Ubuntu 7.10 Desktop Edition released

Ubuntu 7.10 Adds Enhanced User Interface, Integrated Desktop Search, Plug and Play Printing

Canonical Ltd. today announced the upcoming availability of Ubuntu 7.10 Desktop Edition, further improving the desktop Linux experience. Ubuntu 7.10 will be available for free download on Thursday 18 October. Canonical is the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is the award-winning Linux distribution for the desktop, laptop and server which delivers the best of open source software every 6 months. Ubuntu 7.10 Desktop Edition includes advanced plug and play printing, enhanced browsing and the option of a smooth new user interface built on top of the latest enhancements to GNOME.

“At its core, Ubuntu is a free platform for delivering open source software, certified and guaranteed to work, and with each release we strive to enhance the experience of our strong and growing user base of over 6 million people,” said Jane Silber, Chief Operating Officer, Canonical UK. “7.10 improves still further the user experience of a Linux operating system – it is now more fun to use with the option of 3D desktop effects and more productive, with major improvements in external and additional monitor support. The desktop search tool gives significant productivity gains, improved printer functionality and wider wireless card support will make it appropriate for the new users that discover Ubuntu every day.”

“While Linux on the desktop has met basic usability requirements for some time, recent advancements in everything from driver support to the user interface make it more viable by the day,” said Stephen O'Grady, Principal Analyst at RedMonk. “By packaging these innovations and making them available in a single, easy to install distribution, Ubuntu is pushing hard to make Linux a more attractive option for ever wider audiences.”

Highlighted Features of Ubuntu 7.10 Desktop Edition

The latest version of Ubuntu includes the following new features:

• Hardware management improvements – improved plug-and-play configuration for printers, as well as automatic firmware installation for Broadcom cards
• Improved support for display systems – For laptop users, full support external VGA (projector) support is available out-of-the-box with easy reconfiguration when hardware is switched. For power users this release includes the ability to manage multiple monitors
• Windows compatibility – Users with a dual partition can read from and and write to files that are on located in a Windows partition (including NTFS)
• Enhanced user interface – Simple 3D screen effects and graphics enhance the user experience
• Desktop search – gives users the ability to search their entire desktop, whether for files, folders, chat logs or photos. This capability includes the deskbar applet, a central location on users' desktops for all local and web search operations
• Firefox plugins – automatic installation of popular Firefox plugins validated by Ubuntu for a richer, safer web-browsing experience

Ubuntu Fully Supported

Used by businesses, home users, schools and governments around the world, upgrades to new releases will always be free of charge. Ubuntu 7.10 will be maintained for 18 months on both the desktop and on the server, and additional free support is available from the thriving Ubuntu community. For deployments which require additional service guarantees, full telephone and online support is commercially available from the professional support team at Canonical Ltd. and service partners.

About Canonical

Canonical is the commercial sponsor of the Ubuntu project and the leading provider of support services for Ubuntu deployments in the enterprise.

Ubuntu is a free, open-source platform for client, server and cloud computing. Since its launch in 2004, it has become a natural choice for users of all kinds, from Fortune 500 companies to hardware makers, content providers, software developers and individual technologists.

With developers, support staff and engineering centres all over the world, Canonical is uniquely positioned to help its partners and enterprise customers make the most of Ubuntu. Canonical is a privately held company.