… tomorrow, actually.
Ubuntu will release its latest version (7.04) tomorrow, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been installing and using early releases of this since before beta, and running the beta version on several machines since it was released.
So far, I have nothing but good things to say about it. All the hardware I’ve tried (including wireless and video cards in laptops) has been detected automatically upon installation, with no special configuration required. I can’t overstate how important this is, especially on laptops, since Linux has traditionally needed more advanced configuration for much of this kind of hardware.
One highlight for many users will be its codec installation system; it’s better than anything I’ve seen on any other platform (not just Linux). You just try to open any media file (audio or video), and it will pop up and tell you which codecs it needs to install, along with the appropriate warnings regarding non-free software etc. If you choose OK, it will install them for you automatically – no hunting around and experimenting necessary.
MythTV installation was a breeze, especially compared to earlier versions. It automatically detected both my TV capture cards (granted, they do both have good Linux support – in fact one only has Linux drivers written for it). An up to date version of Myth (.20) is in the repositories and is easily installable via apt-get or Synaptic; I’ve never had a Myth installation go so easily.
Another cool feature that I saw but haven’t had a use for is the Windows Migration Assistant. When you run the installer on a hard drive that already has Windows on it, it will offer to resize your partitions for you to make room for itself, as well as scan through your Windows partition and detect all your users, settings, documents, etc. and offer to copy them into your new Linux install for you automatically. Like I said, I haven’t used this feature myself, but it seems pretty useful for luring the masses away from the land of Windows.
Of course, the installer comes on a bootable live CD, so that you can boot up and get a feel for it before you decide whether you really want to try installing it to the hard drive. All in all, Ubuntu remains my favorite Linux distro for desktop / workstation use, and this release is a solid improvement to its already good status.
It’s my opinion that Linux is ready to take over the OS market; it’s already ahead of the competition (Mac and Windows) in terms of features, including flashy effects (with Beryl, etc.). Now all we need is for companies like Apple and Microsoft to keep clamping down the restrictions on what their users can do with their own computers while making them pay a hefty premium on top of it all, until they are forced to look elsewhere and finally find freedom.
[...] Since I’ve started using it a little over a year ago, Ubuntu really has come a long way. Ubuntu is readying its newest release, and this one looks to be better than [...]