TechnicalOverview

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||<tablestyle="float:right; width:40%; background:#F1F1ED; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;" style="padding:0.5em;">'''Contents'''[[BR]] [[TableOfContents]]|| ## When adding features to this page, please add credits for the relevant upstream developers where appropriate.
||<tablestyle="float:right; width:40%; background:#F1F1ED; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;" style="padding:0.5em;">'''Table of Contents'''<<BR>> <<TableOfContents>>||
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The Ubuntu developers are moving very quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. The Intrepid Ibex Alpha 1 is the first alpha release of Ubuntu 8.10, and with this new alpha release comes a whole host of excellent new features. The feature list for 8.10 has been slowly taking shape since Intrepid opened late last month. While much is yet to be decided for 8.10, here are some of the new things that have already arrived, as well as a good look at the approved specifications for Intrepid Ibex. The Ubuntu developers are moving very quickly to bring you the latest and greatest software the Open Source community has to offer. With "Intrepid Ibex" Alpha 6 come some new features as well as lots of bug fixes.
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'''Note: This is still an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released in October 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		 '''This is still an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released on October 30th, 2008.'''
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To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.04, run "update-manager -d" using the update-manager package from hardy. To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.04, press Alt+F2 and type in "{{{update-manager -d}}}" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: {{{New distribution release '8.10' is available.}}} Click {{{Upgrade}}} and follow the on-screen instructions.
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== Massive merge from Debian == = New Features in Intrepid =
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As with the beginning of any development cycle, the Intrepid one has seen the merge floodgates open once again. This merge not only brings in lots of new version of various packages, but also a fair number of totally new applications. These features are showcased for your attention. Please test them and report any bugs you find on Launchpad: http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu .
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= Download Alpha 1 = == GNOME 2.23.91 ==
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''' NO ISOs available yet ''' Ubuntu brings you the newest [[http://live.gnome.org/TwoPointTwentythree/|GNOME 2.23.91]] desktop environment with tons of bug-fixes and new features, some of which include:
 * [[http://www.gnome.org/projects/nautilus/|Nautilus]] file manager has tab support (by Christian Neumair) and Eject icons for removable drives in Places sidebar (by Stefano Teso, Cosimo Cecchi, Christian Neumair, and others).
 * [[http://fileroller.sourceforge.net/|File Roller]] archive manager now supports ALZ, RZIP, CAB, TAR.7Z file types also (by Paolo Bacchilega and Changwoo Ryu).

== X.Org 7.4 ==

[[http://www.x.org/wiki/Releases/7.4|X.Org 7.4]], the latest stable version of [[http://www.x.org/wiki/|X.Org]], is available in Intrepid. This release brings much better support for hot-pluggable input devices such as tablets, keyboards, and mice. At the same time this will allow the great majority of users to run without a {{{/etc/X11/xorg.conf}}} file.

== Linux kernel 2.6.27 ==

The kernel team is evaluating use of Linux kernel 2.6.27 for Ubuntu 8.10, which is included in Intrepid Alpha 6 as part of this evaluation process. This is a significant release with better hardware and numerous bug-fixes which is believed will provide overall improvement for Ubuntu 8.10. Regressions in 2.6.27 should be reported to the Ubuntu kernel team via [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux]].

== Encrypted private directory ==

The {{{ecryptfs-utils}}} package was recently promoted to Ubuntu main, with support for an [[EncryptedPrivateDirectory|secret encrypted folder]] in your Home Folder (by Michael Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland, and Daniel Baumann).

You can help test this new feature by going to {{{Applications → Accessories → Terminal}}} and typing:
 * {{{sudo aptitude install ecryptfs-utils}}}
 * {{{ecryptfs-setup-private}}}

== Guest session ==

The {{{User Switcher}}} panel applet (package {{{fast-user-switch-applet}}}) now provides an extra entry for starting a Guest session (by Martin Pitt). This creates a temporary password-less user account with restricted privileges: the account cannot access any users' home directories, nor permanently store data. This is sufficiently safe to lend your laptop to someone else for a quick email check, or to use it as a surf station for guests in your house.

== Network Manager 0.7 ==

Intrepid Ibex ships Network Manager 0.7, which comes with long-expected features, such as:
 * system wide settings (i.e., no need to log in in order to get a connection)
 * management of 3G connections (GSM/CDMA)
 * management of multiple active devices at once
 * management of PPP and PPPOE connections
 * management of devices with static IP configurations
 * route management for devices

More information can be found on the [[http://live.gnome.org/NetworkManager|Network Manager wiki]].

== "Last successful boot" recovery entry ==

On each successful boot, Intrepid will retain a copy of your running kernel and make it available from the boot loader as a "Last successful boot" option. This makes it possible for old kernel packages to be safely auto-removed by the package manager, instead of being kept indefinitely.

== DKMS ==
[[http://linux.dell.com/dkms|DKMS]] (by Dell) is included in Alpha 6, allowing kernel drivers to be automatically rebuilt when new kernels are released. This makes it possible for kernel package updates to be made available immediately without waiting for rebuilds of driver packages, and without third-party driver packages becoming out of date when installing these kernel updates.

== Samba 3.2 ==

A lot of new features have been added in Samba 3.2 amongst them:
 * clustered file server support
 * encrypted network transport
 * ipv6 support
 * better integration with the latest version of Microsoft Windows™ clients and servers.

== PAM authentication framework ==
Intrepid alpha-6 features a new {{{pam-auth-update}}} tool, which allows simple management of PAM authentication configuration for both desktops and servers. Packages providing PAM modules will be configured automatically, and users can adjust their authentication preferences by running {{{sudo pam-auth-update}}}.

More information can be found in the [[https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PAMConfigFrameworkSpec|Ubuntu wiki]].

== Totem BBC plugin ==

Intrepid Alpha 6 features a new plugin for the Totem movie player that fetches free digital content from the [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/|BBC]]. To enable it, start Totem (Applications -> Sound & Video -> Movie Player), enable the plugin (Edit -> Plugins -> BBC content viewer) and select "BBC" from the drop-down labelled "Playlist". The feed is fetched from a staging server at the moment so there may be a delay while it is downloaded.

Thanks to the [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/|BBC]] and [[http://www.collabora.co.uk/|Collabora]] for their work developing this feature.

= Download Alpha 6 =
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 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/intrepid/alpha-1/ (Ubuntu) [[BR]]
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-1/ (Kubuntu) [[BR]]
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-1/ (Edubuntu) [[BR]]
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/jeos/releases/intrepid/alpha-1/ (Ubuntu JeOS) [[BR]]
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-1/ (Xubuntu) [[BR]]
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/gobuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-1/ (Gobuntu) [[BR]]
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntustudio/releases/intrepid/alpha-1/ (UbuntuStudio)		  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/intrepid/alpha-6/ (Ubuntu) <<BR>>
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-6/ (Ubuntu Education Edition) <<BR>>
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-6/ (Kubuntu) <<BR>>
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-6/ (Xubuntu) <<BR>>
 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntustudio/releases/intrepid/alpha-6/ (Ubuntu``Studio)
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= Caveats = = Known Issues =
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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 1.  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: 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 6. 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:
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 * A problem that could result in corruption of the firmware on Intel GigE ethernet hardware has led to the disabling of the e1000e driver in the Linux kernel included in Ubuntu 8.10 Beta. Ethernet devices that use this driver cannot be used with Ubuntu 8.10 Beta; support for this hardware will be re-enabled in daily builds immediately after Beta and this issue will be resolved for the Ubuntu 8.10 final release. [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/263555]]
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 * Network``Manager 0.7 as included in Ubuntu 8.10 Beta is not compatible with static network configuration in /etc/network/interfaces. New installations are not affected by this issue because Network``Manager will manage all interfaces by default. Users upgrading from previous Ubuntu releases can work around this issue by disabling Network``Manager at startup. [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/256054]]

 * When using the Kubuntu LiveCD, the ubiquity installer hangs at the end of the installation instead of prompting you to reboot. Investigation of this issue is ongoing; as a workaround, you can safely reboot to the new system by hand. [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/270423]]

 * A list of known regressions regarding the 2.6.27 kernel has been assembled at [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bugs?field.tag=regression-2.6.27]]

 * 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 "sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup". After that, HAL and X need to 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 {{{System → Preferences → Keyboard}}}, in the tab {{{Layouts}}}. If some keys still have problems, please file a bug against [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xkeyboard-config/+bugs|xkeyboard-config]], and provide the output of {{{setxkbmap -print}}} and {{{xkbcomp :0 -}}} both run in the Terminal.
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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 [https://bugs.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+bugs the Ubuntu bugtracker] 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 [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+bugs|the Ubuntu bugtracker]]
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If you want to help out with bugs, the [http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad Bug Squad] is always looking for help. If you want to help out with bugs, the [[http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad|Bug Squad]] is always looking for help.
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You can find out more about Ubuntu on our [http://www.ubuntu.com website] and [http://wiki.ubuntu.com wiki]. You can find out more about Ubuntu on the [[http://www.ubuntu.com|Ubuntu website]] and [[http://wiki.ubuntu.com|Ubuntu wiki]].
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The Alpha 1 release notes were brought to you by: The Alpha 6 technical overview is brought to you by:
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* Michael Vogt
* Michael Bienia		  * Dustin Kirkland
 * Martin Pitt
 * Alexander Sack
 * Steve Langasek
 * Colin Watson

Introduction

The Ubuntu developers are moving very quickly to bring you the latest and greatest software the Open Source community has to offer. With "Intrepid Ibex" Alpha 6 come some new features as well as lots of bug fixes.

This is still an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released on October 30th, 2008.

Upgrading from Ubuntu 8.04

To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.04, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release '8.10' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.

New Features in Intrepid

These features are showcased for your attention. Please test them and report any bugs you find on Launchpad: http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu .

GNOME 2.23.91

Ubuntu brings you the newest GNOME 2.23.91 desktop environment with tons of bug-fixes and new features, some of which include:

  • Nautilus file manager has tab support (by Christian Neumair) and Eject icons for removable drives in Places sidebar (by Stefano Teso, Cosimo Cecchi, Christian Neumair, and others).

  • File Roller archive manager now supports ALZ, RZIP, CAB, TAR.7Z file types also (by Paolo Bacchilega and Changwoo Ryu).

X.Org 7.4

X.Org 7.4, the latest stable version of X.Org, is available in Intrepid. This release brings much better support for hot-pluggable input devices such as tablets, keyboards, and mice. At the same time this will allow the great majority of users to run without a /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

Linux kernel 2.6.27

The kernel team is evaluating use of Linux kernel 2.6.27 for Ubuntu 8.10, which is included in Intrepid Alpha 6 as part of this evaluation process. This is a significant release with better hardware and numerous bug-fixes which is believed will provide overall improvement for Ubuntu 8.10. Regressions in 2.6.27 should be reported to the Ubuntu kernel team via https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux.

Encrypted private directory

The ecryptfs-utils package was recently promoted to Ubuntu main, with support for an secret encrypted folder in your Home Folder (by Michael Halcrow, Dustin Kirkland, and Daniel Baumann).

You can help test this new feature by going to Applications → Accessories → Terminal and typing:

  • sudo aptitude install ecryptfs-utils

  • ecryptfs-setup-private

Guest session

The User Switcher panel applet (package fast-user-switch-applet) now provides an extra entry for starting a Guest session (by Martin Pitt). This creates a temporary password-less user account with restricted privileges: the account cannot access any users' home directories, nor permanently store data. This is sufficiently safe to lend your laptop to someone else for a quick email check, or to use it as a surf station for guests in your house.

Network Manager 0.7

Intrepid Ibex ships Network Manager 0.7, which comes with long-expected features, such as:

  • system wide settings (i.e., no need to log in in order to get a connection)
  • management of 3G connections (GSM/CDMA)
  • management of multiple active devices at once
  • management of PPP and PPPOE connections
  • management of devices with static IP configurations
  • route management for devices

More information can be found on the Network Manager wiki.

"Last successful boot" recovery entry

On each successful boot, Intrepid will retain a copy of your running kernel and make it available from the boot loader as a "Last successful boot" option. This makes it possible for old kernel packages to be safely auto-removed by the package manager, instead of being kept indefinitely.

DKMS

DKMS (by Dell) is included in Alpha 6, allowing kernel drivers to be automatically rebuilt when new kernels are released. This makes it possible for kernel package updates to be made available immediately without waiting for rebuilds of driver packages, and without third-party driver packages becoming out of date when installing these kernel updates.

Samba 3.2

A lot of new features have been added in Samba 3.2 amongst them:

  • clustered file server support
  • encrypted network transport
  • ipv6 support
  • better integration with the latest version of Microsoft Windows™ clients and servers.

PAM authentication framework

Intrepid alpha-6 features a new pam-auth-update tool, which allows simple management of PAM authentication configuration for both desktops and servers. Packages providing PAM modules will be configured automatically, and users can adjust their authentication preferences by running sudo pam-auth-update.

More information can be found in the Ubuntu wiki.

Totem BBC plugin

Intrepid Alpha 6 features a new plugin for the Totem movie player that fetches free digital content from the BBC. To enable it, start Totem (Applications -> Sound & Video -> Movie Player), enable the plugin (Edit -> Plugins -> BBC content viewer) and select "BBC" from the drop-down labelled "Playlist". The feed is fetched from a staging server at the moment so there may be a delay while it is downloaded.

Thanks to the BBC and Collabora for their work developing this feature.

Download Alpha 6

Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:

Known Issues

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 6. 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:

  • A problem that could result in corruption of the firmware on Intel GigE ethernet hardware has led to the disabling of the e1000e driver in the Linux kernel included in Ubuntu 8.10 Beta. Ethernet devices that use this driver cannot be used with Ubuntu 8.10 Beta; support for this hardware will be re-enabled in daily builds immediately after Beta and this issue will be resolved for the Ubuntu 8.10 final release. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/263555

  • NetworkManager 0.7 as included in Ubuntu 8.10 Beta is not compatible with static network configuration in /etc/network/interfaces. New installations are not affected by this issue because NetworkManager will manage all interfaces by default. Users upgrading from previous Ubuntu releases can work around this issue by disabling NetworkManager at startup. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/256054

  • When using the Kubuntu LiveCD, the ubiquity installer hangs at the end of the installation instead of prompting you to reboot. Investigation of this issue is ongoing; as a workaround, you can safely reboot to the new system by hand. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/270423

  • A list of known regressions regarding the 2.6.27 kernel has been assembled at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bugs?field.tag=regression-2.6.27

  • 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 "sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup". After that, HAL and X need to 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 System → Preferences → Keyboard, in the tab Layouts. If some keys still have problems, please file a bug against xkeyboard-config, and provide the output of setxkbmap -print and xkbcomp :0 - both run in the Terminal.

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

More Information

You can find out more about Ubuntu on the Ubuntu website and Ubuntu wiki.

To sign up for future Ubuntu development announcements, please subscribe to Ubuntu's development announcement list at:

Credits

The Alpha 6 technical overview is brought to you by:

  • Dustin Kirkland
  • Martin Pitt
  • Alexander Sack
  • Steve Langasek
  • Colin Watson

IntrepidIbex/TechnicalOverview (last edited 2008-10-30 04:02:17 by minbar)