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Filed under: OS Updates, Linux, Canonical

Oh right, Ubuntu 8.04 is out today - but you already knew that

Ubuntu 8.04 installer
Hey, did you hear that there's a new version of Ubuntu out today? Yeah, we know, we're shocked too. But seriously, Canonical comes out with a new version of its popular Linux distribution every six months, so we're starting to feel like the product launch isn't particularly big news. And of course, we've been installing and trying test builds for the last few months. The truth is, we imagine that many Download Squad readers have been running Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron for at least a few weeks if not months already.

That said, Hardy Heron is a pretty significant release, because it's considered an LTS or Long Term Support release. That means Canonical will offer 5 years of support instead of its usual 18 months, making Hardy Heron a good choice for enterprise users.

Here are a handful of things that set Hardy Heron apart from Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon, which is so last week:
  • Firefox 3 beta is the default web browser
  • Install Ubuntu from within Windows using Wubi
  • Updated Linux kernel and new versions of Gnome and KDE desktops, with the option of using KDE 3.5 or KDE 4 as the default desktop for Kubuntu
  • New BitTorrent Client
  • New VNC client
  • Virtualization software built into the kernel
f you've never tried Linux before, Ubuntu comes as a LiveCD. That means you can check out the operating system without harming your current OS and file system by burning the disc image to a DVD and booting your computer from the disc. It's a perfect try before you buy sales pitch, except there's nothing to buy. If you like what you see you can install it for free.

Are you running Hardy Heron yet? What do you think so far? What did Canonical get right, and what still needs some work?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

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