Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron - there is something to wait

After some three months, we are waiting for a new release of Ubuntu - Hardy Heron (hardy heron). This release is categorized as Long Term Support, which means guaranteed release of security updates for 3 years for the desktop version and 5 for the server version. There is already a third alpha-version of Ubuntu 8.04 , but it is, of course, not recommended for anyone to switch to it, except for desperate enthusiasts and testers.

The release schedule of more suitable versions for simple users is as follows:

• 03/27/2008 - beta version 8.04;
• 04/17/2008 - release candidate 8.04;
• 04.24.2008 - the final release of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS.

Of course, the new release will include updated versions of the main applications, and many known errors, on the contrary, will disappear. But besides this, the developers promise a lot of new .

For example:

• Graphical utilities will appear for simplified management of Samba users and file sharing (not only using the smb protocol, but also possibly using other popular ones like http or ftp);
• The distribution kit will include applications and technologies for synchronizing the system with mobile devices (you can immediately say that you should not count on the full support of all PDAs with Windows Mobile);
• Tools will appear to tune X to work with multiple monitors at once; The scan rates for CRT monitors will be automatically detected;
• Rarely used components of OpenOffice will disappear from the distribution in order to free up space on the installation CD. Of course, the components can be easily added if they become necessary;
• The About This Computer applet will appear, with which you can get basic information about the hardware and software configuration of the computer;
• The Network Manager will have the tools to easily set up Dial-Up and ADSL connections (the VPN has been ignored again);
• There will be tools to speed up the loading and access to frequently used files, based on proactive optimization;
• During the installation process, the system will not try to get the latest updates for a long time if the network is down;
• It will be possible to install applications in one click, something like this happens for extensions of the popular Firefox browser;
• Funds will be added to organize sharing of the LiveCD, up to the possibility of installing the system over the network;
• Connection of third-party repositories will be simplified;
• A handy tool will appear to integrate a computer running Ubuntu into a Windows network domain;
• Mobile computer users expect special utilities and extensions (such as improved power management);
• Convenient tools for file system encryption will appear;
• A new exclusive theme will be created for the new version of the distribution;
• A graphical utility will appear to rename and format disk partitions.