Just a month after the release of Ubuntu 8.10, the first alpha of Ubuntu 9.04 has become available. The next distro version should boot more quickly, require less power, integrate more web services and include a backup solution.

Ubuntu Privacy Remix (UPR), based on Ubuntu 8.04 (LTS), is a live, read-only CD that seals off your private data from the outside world. It does this using encryption and isolation methods.

Yellow Dog Linux (YDL) is known for running on Playstation 3 and Apple G4s and G5s. Its manufacturer, Fixstars, has now released version 6.1.

End of last week ARM Ltd and Canonical Ltd announced that they would port Linux to the ARMv7 processor architecture. If all goes well, the two collaborating firms should provide further hardware manufacturers with the basis to develop new, energy-efficient mobile devices, especially for the popular netbooks and so-called hybrid computers.

An article from the Debian-Administration.org community describes how to boot up Debian much faster on an Asus Eee 901. Its author, Phil Endecott, claims to do it within 14 seconds using his method.

Japanese company Fixstars Corporation, specializing in Cell/B.E. technology, has acquired Terra Software Solutions to add Yellow Dog Linux to its portfolio.

The Gnome Foundation welcomes Google and Motorola as sponsors and new members of its advisory board.

The OpenBSD project has released version 4.4 of the free Unix derivative. New in this version are drivers for Intel and AMD chips, and support for platforms such as UltraSparc IV/ T1/ T2 and Fujitsu SPASRC64-V/ VI/ VIII.