Ubuntu Linux 9.04 Beta Review

By Jim on April 27th, 2009

It’s been quite a while since I last took a look at Ubuntu and it’s come a long way. Canonical has just released a beta version of Ubuntu Linux 9.04. In keeping with past traditions, the new version has a cute animal nickname: Jaunty Jackalope. If you aren’t familiar with the Jackalope, it’s a fictitious rabbit that somehow grows horns similar to those of a mule deer. Heh, heh. The guys at Canonical always did seem to have a sense of humor.

Please note that this version is still in beta. I don’t recommend that you use it on any machine of importance simply because you never know how things will go with a beta. That said, I found Jaunty Jackalope to be in pretty good shape at this point. Your mileage may vary, however, so think carefully before you put it on a production machine.

New Stuff in Ubuntu Linux 9.04
This version of Ubuntu comes with a number of new features:

* Gnome 2.26
* X.Org Server 1.6
* New Notifications
* Better Boot Performance
* Ext4 File System Support
* Linux Kernel 2.6.28

This version of Gnome includes improved handling of multiple monitors and the Brasero all-in-one CD burning software. The new Ubuntu notifications are cool and quite slick. You can see a brief flash movie of them in action.

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