Ubuntu 8.04 Now released as Beta

[Sp!ke]

Out of Alpha testing.

"Ubuntu Hardy 8.04 beta has been released. It features GNOME 2.22 and uses Linux kernel 2.6.24. Furthermore, it uses Firefox 3 beta 4, and PulseAudio is enabled by default. To ease the transition of Windows users, it includes Wubi, which allows users to install and uninstall Ubuntu like any other Windows application. It does not require a dedicated partition, nor does it affect the existing bootloader, yet users can experience a dual-boot setup almost identical to a full installation."

~S

 

[ThatJoe]

Wubi looks interesting?

 

[manic111]

Yea, installed using that briefly on the Alpha release, was very cool. Not sure how it differs from a full install to be honest!

 

[BillytheImpaler]

Not sure how it differs from a full install to be honest!

IIRC, it installs to a large file on your Windows system then modifies the bootloader using grub4dos to boot from it. It uses Linux's ability to mount a file as if it were a partition and NTFS-3G to do its business. It's ever-so-slightly slower than a "full" install because you're having to access the non-native filesystem, but on a decent machine you wouldn't know the difference.

If you decide that you don't want it any more, you go in Windows to add/remove and remove the program, restoring the base bootloader and removing the filesystem file thingy.

Quite nifty, really.

 

[Simian]

Downloading for a play now!!!

 

[GarethDW]

Anyone know when it is supposed to go gold?

 

[Outcast]

April 24th i think

 

[Paul91]

April 24th.

 

[deadite66]

Wubi looks interesting?

last time i tried it if ubuntu didn't shut down cleanly it stuffed up the bootloader, had to use the windows bootdisk to fix it.

hope that's fixed with the new wubi.

 

[Schnippzle]

Looks quite interesting.

 

[DRZ]

Its a shame they have removed so much stuff that was almost there in the Alphas. I know I had a fair few problems with the early Alphas but there was a lot of stuff there that was going to be really good, which gradually got removed.

I know 8.04 will be an improvement over 7.10 but I am really looking forward to 8.10 which should be phenominal if they get even half of the blueprints for 8.04 done

 

[Una]

I'm upgrading from 7.04 to it now.. Likely to break but will see.

Edit: No problems here, only had to install 915resolution again and restart X.