Ubuntu 7.04
The latest version of Ubuntu linux has the version number 7.04 (Ubuntu releases are numbered as year.month) and the beta is available for download as an iso. This is ‘plain’ Ubuntu, the Kubuntu and Xubuntu variants are not available as yet. The 7.04 release includes OpenOffice 2.2 and Firefox version 2. The nickname is Fiesty Fawn for heavens sake! Who thinks these things up?
The ‘live’ CD booted fine on my recycled Netvista 6790 P4 with a Vanta 16 Mb video card. Hardware was recognised, desktop software worked as far as I can test, and Ubuntu 7.04 recognised my iPod shuffle and a USB stick with no problems. I use a USB modem to connect to Orange broadband so I could not install the modem drivers on the live CD to test out connecting to the internet.
The ‘desktop effects’ option (which loads a graphics enhanced desktop with ‘bling’ effects such as twisting windows and desktops as faces of a cube) did not work as might be expected on the old Vanta 16 Mb video card. Bling isn’t a biggy for me, OpenOffice 2.2 is of interest and I can see myself upgrading when Xubuntu 7.04 comes out.
The ‘samples’ folder on the desktop comes with a couple of minutes of Nelson Mandela explaining the word ‘ubuntu’. The video is in ogg theora format and played fine both at normal size and full screen on my computer (some have had difficulties). Quite a different advertising pitch compared with the commercial providers! The video is also a reminder that Ubuntu linux is based in South Africa.
