We’re preparing to release Kubuntu 12.04 LTS, the Precise Pangolin, in April 2012. With this Beta pre-release, you can see where we are with our bug fixing and polishing of the official release. Read on for some feature highlights and information about known issues.

NOTE: This is an beta pre-release. Kubuntu Pre-releases are NOT recommended for:

• Regular users who are not aware of pre-release issues
• Anyone who needs a stable system
• Anyone uncomfortable running a possibly frequently broken system
• Anyone in a production environment with data or workflows that need to be reliable

Kubuntu Pre-releases ARE recommended for:

• Regular users who want to help us test by finding, reporting, and/or fixing bugs
• Kubuntu developers

Getting Kubuntu 12.04 LTS Beta 2

Upgrading from Previous Versions

To upgrade to Kubuntu 12.04 LTS from an older release, follow the Upgrade Instructions.

Download a Disk Image

• CD/USB images for standard PCs/laptops/netbooks

Instructions for burning the image to a CD/DVD or USB flash drive can be found on the Burning ISO Howto.

We recommend you learn how to check your CD image so your pre-release is as it’s supposed to be. Compare your MD5 checksum with the correct ones found alongside the CD images.

Beta 2 Highlights

Updates from the KDE community

Plasma and Applications 4.8

The latest stable release of KDE's Plasma Workspaces and Applications brings new features and improvements all around.

Telepathy-KDE Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging has changed and so has our software with Telepathy KDE. You can easily set it up to talk on GTalk or Facebook as well as MSN and many other protocols.

Amarok 2.5

Amarok has added an MP3 shop and integration with GPodder, an online personal podcast archive.

Rekonq and OwnCloud Updates

Webkit based browser Rekonq has been updated to make it faster and more stable.

The OwnCloud self-hosting cloud solution has also had a major upgrade in version3.

Plasma Active

Plasma Active is now available to install from the archive for tech preview. You can run it by running plasma-device. We are hard at work on a Kubuntu Active remix.

Calligra

A new life for the old KOffice suite brings the document and creativity suite to a new audience. Now features top MS Office file import filters.

New from Kubuntu

LTS is stable for the long term so we have concentrated on stability rather than new features in the default install.

Muon Suite 1.3 RC

The Muon Suite has been updated to version 1.3 (Release Candidate). The Muon Suite is now more robust and faster than ever. The Muon Update Manager has received a facelift, making keeping your computer up-to-date a snap.

For the power user who wants to control the details of his or her updates, the Muon Package Manager is still available to handle all your update needs, giving you full control. Additionally, the Muon Package Manager now gives you more explicit notification of what extra dependencies will be installed when you mark packages for installation.

Oxygen-GTK 3 Theme

Many GTK apps are now written with GTK 3. We have packaged the theme to neatly integrate with KDE's Oxygen.

From the Ubuntu Community

Read the Ubuntu 12.04 Beta 2 Technical Overview for the updates on kernel drivers, better backwards compatibility for 64-bit machines, and other improvements.

Known Problems

Feedback

We want to hear your opinions on this beta.

• Do we “Amarok”?

• Did a feature make or break your day?
• What do you flat-out dislike?

Take a look at the Ubuntu Code of Conduct, try Kubuntu 12.04 Beta 2 and head on over to the Feedback Page. Your input is an invaluable resource, so do take the time to write down your thoughts and let us know what you think!