Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex Alpha 1 Released

The first alpha release of the forthcoming Ubuntu 8.10, also called Intrepid Ibex, is out. This is still a very early release so is not recommended for general use.

The Ubuntu development team sent the following email:

“Welcome to Intrepid Ibex Alpha-1, which will in time become Ubuntu 8.10.

Pre-releases of Intrepid are *not* encouraged for anyone needing a stable system or anyone who is not comfortable running into occasional, even frequent breakage. They are, however, recommended for Ubuntu developers and those who want to help in testing, reporting, and fixing bugs.”

Intrepid Alpha-1 can be downloaded from: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/intrepid/alpha-1/ (Ubuntu)

There aren't much planned new features for Ubuntu 8.10, however there are some interesting plans relate to Canonical's strategy for bringing Ubuntu to subnotebook portable computers and mobile Internet devices.

The network configuration in this version is handled by NetworkManager, wich offers simple point-and-click support for connecting to WiFi access point. The new version of NetworkManager also adds basic support for 3G networking. I hope that this new version solves the problems that most people have when installing a mobile Internet device.

A improved boot performance is another high priority for the next release of Ubuntu. There are also new features and application upgrades, a improved KDE integration for Firefox and OpenOffice.org 3. Another big change that is going on right now is a visual overhaul, wich will bring a new look to Ubuntu. I really don't like the theme, it uses dark color with bright orange highlight, but is just a start, this effort is still early in development and will likely undergo a lot of changes before it is finished.

The next release is programmed for 10th of Jully, stay tuned, in the meantime take a look at some screenshots from Intrepid Ibex: