Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu operating system, released a new version of the popular open source operating system last week.
This latest version, named ‘Natty Narwhal’, comes with some changes including a move from OpenOffice.org to LibreOffice as the default office suite and a new desktop environment called Unity which, until now, was only used on the Netbook edition. The Ubuntu netbook edition itself has been merged with the desktop edition.
Normally, to get the latest Ubuntu locally, you would just download it from the Yo!Africa repository, but we’re seeing the local Ubuntu website is down, so maybe initiating download from Ubuntu.com and letting it choose the closest mirror will do.
The Zimbabwe Ubuntu LoCo team organizes release parties each time a new version comes out, but seeing the local Ubuntu website is down, we’re not sure if any party announcement has been sent out this year. We’ll check with them and update if there’s anything.
Parties aside, highly usable (as in point and click the Windows way we’re all used to) open source operating systems like Ubuntu remain the hope for computer users in countries like Zimbabwe, where ordinary people are not likely to fork out to buy the commercial (but ubiquitous) Microsoft Windows. It’s a known fact, software piracy especially that of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office is rampant in Zimbabwe.
The next Ubuntu version is scheduled for release later this year in October.
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Hi All,
http://www.ubuntu.org.zw has been suffering from server load issues the last few days, however, we have fixed the problem early this morning.
The site has been updated with the latest release ISO images, as well as a package repository. more information can be found here:
http://www.ubuntu.org.zw/node/5
An ubuntu release party is on schedule for this coming weekend (7th may) and will be announced on the Ubuntu-zw mailing list shortly.
If you would like to join the mailing list, where you can ask questions about ubuntu, and well as be apart of a small zimbabwean ubuntu community, please visit:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-zw
Thanks a mil Thaker!
its unfortunate that l wont be able to test this new baby on a live machine since lm still enjoying the 10.04 LTS Server edition, it just work and hard to break. l will try it on VMware though.
lm not sure though if l like the move from gnome and start mimicking Apple. l will keep my Mint iso near since they have announced that they are not changing from gnome.
KDE ftw!
I’m curious to try out the new environment and hoping it’s the thing that wins me over.
And judging by the way hard core Ubuntu geeks are so not loving it, it might just be the thing for us mere mortals…
To be honest, KDE plasma can be a bit complicated to use in the beginning, but once you get used to it, there is no other GUI on any OS that is as customisable and flexible. I’ve been using KDE for the last 6 years, and it is definitely awesome! if you know how to use it..that is.
The new unity interface for ubuntu is an alternative to the standard GNOME GUI, however, i find its mostly aimed for netbooks.. however, it does make navigating on a desktop/laptop a bit more easier and friendly.
Give it a try, i dont think you have anything to lose really….Either you’ll like it, or you wont.
l agree, if you want a GUI that looks good on your and rival Micro$haft and Apple, KDE is the way to go
KDE is not my thing especially the v4. Ubuntu is making some curious changes which l hope will work well in the future. For now l will keep my OS as it is.
I think you guys should really give natty a try, after all the criticism that Ubuntu natty received I managed to get the iso and it’s what my machine is running on now. The environment is really flexible and one can easily adopt to the new change and not forgetting you can go back to the gnome desktop environment if you like. It connect to evdo modems with much ease than the previous versions and I’m yet to try the mint release though
I think you guys should really give natty a try, after all the criticism that Ubuntu natty received I managed to get the iso and it’s what my machine is running on now. The environment is really flexible and one can easily adopt to the new change and not forgetting you can go back to the gnome desktop environment if you like. It connect to evdo modems with much ease than the previous versions and I’m yet to try the mint release though
mint is a very good alternative to ubuntu….its much more easier to use and a fairly more complete distro (AV codecs, media players, plugins, dvd player) than ubuntu for an average windows user.
however, it is based on ubuntu code…..so think of it as a more polished release of ubuntu.
I agree!
I have just switched back to Ubuntu Classic from Unity as Unity’s navigation is quite lousy. Unity’s real advantage is squeezing out more desktop real estate for the user than anything else. If you have a couple of applications running switching between them now takes 1-3 additional mouse clicks than before. That’s no improvement at all! And the slide-in-slide-out menu bar running along the left side is not that responsive. At times it appears suddenly when you hover your mouse along that edge, and at other times it simply doesn’t. Not good at all! This was poorly thought out and not the user-friendly navigation you want to win over more users from other established operating systems.
Linux Mint comes out in a month or so let’s see what goodies it comes out with. Simpler navigation I hope.
Linux Mint said they are sticking with gnome
I’ve never seen my computer freeze on what you’re saying James, not even once. If you really know your keyboard well navigation in unity is as fast as can be. try using Alt+Tab and see if will work for you, just a though I know you probably know this. If you hover your mouse over the top left corner the slide-in bar should definetly come out just like it’s suppose to do if you move the mouse anywer along the extreme left of the screen.
Having a new release after every six months is cool, but at times I feel 6 months is just to little a time for people to get to appreciate the current release. It happened with me with 10.04 which in my opinion is so great, then 6 months later came 10.10 which was even greater and I am so much in love with it I use it to convert those who use windows. However I was saddened when 11.04 came, infact I was saddened when news came out that they were dropping gnome. Yes Unity is cool but for new converts gnome UI was great in between.
As for me I am sticking with 10.10 for now
Just to mention that there is an Ubuntu Freedom Toaster at Strachans. Not sure how up to date it is with latest versions.