Alpha 3 of Ubuntu 8.04
The developers of Ubuntu have released the third alpha of Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron", which is planned as a LTS version.
(After the final release in April, users will have to decide whether they prefer long time support or the new KDE desktop. The third Hardy Heron release includes a number of pre-release versions of the kernel, drivers and programs which will all be stable by the time the final release becomes available. The core of the system is Release Candidate 6 of kernel 2.6.24, which merges the x86 and x86_64 branches, thus making dynamic ticks, as currently offered for the x86 platform available to x64 systems. On top of this, new WLAN drivers and a number of new and revised drivers will be included. The Web browser is a pre-release version of the future Mozilla browser Firefox 3. Xorg 7.3 the new graphical system that offers improved automatic configuration is also included. PulseAudio is the new sound system. The integration of PolicyKit will offer more granular configuration capabilities. The system gives administrators the ability to grant additional privileges to normal users for specific actions.
For the first time, user will be asked to decide, after the Final Release in April, whether they prefer long term support or the new KDE desktop. The developers have announced that the Kubuntu version of Ubuntu 8.04 will not be available as an LTS version. Shortly before Christmas, Kubuntu's main developer, Jonathan Riddell, announced that Kubuntu would not be offering the LTS version scheduled in the release plan, but going for the new KDE 4 instead. The announcement met with a mixed reception. Although part of the community approved of the step, others said that Kubuntu was playing guinea pig.
Business customers are unlikely to welcome this step. After all, companies who have used the current LTS variant, Kubuntu 6.06, will now need to decide whether to opt for the currently unstable KDE 4 variant, or to secure long term support by moving to a different flavor of Ubuntu.
As always, the Alpha 3 is available from the distribution's website or one of its mirrors. As the alpha is for test purposes only, users are advised not to deploy it in production environments.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
![Learn More](https://www.linux-magazine.com/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/media/linux-magazine-eng-us/images/misc/learn-more/834592-1-eng-US/Learn-More_medium.png)
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.