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Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Drawing Near 331

Posted by CmdrTaco from the millions-rejoicing-in-the-street dept.
daria42 writes "Ubuntu developers are finalizing preparations for the release of the next version — dubbed Feisty Fawn — of the popular Linux distribution in mid-April. Overnight, Ubuntu developer Tollef Fog Heen announced Ubuntu's main software repository had been frozen — with no changes allowed to the code — as developers got ready to issue a fifth major test version ("Herd 5") of the next version of Ubuntu."
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Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Drawing Near More

Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Drawing Near

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  • AWW damn!! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @08:42AM (#18180310)
    Fuck, I just spent $399 on Vista Ultimate!!!!

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I think you forgot to include the cost [microsoft.com] of Office 2007 Ultimate? - $679!

      You do know that Ubuntu comes standard with OpenOffice and all the other essential applications most Windows users miss out on (unless they pay extra)?

  • I'm using feisty since herd 1 (Score:5, Interesting)

    by vivaoporto ( 1064484 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @08:45AM (#18180344)
    And I can say is that Feisty is a big improvement over Edgy, both in hardware support and software "smoothness". It is a pity that Xorg 7.2 will not be ready for Feisty launch, but this is certainly a candidate to bring an alternative to Windows on the Desktop.

    • X.org 7.2 will (perhaps) be in feisty (Score:5, Informative)

      by MrvFD ( 711808 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @08:51AM (#18180410)
      Actually Xorg 7.2 is currently on its way to feisty, thanks to efforts by a community member, working together with Debian and helped by some Ubuntu core developers: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/200 7-February/023252.html [ubuntu.com]

      The xserver-xorg-core is already version at 7.2 (or "1.2") now, with the rest of the modules going in gradually. With the modularity of X.org nowadays, it's not certain that all the newest driver work will be in, though. For example the ati driver has seen only some important patches backported to feisty, while there has been a lot of development and reworking without a proper release of xserver-xorg-video-ati lately.

      • Re:X.org 7.2 will (perhaps) be in feisty (Score:4, Informative)

        by lavid ( 1020121 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:08AM (#18180562) Homepage
        I'm pretty sure the X.org 7.2 merge is pretty close to complete. It borked a bunch of stuff, beryl, compiz, 3d stuffs, when they only half merged it with the repos last week. From what I see right now all the X.org drivers (except fglrx, ATI's proprietary driver) are at 7.2 as are the xorg server bins. I'm sure there are some modules still to be upgraded especially since Compiz hasn't worked for me since last week. There are plenty of threads about this on http://www.ubuntuforums.org/ [ubuntuforums.org].

    • Why Xorg 7.2 is so important? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by pato101 ( 851725 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @08:56AM (#18180448) Journal
      Please would you point major features of Xorg 7.2 so it is a pity it does not get included? (not pretending to troll, I'm just ignorant).

      • Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)

        by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:07AM (#18180560)
        Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • Re:Why Xorg 7.2 is so important? (Score:5, Informative)

        by jeevesbond ( 1066726 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:15AM (#18180636) Homepage

        There are some details on the release page [freedesktop.org] on the Freedesktop wiki.

        From that page:

        X11R7.2 supports Linux, BSD, Solaris, Microsoft Windows and GNU Hurd systems. It incorporates significant stability and correctness fixes, including improved autoconfiguration heuristics, enhanced support for GL-based compositing managers such as Compiz and Beryl, and improved support for PCI systems with multiple domains. It also incorporates the new, more extensible XACE security policy framework.

        Release notes should be on the download page [x.org], they're marked 'forthcoming' at the moment, but wait a day or two and they should appear.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by ACS Solver ( 1068112 )
      Using since Herd3 here, and it is indeed a big improvement over Edgy. Edgy was, well, edgy for me. On the 64-bit version, many minor things, such as not having the boot splash, or CPU timing sometimes screwed up. Herd4, which was recently released, was quite surprisingly stable, although there remained issues with running 32-bit apps on the 64-bit version. Now, if only they had 1.2.3.1 in Feisty, saving me the need to compile & install it.
    • I know these posts are annoying, but since you brought it up...

      Can anybody speak to wireless support for PPC iBook laptops?

      What killed my Ubuntu experience the last time was that it:
      1) didn't support the wireless card in my iBook, and
      2) installing support for the wireless card required internet access... and I only have wireless access.

      Talk about Catch-22!

  • No changes allowed (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bob54321 ( 911744 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @08:50AM (#18180398)

    Ubuntu's main software repository had been frozen -- with no changes allowed to the code

    As opposed to freezes where you are allowed to change things...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by saboola ( 655522 )
      God forbid they explain what a code freeze is for people that might be new to all this.

      • Re:No changes allowed (Score:5, Insightful)

        by jeevesbond ( 1066726 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:48AM (#18180966) Homepage
        This might sound harsh, but they don't care whether you know what a code freeze is. In fact if you don't know what that is why are you reading Slashdot?!

        It's not like Microsoft, Canonical didn't create some press-release to tell everyone: 'We're freezing our codebase! Make sure all technical journals know!'

        This story got on to Slashdot because of geeks avidly following Ubuntu's development process, which--unlike Windows--is totally open. If you don't know what a code freeze is: don't worry, just wait for the release. The fact you don't know is not Canonical's fault or problem.

        If you do want to know: first imagine all the software projects Ubuntu uses (the Synaptic package manager on my system tells me I've currently got access to 20,304 bits of software, so much for the old: 'There isn't any software available for Linux' argument). When the devs start working on a release they use the newest versions of whatever software is available. As the new version of Ubuntu nears release though they have to be certain all the software will work together, so they do what's called a 'code freeze'.

        A code freeze means they don't use any newer versions of software that are made available. They just make sure that whatever is now in the software repositories works. The reason for this is to stop any unforseen incompatibilities creeping in when a new version of a software package is used.

        Here's a scenario:

        The devs are working on the new version of Ubuntu: Happy Hippo. A new version of Firefox (no pedants, I am aware of the policy regarding Firefox, this is just a common software package and something the reader will identify with. No corrections needed!) has been created since the last release, so they import it into the software repositories. Call it: Version 2.

        Before the code freeze a new version of Firefox is released (v2.1), with an autoPr0n feature many people love. This is imported into the new version of Ubuntu: Happy Hippo.

        The code freeze happens... But a new version of Firefox is released afterwards (v2.2), with an enhanced autoPr0n feature (many people are calling this the next 'killer app'). Unfortunately, this is after the code freeze, so the new version of Firefox does not get imported.

        Imagine if the devs didn't do the code freeze, and the new enhanced autoPr0n feature (in v2.2) caused a problem with The GIMP. But the devs had already checked Firefox, but not the latest version.

        So the code freeze is necessary, although you don't necessarily need to know about it. :)

    • Re:No changes allowed (Score:5, Funny)

      by plover ( 150551 ) * on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:29AM (#18180780) Homepage Journal
      Our standard joke regarding code freezes at work is "If this is a freeze, I wouldn't walk on it."

      But I suppose you have to be from a place where they do a lot of ice fishing before that joke makes any sense at all.

    • Saw this quote on /. a while back:

      "Feature freeze means that everyone has a bad feeling when they change something, almost nothing more." -- Stephan Kulow

  • Skip this one (Score:5, Funny)

    by pkspks ( 881839 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:06AM (#18180542)
    I'll wait for the "zombie zebra"

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by noamsml ( 868075 )
      Ubuntu 17.04?

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by xs650 ( 741277 )
      'I'll wait for the "zombie zebra"'

      Don't get your hopes up, I was waiting for Farty Ferret. Now it will be nearly 26 years before the Fs come back again.

  • Been using it for about a month... (Score:5, Informative)

    by physicsnick ( 1031656 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:09AM (#18180580)
    I've been beta-testing Kubuntu Feisty for about a month now, and it's amazing. It's already a huge improvement over Edgy. Everything is so intuitive and easy to use; Feisty is going to kick ass.

    Some of the new stuff they've added are a new wireless network manager by default, big improvements to the package installation system, easy codec/flash installation, lots of user interface tweaks... It looks so polished now, I love it.

    Here are the Herd release announcements, containing a subset of the changes Feisty brings:
    https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FeistyFawn/Herd1/Kubuntu [kubuntu.org]
    https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FeistyFawn/Herd2/Kubuntu [kubuntu.org]
    https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FeistyFawn/Herd3/Kubuntu [kubuntu.org]
    https://wiki.kubuntu.org/FeistyFawn/Herd4/Kubuntu [kubuntu.org]
  • Is it just me or does Feisty seem noticeably quicker than Edgy? OK, my Edgy was getting a little bloated which is one of the reasons I updated to Feisty, but is seems to boot a lot quicker and my Desktop seems to be up in seconds after logging in from GDM.
  • I simply can't remember what names equal what versions anymore. I guess for people that only deal with Ubuntu, that's all you know, so you remember the names. I had this problem with debian as well: which one was the newer distro, ham or potato? Whatever happened to plain old numbers?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ip_vjl ( 410654 )
      The release name is just a name. It will have a version number when it ships (as Ubuntu's version numbers are the release date).

      If you actually go to the Ubuntu site, you'll see they list the current version as "6.10" and not as "Edgy Eft".

      The release name allows them to have a name by which to refer to the release that is independent of the release date. That way if the release date had to slip, it wouldn't mean that you are no longer working on version Y.MM but instead Y.MM+1

    • Re:Whatever happened to version numbers? (Score:5, Informative)

      by Bazman ( 4849 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:44AM (#18180920) Journal
      Ubuntu version names are (now) alphabetical, so Dapper Drake preceded Edgy Eft, which precedes Feisty Fawn. The names are always Adjective Animal ('eft' is another name for a newt).

      There are also version numbers, so that Edgy Eft is 6.10 (meaning year 2006, month 10). The releases are supposed to be every six months in April and October.

      Barry

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by kent_eh ( 543303 )
      Once it's actually a released, official product, it'll be known by it's version number (it will be 7.04).

      At this time it's still a pre-release, still being tested product, and is known by it's "codename".


      I'm led to believe that this is pretty common practice in software development.

    • both debian and ubuntu have version numbers as well as the codenames.

      debians reason for using codenames was that they got burnt in the past by a CD vendor who shipped a development version of what was supposed to become 1.0 as debian 1.0. So they have gone for codenames during development and only marking a release with a version number at a very late stage.

      with ubuntu the versioning is release date based so they don't even know what the version number will be until they know if they will release on time.

  • Breaking news! (Score:5, Funny)

    by jotaeleemeese ( 303437 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:50AM (#18180990) Homepage Journal
    Feisy Fawn is even closer as I type!

    Tollef Fog Heen came back from lunch and just turned on his screen. Now that is progress.

    Oh man, we live excilarating times.

    Please check back for updates:

    In one hour Tollef Fog Heen will finish to write an email.

    In three hours Tollef Fog Heen will complete one icon missing in one of the menus in the graphic installer.

    In 5 hours Tollef Fog Heen goes home. Nooooooo! Ubuntu development stalled! Stop the presses....

  • Will Feisty Fawn be an LTS release? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ELiTeUI ( 591102 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @09:58AM (#18181080)
    Dapper Drake (6.06) was an LTS release. Edgy Eft (6.10) was not an LTS release. Does anyone know if Feisty Fawn will be LTS or not?

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by physicsnick ( 1031656 )
      It won't.

      The one after it might be. I've heard the release cycle as of Dapper was meant to be first an LTS release, then a release with radical new changes (ala Upstart), then a polished release-of-awesome, then back to LTS again. That's probably just speculation; take it with a large grain of salt.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by aok ( 5389 )
      Since the LTS for desktops are supported for 3 years (5 years for server), maybe they won't release another LTS till Dapper is almost 3 years old. Just my guess.

  • Feisty Fawn shpping - Debian slipping as usual (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Kjella ( 173770 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @10:10AM (#18181250) Homepage
    I actually thought Debian was closing in on a release quite soon when they slipped their December release goal. Well, it's now March tomorrow and they still haven't even gotten RC2 out the door. Yes, I can understand the "when it's ready" but if you run into so long delays that you could have an intermediate release, then it's better than no release at all. At this rate, Ubuntu might have their next LTS version out before Debian does...

  • Not sexy enough (Score:4, Funny)

    by ciaran.mchale ( 1018214 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @10:13AM (#18181280) Homepage
    Feisty Fawn is not sexy enough. I'm going to wait for the Nubile Nymph release.

  • Smoother update process? (Score:4, Informative)

    by Tarlus ( 1000874 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @10:34AM (#18181504)
    I hope the upgrade-via-apt-get process goes much more smoothly this time... I had a lot of troubles going to 6.10 last fall using this method, and I noticed a number of other people did, too. I ended up having to just download the ISO and install fresh because I messed up my existing installation beyond repair just by trying to update... Either way, it was worth it, since I love the improvements that Edgy introduced. It is by far the slickest distro I've used.

    One thing to keep in mind is that if you upgrade to Feisty Fawn by just updating your list of apt repositories, do NOT do a dist-upgrade to their apt servers on release day since thousands of other people will be doing it at the same time. The load will slow it down just about to the point of timing out (at least in my experience). If you want to upgrade to it on release day, I'd recommend using bittorrent to get the ISO (faster this way) and then doing an apt-get dist-upgrade with that CD-ROM as a new apt repository.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by radarsat1 ( 786772 )

      If you want to upgrade to it on release day, I'd recommend using bittorrent to get the ISO (faster this way) and then doing an apt-get dist-upgrade with that CD-ROM as a new apt repository.

      Actually I really wish they'd incorporate bittorrent into Apt. That would be pretty cool. (Have it fail to an http server of course if bittorrent doesn't work or is too slow)

      I looked this up before and found there is at least one [fsf.org] project trying to do it [launchpad.net].

      I think bittorrent could be improved if it allowed a simple http s

      • Re:Smoother update process? (Score:5, Informative)

        by Quila ( 201335 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @11:49AM (#18182538)

        that way you could just use the bittorrent protocol and it would download from the http server if there were no seeders.

        Or have a server that's always seeding instead of an http server. Anyone who wants a file to be always available should have this anyway.
    • I upgraded to feisty herd 4 using apt-get dist-upgrade, and it was smoother than any of my previous upgrade attempts. It helps that they are building on the major changes they made last year, rather than changing everything all over again.

      I agree that the fastest way to do an upgrade is to download the "alternate CD" ISO, burn it, and install the packages from that. Note that you need the alternate CD ISO, *not* the regular desktop ISO!

  • Actually, I'm not too excited. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by DoofusOfDeath ( 636671 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @10:39AM (#18181586)
    I find myself at a funny point now. Ubuntu is certainly my distro of choice, and its the only OS I really use. But now that it works well enough for me to focus on my work rather than having to wrestle with the OS, I don't really care that much about one upgrade to the next.

    I've did install Feisty Herd 4 (+ update) on my HP laptop to see if they fixed the ACPI issues that have always plagued me. (Won't suspend or hibernate when I close the lid.) No real improvement there (although if I manually make it suspend, it does act a little more normal after waking up than it does with Edgy.) But without that improvement, I just find myself kind of, I dunno... content with Edgy. It's a nice but slightly disappointing place to be.

  • Must be said (Score:5, Funny)

    by Necreia ( 954727 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @11:17AM (#18182148)
    "Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Drawing Near"

    > Command? (A)ttack (S)pell (I)tem (R)un:
  • VMWare tools will catch up so I can upgrade. At the moment they don't support anything later than 5.10 out of the box, and I'm not going to cobble together a working version from "how to" posts on the forum.

  • Colour me crazy... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by B5_geek ( 638928 ) on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @02:23PM (#18184686)
    I have been running *Ubuntu since the Warty days (as my only workstation OS), and I do love it.

    I use KDE on the backend with fluxbox as my WM.

    Will Feisty allow me to install Beryl/Compiz via apt and give my eye-candy for flux?

    (A) I LOVE with speed and configurability of Flux.
    (B) I am envious of all the neeto window-manager effects that compiz allows
    (C) I am not willing to run Gnome or KDE as my WM in-order to get the eyecandy.

    Am I crazy-insane or insane-crazy?
    • (1) the splash to stay 'Ubuntu' even though I use Kubuntu' - why can't I choose?
      (2) a decent server. I tried Fedora but found the interface inconsistent (maybe I should have read more docs), OpenSuSE does the job with Yast but to get cups to server printing to a couple of Windows boxes is a pain but it's so far the quickest to setup re. serving Samba, Apache, MySQL for people like me that have not so much time to plough through man pages and docs (though I'm not exactly a stranger to CLI - I've been using

  • Oblg. Xkcd... (Score:4, Funny)

    by RyuuzakiTetsuya ( 195424 ) <taikiNO@SPAMcox.net> on Wednesday February 28, 2007 @03:16PM (#18185378)
    "I'm sorry, I'm not really into Pokemon."

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