We’re preparing Lubuntu Next 17.10, Artful Aardvark, for distribution in October 2017. With this first, experimental alpha you can get a glimpse of what Lubuntu Next will contain. We have some interesting things happening, so read on for highlights and information.

NOTE: This is the Experimental Alpha 1 pre-release. Lubuntu Next Pre-releases are NOT recommended for:

• Regular users who are not aware of pre-release issues.

• Anyone who needs a stable system (we really mean it!).

• Anyone uncomfortable running a possibly frequently broken system.
• Anyone in a production environment with data or workflows that need to be reliable.

Lubuntu Next Alpha 1 pre-releases ARE recommended for:

• Users who want to help us test by finding, reporting, and/or fixing bugs. You can find more about helping to test and bug triage at Lubuntu testing.

• Lubuntu developers.

• People wanting to see and test how the current snapshot of Lubuntu Next 17.10 will look and behave, and are willing to break their system to do so.

Getting Lubuntu Next 17.10 Alpha 1

The full listing of available images is here. You must check both the download and the install media on first boot before attempting an install. Instructions for burning the image to a CD/DVD or copying to a USB flash drive can be found on the Burning ISO Howto.

Known Problems

• Ubiquity branding and theming is specific to Kubuntu.
• The Ubiquity slideshow is one that is tailored to the Lubuntu LXDE frontend.
• Default Lubuntu settings are not set by default, but are available to be set by the user (and we recommend you do so).
• Lubuntu Next uses an older version of Qt. It will be updated to Qt 5.9 before Alpha 2.
• Qupzilla is at an older version, and depends on Qt 5.9 to build correctly.
• The Network Manager applet is the GNOME one rather than a Qt-based one.
• When starting up the ISO, the theming is stock Ubuntu rather than Lubuntu theming.
• SDDM theming by default is not correct.
• There is no Apport frontend installed by default.

If you see any more known issues, or you would like to help fix any one of these items, please contact us using the contact information below or directly contact Simon Quigley.

Feedback

Development of Lubuntu Next 17.10, the Artful Aardvark, is ongoing and bugs are fixed every day. Before reporting bugs, please ensure your system is up-to-date. For verifying installation related bugs, updated disk images are available from Daily created images for standard PCs, laptops and netbooks.

Please feel free to contact us with feedback.