Slashdot Mirror


Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Released

Lots of readers told us about the official release of Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn (screenshots here for Ubuntu and Kubuntu). Some readers report that the distribution servers are being hammered. Here is a review of Feisty Fawn. Reader LinuxScribe sends us to LinuxPlanet for the story on a pleasant Java surprise in the release.

35 of 590 comments (clear)

  1. Fast mirror at Indiana University by cow+ninja · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here is a quick mirror: (ftp also works) http://ftp.ussg.indiana.edu/linux/ubuntu-releases/ 7.04/ maintained by http://www.ussg.iu.edu

    Go ahead, take our bandwidth :)

    1. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by didde · · Score: 5, Informative


      Let's not forget The Pirate Bay, people. They've had this up since 03:00 UTC.

      The .torrent is available here.

    2. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by Dogtanian · · Score: 5, Funny

      Let's not forget The Pirate Bay, people. They've had this up since 03:00 UTC. I told The Pirate Bay that there was no piracy involved, it was perfectly legal to copy Ubuntu discs and pass them around.

      They got all stroppy and took it down immediately.
      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    3. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by mattnuzum · · Score: 5, Informative

      Try the homepage now. We've simplified things and will update the mirror list frequently until the excitement dies down.

      Please note that if you use Ubuntu now, you can update very easily, but don't use dist-upgrade. Instead:

      Before you start

              * You can only directly upgrade to Ubuntu 7.04 ("Feisty Fawn") from Ubuntu 6.10 ("Edgy Eft") (see UpgradeNotes)
              * Be sure that you have all updates applied to Ubuntu 6.10 before you upgrade
              * The latest version of Update Manager (0.45.2) must be installed before you upgrade. Otherwise, you will receive an Authentication failed error. See [WWW] here for instructions how to check if you have the required version.

      Note: If you have a version of Ubuntu which was released before Ubuntu 6.10, please see http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Installation/UpgradeFromOld Version for information on how to upgrade.

      Network upgrade for Ubuntu desktops (recommended)

      You can easily upgrade over the network with the following procedure.

            1. Open System -> Administration -> Update Manager
            2. A button on the top of the window will appear, informing you of the availability of the new release
            3. Click Upgrade
            4. Follow the on-screen instructions

    4. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by teh+loon · · Score: 4, Informative

      Torrents are the way to go. A few hours ago I couldn't find the ISOs on most mirrors except for the ones that I downloaded slowly from, so I opted for the torrent option. Managed to download the ISO in an hour through DHT - the ubuntu tracker wasn't accepting the torrent then.

      Now I'm installing it as I speak, and it's nearly done.

    5. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by dfay · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ah, but is it a PROPER-FINAL release? Or is it just another tired beta leak from a group trying to get a reputation?

    6. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by Spudds · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You can easily upgrade over the network with the following procedure.

                  1. Open System -> Administration -> Update Manager

      There's a gui to upgrade the distro version???

      It seems that ubuntu is the first distro to really "just get it" when it comes to the desktop!
      All hail the New Hope for Linux on the Desktop!
    7. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by niteice · · Score: 5, Informative

      Technically speaking, it's just the package updater (like Windows Update but less evil), which also is capable of updating the entire distro.

      --
      ROMANES EUNT DOMUS
    8. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by bill_kress · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes, very close.

      I've dipped into Linux many times (Since before CDs) but this is the first time I've installed it on all my computers.

      Yesterday, in fact, I got windows XP running within Ubuntu (My current project requires it) and it was easy, free and very slick. This means I can convert my last remaining dual-boot computers (because of games, mostly) over to Linux.

      I still run into things here and there that SHOULD just take 5 minutes but end up taking 2 hours of research, but much less often than with any other distro--and I haven't figured out how to get dual monitors working yet. Oh, and suspend/resume still doesn't work on any of the 3 laptops (I got my wife a MAC and the fact that suspend/resume always works, and does so quickly and smoothly makes me so jealous!)

      Every install worked flawlessly in each laptop. CD's, floppies and USB drives are automatically mounted, all resolutions are available on the screens (even wide-screens), and even my wireless internal lan adapter just worked out of the box.

      With the addition of Click And Go (I hope it's in this release) it'll be MUCH easier to acquire and install new software than it is in Windows.

      If you are considering installing Linux for the first time, I advise you scan this page first--I use it all the time now. It gives you a great summary of what can be done and how to do it. Most "Tasks" are simply a few entries on the CLI now--and most installs can be done from a decent GUI as well (the guide uses CLI because it's easier to describe) http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu_Edgy

      Oh, and hey--one complaint (more of an observation actually), for those of you who complain about how often you must enter the root password on a PC, take a look at that page and see how often "SUDO" (the Linux equivalent) is required. Holy cow, it's like every single time you want to call apt-get (in other words, any time you want to install ANYTHING), you have to give up the root password. I believe this means that all install scripts are running as root--I don't know if this is a security hole, but it sure sounds like one. This is the exact equivalent to every windows program install requiring administrator access--something they have at least recognized as a flaw and begun to combat.

      But at any rate--seriously, it's now mainstream. Stick it on your grandma's computer. This from a Very Picky user.

    9. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by daveewart · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh, and hey--one complaint (more of an observation actually), for those of you who complain about how often you must enter the root password on a PC, take a look at that page and see how often "SUDO" (the Linux equivalent) is required. Holy cow, it's like every single time you want to call apt-get (in other words, any time you want to install ANYTHING), you have to give up the root password. I believe this means that all install scripts are running as root--I don't know if this is a security hole, but it sure sounds like one.

      First, a correction: sudo requires you to enter your own password, not the root password.

      Requiring administrative/root privileges to install software is the whole point. You are installing programs that are to be used system-wide. You need root privileges (granted to you via sudo) to do that. It's not a security hole when implemented properly. The point is that, unlike many Windows desktop, you're not running with 'root' privileges all the time. This is exactly what most Windows XP desktops are doing. You never need to be prompted for a 'root'/admin password when doing that, because you're always admin! That's insecure.

      --
      "If you think the problem is bad now, just wait until we've solved it." --- Arthur Kasspe
    10. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by emarkd · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Not the original poster here, but fwiw vmware player runs my xp partition very well from ubuntu on my laptop. I boot xp in vmware player and maximize it on one face of my beryl desktop cube and watch people do double-takes as I switch from one to the other. Fun. :)

      --
      Mark
    11. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by Eivind · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Yes there is. And it's very very grandmother-friendly too. My procedure:
      • Log in, as usual.
      • There's a message for me, indicated by a slowly pulsing alert-icon. It reads: "There are updates available for Ubuntu, click here if you want to install them. So I do.
      • I'm met with the familiar update-manager, only this time it has a new button: "There is a new version of Ubuntu available, 7.1 Feisty Fawn, click here to upgrade."
      • I click, and am informed that this required administrative priviledge, and would I please enter my password to proceed.
      • I do as told, wait half an hour, and that's it.

      I've never seen anything even close to this smooth. It's not just a Linux-best. It's quite simply the best I've ever seen.

      Oh, and did I mention I lied above ? You see, all the messages mentioned was nicely localized into my native written Language, nynorsk, the least used variant of Norwegian, which perhaps half a million people in the world write. I'm impressed.

    12. Re:Fast mirror at Indiana University by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Very carefully

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  2. Plesant Java Surprise? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does that mean they removed it?

    1. Re:Plesant Java Surprise? by Kirth · · Score: 5, Informative

      They bundled it. Except on 64bit machines, where it still does not work correctly and still does not have a browser plugin; because the bug-report for this is only two years old.

      --
      "The more prohibitions there are, The poorer the people will be" -- Lao Tse
  3. Use the torrents, people by moranar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Help alleviate the load: use the torrents.

    --
    "I think it would be a good idea!"
    Gandhi, about Internet Security
  4. Old news! by Otter · · Score: 4, Funny

    I already heard this from Michael Dell.

  5. Thanks Mark by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whatever we think about this man, we should thank him to have launched the Ubuntu Project. This is the first Linux distro that have the potential to succeed on the Desktop and to get some decent market share beside Windows and MacOS.

  6. slashdotted... this time IRC, not HTTP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    On freenode,

    #ubuntu = 1600 users
    #ubuntu-release-party = 850 users

    In the last hour, these have both gone up by around 100-200 each. 24hrs ago, #ubuntu-release-party had 20 people.

    Apparently this is a new record for the freenode IRC network!

    Forget whether or not ubuntulinux.org can remain online, everyone start praying for the poor folk at freenode :)

  7. Might skip this version by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 5, Funny

    and the next one...

    Bring on Version 9: Hungry Hungry Hippo!

  8. Re:Upgrade from 6.10 by bytor4232 · · Score: 4, Informative

    To properly upgrade 6.10 to 7.04 simply go to System - Administration - Update Manager. The button just appeared on my update-manager informing me of a new release.

    --
    -- 4 8 15 16 23 42
  9. Re:Java is not YET Free software by at_slashdot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ah, please can you take your self-righteousness and shove it up your ass?

    --
    "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -- Prof. Dumbledore
  10. Re:Java is not YET Free software by jetxee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well said and sad. The cheat of Linux distros. Way too easy to get it working...

  11. Re:Java is not YET Free software by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ubuntu seems consistently (whether it be proprietary, closed, non-Free wireless or video card drivers or this) just to be attempting consistently to squeeze a few extra percent of the market share at the expense of the long-term robustness of Free software. Maybe the next release should be Sneaky Snake or Conniving Chimp ?

    Whether you agree with what the Ubuntu project is doing or not, there is nothing sneaky about it. They have never tried to hide what they are doing.

    Many of us, including me, have been asking for a long time for a distribution that fucking works. One that does things, out of the box, that every other operating system does. And we frankly don't care if that means that we have to run closed software today. Because as we have seen, the existence of closed software on Linux does not prevent people from working on open alternatives to it. The existence of free-as-in-beer Java hasn't stopped people from working on free-as-in-speech implementations (and as you point out, Java is on its way to Freedom.) The existence of the free-as-in-beer nVidia drivers isn't stopping work on an alternative.

    Ubuntu is doing what a sizable slice of the community has asked them to do, and your complaining about it is ridiculous. Complain about the users if you like.

    And stop complaining about the lack of Ubuntu-distributed new features. Even if no one "at" Ubuntu ever fixed a bug, which frankly is not required by the Open Source model, they do a shitload to coordinate it, and they have done more to package Linux for the end user than anyone else.

    Finally, Ubuntu is going to be bringing out an entirely-Free distribution. So I'm not really sure what you're bitching about. If Free software can't compete on its own merits, then it deserves to lose.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  12. Re:Java is not YET Free software by Vexorian · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah everybody knows linux should stay pushing philosophies instead of actually work. Who needs users anyways?

    --

    Copyright infringement is "piracy" in the same way DRM is "consumer rape"
  13. Re:Java is not YET Free software by nine-times · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't want to sound harsh because I believe you're genuinely concerned, but I think you're wrong. Ubuntu is providing non-free packages for some things because it's what people want. People want the ability to get easy 3D accelleration for their video cards, and the open source drivers don't do it, so Ubuntu provides the ability to install the non-free drivers easily.

    And yes, "what people want" matters. Making it easy for people to get good performance from their computers will win converts to Linux. As Linux's share of the market grows, there's an increasing chance that various companies will support linux in various ways. The more people are using Linux on their desktop and the more people want 3D accelleration for their desktop, the more likely it is that someone (maybe even Nvidia and AMD) will actually produce Free drivers.

  14. Re:Upgrade from 6.10 by WheresMyDingo · · Score: 5, Funny
    As always, back up your computer fist.

    Agreed about the fist. When upgrading, I too curl my fingers into that well-known "computer fist" as I anticipate what I am about to do. But backing the fist up (usually up and to the right, near my ear) is important, so that it will have maximal effect when I pound it down on the desk in frustration, when something inevitably breaks. Or even if something doesn't, to celebrate. A good way to relieve tension, but it does interfere with typing.

  15. What's new? by digitalderbs · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I always find it difficult to get a summary on the new features to help me decide if I should upgrade. These are the results from my searches :

    1. 18 month support term
    2. Better installation, includes migration tools for mail and such from Windows and linux partitions.
    3. Improved wireless support with Avahi
    4. Easier third party codec/firmware/driver installation, including Nvidia and ATi proprietary drivers and mp3 codecs.
    5. Two new games : glches and soduko
    6. Compiz/Beryl support for desktop 3D effects (not default)
    7. Beagle (search indexed), Tomboy (note tacking program, sticky notes) and F-Spot (photo management.. alternatively called G-spot, depending on the type of photos).
    8. java

    sources : blog 1, blog 2
    I already have all of these setup on Edgy, so I won't upgrade.
  16. Re:Java is not YET Free software by Bandman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You're so far off your rocker that you don't even know where your porch is.

    Every time I hear someone go off on how free-as-in-beer software is evil and corrupts the precious open-source movement, I just want to smack my forehead in disgust.

    It's the usability, stupid.

    It's about turning your computer into something productive, so it's not a paperweight with blinking lights. Ubuntu has made more headway in organizing a usable system than RedHat, Mandrake, and Debian combined. It is really the first distro that nearly everyone can use.

    Now, about your comments that it is "parasitic", I think you're confused even further. If nothing else, Ubuntu is a way to increase the user base of the software which you say it doesn't contribute to. It gets Linux, Open Office, Xorg, and thousands of other softwares into the hands of people who would never have known there was another alternative to Microsoft otherwise. And you decry it because it encourages people to have choice. You insult the very software that could very well be the cause of manufacturers opening drivers, or if not providing open drivers, perhaps providing working binary drivers, ala NVidia. But then, you're against that, too. To fanatical egotistic closed minded people like yourself, having a binary driver in your kernel would sully it somehow, rendering it unfit to use, so instead you install semi-working drivers provided by people who have reverse engineered the hardware and bitch about how for-profit companies refuse to give away their trade secrets.

    Get over yourself. It's not a paragon of virtue and selflessness. It's a fucking kernel. That's it.

  17. MAGNET URI Torrent address by Danathar · · Score: 4, Informative

    Don't people understand that when you put the .torrent file on the same server as the iso's if one is being hammered the other get's killed too.

    So....your mirrors are breaking. Yea! Bittorrent saves the day! Lets put the torrent file on the SAME SERVER that's currently melting down. That will fix it. :(

    So your torrent servers don't get killed post the Magnet URI so that people can join the torrent independent of the accessibility of the .torrent file.

    Here is the Ubuntu 7.04 i386 desktop

    magnet:?xt=urn:btih:DMDDBZV4X4NWSEHVEBBZHSMFY4GHDK XV

    Note Slashdot has a problem with Magnet URI's there is NO space between the last K and XV

  18. Re:Java is not YET Free software by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ubuntu as a distribution fits into the software ecosystem as a parasite. It gives back very litte in terms of original new code or projects and weakens the push for Free software.

    Ubuntu widens the market for Linux by providing a distribution that people can actually use.

    As a result, it strengthens the push for Free software, because most Linux software is Free.

    Ubuntu is the first Linux distribution to include an automated crash reporting tool, which feeds more useful bug reports into the system, which is a benefit to all. And the entire system, including aggregation of these crash reports, was built and is maintained and run by Ubuntu.

    Finally, Ubuntu is using software in accordance with its licensing, so really no one has room to bitch. If you want to force people to contribute back changes, then put something about that in the license of the software you develop, and quit bitching. Let peace begin with me, and all that.

    What software have you written and released under an OSI-approved license? What patches have you written and released (and had accepted) for Free software?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  19. Re:Upgrade from 6.10 by BruceCage · · Score: 4, Funny

    The pure adrenaline pumping through my veins is the sole reason I don't do backups during system upgrades.

    --
    Perfect is the enemy of done.