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Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Drawing Near

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the millions-rejoicing-in-the-street dept.

daria42 writes "Ubuntu developers are finalizing preparations for the release of the next version — dubbed Feisty Fawn — of the popular Linux distribution in mid-April. Overnight, Ubuntu developer Tollef Fog Heen announced Ubuntu's main software repository had been frozen — with no changes allowed to the code — as developers got ready to issue a fifth major test version ("Herd 5") of the next version of Ubuntu."

15 of 331 comments (clear)

  1. AWW damn!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fuck, I just spent $399 on Vista Ultimate!!!!

  2. I'm using feisty since herd 1 by vivaoporto · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And I can say is that Feisty is a big improvement over Edgy, both in hardware support and software "smoothness". It is a pity that Xorg 7.2 will not be ready for Feisty launch, but this is certainly a candidate to bring an alternative to Windows on the Desktop.

  3. No changes allowed by Bob54321 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ubuntu's main software repository had been frozen -- with no changes allowed to the code

    As opposed to freezes where you are allowed to change things...
    --
    :(){ :|:& };:
    1. Re:No changes allowed by jeevesbond · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This might sound harsh, but they don't care whether you know what a code freeze is. In fact if you don't know what that is why are you reading Slashdot?!

      It's not like Microsoft, Canonical didn't create some press-release to tell everyone: 'We're freezing our codebase! Make sure all technical journals know!'

      This story got on to Slashdot because of geeks avidly following Ubuntu's development process, which--unlike Windows--is totally open. If you don't know what a code freeze is: don't worry, just wait for the release. The fact you don't know is not Canonical's fault or problem.

      If you do want to know: first imagine all the software projects Ubuntu uses (the Synaptic package manager on my system tells me I've currently got access to 20,304 bits of software, so much for the old: 'There isn't any software available for Linux' argument). When the devs start working on a release they use the newest versions of whatever software is available. As the new version of Ubuntu nears release though they have to be certain all the software will work together, so they do what's called a 'code freeze'.

      A code freeze means they don't use any newer versions of software that are made available. They just make sure that whatever is now in the software repositories works. The reason for this is to stop any unforseen incompatibilities creeping in when a new version of a software package is used.

      Here's a scenario:

      The devs are working on the new version of Ubuntu: Happy Hippo. A new version of Firefox (no pedants, I am aware of the policy regarding Firefox, this is just a common software package and something the reader will identify with. No corrections needed!) has been created since the last release, so they import it into the software repositories. Call it: Version 2.

      Before the code freeze a new version of Firefox is released (v2.1), with an autoPr0n feature many people love. This is imported into the new version of Ubuntu: Happy Hippo.

      The code freeze happens... But a new version of Firefox is released afterwards (v2.2), with an enhanced autoPr0n feature (many people are calling this the next 'killer app'). Unfortunately, this is after the code freeze, so the new version of Firefox does not get imported.

      Imagine if the devs didn't do the code freeze, and the new enhanced autoPr0n feature (in v2.2) caused a problem with The GIMP. But the devs had already checked Firefox, but not the latest version.

      So the code freeze is necessary, although you don't necessarily need to know about it. :)

      --
      I'm going to transform myself into a mighty hawk. Either that or I'll just go and work at Dixons, haven't decided yet.
  4. X.org 7.2 will (perhaps) be in feisty by MrvFD · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually Xorg 7.2 is currently on its way to feisty, thanks to efforts by a community member, working together with Debian and helped by some Ubuntu core developers: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/200 7-February/023252.html

    The xserver-xorg-core is already version at 7.2 (or "1.2") now, with the rest of the modules going in gradually. With the modularity of X.org nowadays, it's not certain that all the newest driver work will be in, though. For example the ati driver has seen only some important patches backported to feisty, while there has been a lot of development and reworking without a proper release of xserver-xorg-video-ati lately.

  5. Why Xorg 7.2 is so important? by pato101 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Please would you point major features of Xorg 7.2 so it is a pity it does not get included? (not pretending to troll, I'm just ignorant).

    1. Re:Why Xorg 7.2 is so important? by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Funny

      I've never used it, but I believe the usual pattern is that the latest version of something contains the device drivers for the one device you need support for, except that it's actually for a similarly named chipset from the same company and doesn't actually work with your card, but it does feel slightly faster, but has a whopping great memory leak that means you have to reboot your computer every few days.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    2. Re:Why Xorg 7.2 is so important? by jeevesbond · · Score: 5, Informative

      There are some details on the release page on the Freedesktop wiki.

      From that page:

      X11R7.2 supports Linux, BSD, Solaris, Microsoft Windows and GNU Hurd systems. It incorporates significant stability and correctness fixes, including improved autoconfiguration heuristics, enhanced support for GL-based compositing managers such as Compiz and Beryl, and improved support for PCI systems with multiple domains. It also incorporates the new, more extensible XACE security policy framework.

      Release notes should be on the download page, they're marked 'forthcoming' at the moment, but wait a day or two and they should appear.

      --
      I'm going to transform myself into a mighty hawk. Either that or I'll just go and work at Dixons, haven't decided yet.
  6. Skip this one by pkspks · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'll wait for the "zombie zebra"

    --
    667 - one step ahead of the beast.
  7. Been using it for about a month... by physicsnick · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've been beta-testing Kubuntu Feisty for about a month now, and it's amazing. It's already a huge improvement over Edgy. Everything is so intuitive and easy to use; Feisty is going to kick ass.

    Some of the new stuff they've added are a new wireless network manager by default, big improvements to the package installation system, easy codec/flash installation, lots of user interface tweaks... It looks so polished now, I love it.

    Here are the Herd release announcements, containing a subset of the changes Feisty brings:
    https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FeistyFawn/Herd1/Kubuntu
    https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FeistyFawn/Herd2/Kubuntu
    https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FeistyFawn/Herd3/Kubuntu
    https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FeistyFawn/Herd4/Kubuntu

  8. Re:Fast going cold on Ubuntu by pato101 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Do not need to try Kubuntu instead: you can just install the kubuntu packages in your ubuntu install, by doing just this:

    sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

    Alternatively, you may play with xfce if you like by adding xfce packages as follows:

    sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

  9. Breaking news! by jotaeleemeese · · Score: 5, Funny

    Feisy Fawn is even closer as I type!

    Tollef Fog Heen came back from lunch and just turned on his screen. Now that is progress.

    Oh man, we live excilarating times.

    Please check back for updates:

    In one hour Tollef Fog Heen will finish to write an email.

    In three hours Tollef Fog Heen will complete one icon missing in one of the menus in the graphic installer.

    In 5 hours Tollef Fog Heen goes home. Nooooooo! Ubuntu development stalled! Stop the presses....

    --
    IANAL but write like a drunk one.
  10. Re:how about WoW? by physicsnick · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, WoW really does work right out of the box with Wine. It has entirely Gold or Platinum status on WineHQ:
    http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=648 2

    On that page there's a hugely overcomplicated guide on getting it working; Feisty will tremendously simplify things, especially since it comes with Wine 0.9.30. Here's how you'd install WoW in Feisty:

    1) Install your video card drivers. This involves clicking Applications->Add Applications, clicking Advanced, and choosing nvidia-glx for NVidia cards or xorg-driver-fglrx for ATI. Much simpler than on Windows.
    2) Restart X (press CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE).
    3) Put the WoW install CD in the drive.
    4) Browse to your CD-rom (/media/cdrom) and double-click Installer.exe
    5) Do the Next-Next-Finish dance
    6) Double click the icon on your desktop to launch the game.

    So it's pretty much identical to Windows, except the CD won't autorun. :/

  11. Must be said by Necreia · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Drawing Near"

    > Command? (A)ttack (S)pell (I)tem (R)un:

  12. Windows users, take note: by ABoerma · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know you've stumbled into an *NIX-centric discussion when people say 'reboot every few days' like it's a bad thing.