Introduction

The Ubuntu developers are moving quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. The Jaunty Jackalope Alpha 3 will be the third alpha release of Ubuntu 9.04, bringing with it the earliest new features for the next version of Ubuntu.

This is still an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released on April 23rd, 2009.

Upgrading from Ubuntu 8.10

To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.10, 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 '9.04' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.

New Features in Jaunty

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

• http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu

Updated Packages

As with every new release, packages--applications and software of all kinds--are being updated at a rapid pace. For a list of all packages being accepted for 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope, please subscribe to Jaunty-changes:

• https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/jaunty-changes

X.Org server 1.6

The latest X.Org server, version 1.6, is available in Jaunty. In the short term, this will again cause increased instability for some users while the video drivers catch up.

New style for notifications and notification preferences

Included in Jaunty is a simple menu which can be used to set preferences for notification icons, such as where they pop up on the taskbar. There is a possibility that Ubuntu 9.04 will get a whole new notification system, as shown in the flash movie here:

http://www.markshuttleworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/jaunty904_notifications_example1_web_092.swf

Detailed explanation available here: http://www.markshuttleworth.com/ (You might have to skip a large white area if you are using internet explorer to see the text beyond the first few lines)

Linux kernel 2.6.28

Alpha 3 includes the 2.6.28-3.4 kernel based on 2.6.28-rc8.

ext4 installation support

Alpha 3 supports the option of installing on the new ext4 file system. ext3 is likely to remain the default for Jaunty, and we will consider it as the default for Jaunty+1 based on user feedback.

Download Alpha 3

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

• http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/jaunty/alpha-3/ (Ubuntu)
  

• http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-3/ (Kubuntu) Kubuntu release notes
  http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-3/ (Xubuntu)
  

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 Jaunty Alpha 3. 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 new XServer, version 1.6, is included in Alpha 3. The binary proprietary drivers -fglrx and -nvidia are not yet supported for this server and will exhibit various serious issues if run against it. Users of these drivers are encouraged to wait or to switch to the corresponding open source drivers 4(-ati and -nv respectively) in the meantime. 308410

• While the user-space component of the EXPERIMENTAL nouveau X driver is available in Alpha 2 universe, the kernel modules this driver requires to work are not yet available. The kernel modules should be uploaded soon after Alpha 2.

• Users of Intel i845 or i865 video chipsets are unable to load X, getting an error message of "Fatal server error: Couldn't bind memory for BO front buffer". Users on these systems are advised to wait for a resolution to this bug before upgrading. 304871

• The OEM mode on Kubuntu images fails after reboot in Jaunty Alpha 3. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. 309482

• Choosing the "encrypt home" option on the Ubuntu server or alternate CD will cause the installation to fail at user setup time. As a workaround, you can set up an encrypted home for your user after install using the steps described in https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/309541.

• The amarok package has been updated to Amarok 2 for Alpha 3. Amarok 2 uses the mysql 5.1 embedded database for collection storage. These packages are not included on any Alpha 3 CD, but may be installed from the Ubuntu repository. For users of Kmail/Kontact, parts of the mysql 5.1 package conflict with parts of mysql 5.0 used by Akonadi, the Kmail/Kontact mail store. Amarok and Akonadi cannot be installed at the same time, so it is not currently possible to use both Kmail/Kontact and Amarok at the same time. Improvements in the packaging are in progress and this will be resolved in a later Alpha release.

• Ctrl-Alt-Backspace is now disabled, to reduce issues experienced by users who accidentally trigger the key combo. Users who do want this function can enable it via the DontZap option in xorg.conf. A GUI tool to simplify setting xorg.conf options is under development and will be available in a later Alpha release.

Reporting Bugs

It should come as no surprise that this alpha release of Jaunty Jackalope 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

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

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:

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

Credits

The Alpha 3 technical overview is brought to you by:

• Steve Langasek
• Scott Kitterman