release and encourage everyone to try it and finalize any remaining bugs.

Installation

The installation was quick and painless. All of the questions were asked in the beginning and then the installer took over. During the installation messages were displayed regarding the benefits of Ubuntu and the software that it provided. Below are some screenshots of the installation process.

This is the initial installation screen. As you can see it offers a number of options including disk and memory checks, as well as booting off existing installations. I selected “Install Ubuntu” and hit [ENTER].

This appears to be the initial boot splash screen while the Live-CD installer is booting.

A preview of the new default wallpaper.

Welcome to the installer! Select your preferred language. This language will be used during and after the installation.

Select your timezone. I very much like this improved location selector tool. Instead of trying to find myself on a map that zooms in and out (you may remember what I’m referring to from previous releases), this simply slices up the world into timezones and allows you to select yours.

Select your keyboard layout. For US English standard qwerty layouts you can click forward. I needed to select “Choose your own:” and “USA – Dvorak” for my layout.

Partitioning was simple. I erased and used the entire disk.

Username information. Enter your full name, username and password information. Remember that this user will also act as the initial administrator.

I also like the addition of the “Require my password to log in and to decrypt my home folder” as well as the other options. I selected the last option and am using the encrypted home folder system.

Final review point before installation. From here you can still go back and make changes. Once you click install it should be hands free from here out.

Welcome to Ubuntu 9.10 – “Ubuntu is designed to be easy. Feel free to explore!”

Browse the web with Firefox

Relive Memories with F-Spot Photo Manager

Accessibility in Ubuntu

Control your digital life with Evolution

Keep in contact with Empathy IM

Office tools at your fingertips

Watch and listen on Ubuntu

Installing additional software

Getting Help with Ubuntu

Post Installation

Installation complete. At this point you can restart the machine and your installation should be done.

This is a screenshot of my final installation. I have changed the following:

• GNOME panels moved to top. Panel size 23px.
• All fonts set to Droid Sans 8pt.
• 96 DPI, LCD antialiasing
• Shiki Brave Theme
• Selected the space desktop wallpaper(s). These auto-rotate.
• Installed Gnome-Do, Dropbox and Chromium Browser

Conclusion

So far I think this release seems very polished. The graphics and artwork are very clean and professional. I had no trouble getting things installed properly, and I haven’t had any issues post-installation. The notification system appears to be a little more polished as compared to 9.04. We’ll see what my feelings are with continued use.

So far I am pleased with this release and would confidently suggest it to others, even if it is the Beta release.

Bugs

I did submit two bugs since I installed. I’ve listed them below for feedback, verification and hopefully closure:

• Required icon themes missing from included theme set – #440635
• GDM ignores keyboard layout selections for variants – #421212