Ubuntu 9.04 RC released, final coming Thursday

**SonsOfLiberty** · 04-21-2009, 01:19 AM

While Microsoft preps their upcoming RC of Windows 7, and Apple continues work on Snow Leopard, the Ubuntu Linux team has already published the release candidate of their upcoming 9.04 version, dubbed "Jaunty Jackalope," and is set to publish the final version of the code on Thursday, April 23.

Some of the major features of this release include:

* GNOME 2.26
* UPnP support for Totem
* MAPI support for the Evolution e-mail client
* Improved multi-monitor support
* X.org server 1.6, with Mesa 3D DRI, version 7.4
* Wacom tablet hotplugging
* New style for notifications and notification preferences
* Quicker boot performance (30% faster)
* Linux kernel 2.6.28
* Ext4 filesystem support (ext3 will remain the default)

In the release notes for 9.04, the team cites some problems with their Ext4 support that are present in the release candidate, but that they say should be fixed before the final release.

The 9.04 release will be an important one for Canonical and the Ubuntu team, as it should be the release that is out and in use when Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" and Fedora 11 are released. That is, unless Windows 7 slips into an RTM at a date past October of this year, in which case Canonical will get a second chance when they release 9.10, which is already dubbed "Karmic Koala."

To highlight the decreased boot time of Ubuntu 9.04, one user installed the beta onto their ThinkPad, equipped with a Intel X25-E solid state hard drive. The result was a boot time of only 17 seconds, from GRUB loader to starting Mozilla Firefox.

[youtube]5GKohxZHNg4[/youtube]

Source: Ubuntu 904 | Ubuntu

Download Link: Ubuntu 9.04 RC

**rippinitup4fun** · 04-21-2009, 02:55 AM

Thank you for the news SonsOfLiberty. I am really looking forward to the final. I have messed about with the beta a bit and I must say it is insanely fast. When they said they wanted to improve boot time I was half expecting just a few minor tweaks that where not really noticeable. Boy was I wrong. Just in beta alone the difference is night and day. Literally 15-30 seconds from cold boot to FF starting!

**SonsOfLiberty** · 04-21-2009, 03:03 AM

I've been running Windows 7 lately it's not 15-30 seconds, but it's under 2 minutes, I guess I'll need to partition out a space for the Ubuntu final when it arrives, but from my "personal experience" I enjoy the setup of KDE and Kubuntu more than I do Ubuntu.

**rippinitup4fun** · 04-21-2009, 03:22 AM

Originally Posted by SonsOfLiberty

I've been running Windows 7 lately it's not 15-30 seconds, but it's under 2 minutes, I guess I'll need to partition out a space for the Ubuntu final when it arrives, but from my "personal experience" I enjoy the setup of KDE and Kubuntu more than I do Ubuntu.

KDE no doubt about it is a nice desktop, no arguments here. Just comes down to personal preference really as they both have shortcomings like most anything

I have no experience with windows 7 but have heard nothing but good things about it mostly so far (looks like vista but does not perform like). Doubly so after the "student key/edition xp" that many I know have been using for years was zapped

But that is neither here nor there. Judging from the betas thus far of 9.04... do try it as it is a solid improvement all the way down the line from cold boot to usability.

**rokie** · 04-21-2009, 06:05 AM

lol snow leopard... apple coming out with fancier names each time. what next the wolverine?

**SonsOfLiberty** · 04-21-2009, 02:35 PM

FOX would sue them if they did

**manu1991** · 04-21-2009, 03:12 PM

The bootup time on my PC is 17 seconds , awesomeness

**Overlord** · 04-21-2009, 07:13 PM

Can't wait for Jaunty. I tried Kubuntu and that's a damned sexy desktop, but it's too unstable for me right now. I've never had GNOME crash on me, but KDE crashed on me within 15 minutes. I'll probably make the switch late July/early August after KDE 4.3 is released.