Ubuntu 10.10 Readied For Weekend Release

Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu project, is readying the updates to both its desktop and server editions this weekend.

On Sunday it will release Ubuntu 10.10 Server Edition (codenamed Maverick Meerkat) for download. The upgrade is designed to make the server edition easier to configure and develop cloud deployments.

At the moment, Ubuntu Server is one of the most popular operating systems on Amazon EC2, and the 10.10 upgrade will include kernel upgrades, more configuration options at boot time, and the ability to run the AMI (Amazon Machine Image) off-line on a KVM-virtualised machine. This last option will allow users to both test and develop on local servers, before pushing to the public cloud.

Ubuntu 10.10 Server Edition

“With Ubuntu 10.10 Server Edition we continue to make Ubuntu the default open-source choice for cloud computing,” said Neil Levine, VP of Corporate Services at Canonical. “We are adding features and functions that extend our lead in the public cloud and bridge the gap to hybrid and local computing environments. The infrastructure layer is the enabler of cloud computing and Ubuntu 10.10 is leading the way to put open source at the heart of those efforts.”

Ubuntu 10.10 extends ‘CloudInit’, a configuration tool that allows users of Ubuntu on the cloud to set a default location, along with setting the host name, generating and setting up SSH private keys and mount points. Users can run custom commands and scripts on initial startup or on each reboot.

There are also a few other additions in Ubuntu 10.10. These include Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC), which adds virtio support, a new interface for administrators, eased deployment for developers and the ability to run UEC from a USB stick. Eucalyptus 2.0, the latest version of the core cloud technology in UEC, has also been included.

“GlusterFS and Ceph have been integrated into the core product and the groundwork has been laid for many cloud-focused enterprise-scale applications to be introduced over the life cycle of Ubuntu 10.10 and the current LTS version (10.04) of Ubuntu Server,” said the company.

Canonical is also hoping to attract new users and, from Sunday, interested parties can try out Ubuntu 10.10 Server Edition on Amazon EC2 for free, for one hour.

Desktop and Netbook

But Canonical is also looking beyond the server with the upcoming availability of Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop and Netbook Editions, both of which will also be available for download on 10th October.

These editions are aimed at home and mobile computing users.

The Ubuntu Desktop Edition comes with a number of upgrades, but is mostly focused on the personal cloud. Meanwhile users of the Ubuntu Netbook Edition will experience an all-new desktop interface called ‘Unity’ – specifically tuned for smaller screens and computing on the move.

“Ubuntu 10.10 for desktops and netbooks is our most consumer-friendly release yet,” said Jane Silber, CEO of Canonical. “Ubuntu One’s personal cloud services will put Ubuntu at the heart of many users’ computing worlds even when they need or prefer to use other platforms. Unity has the opportunity to change how we think about our use of computers and the Software Centre will bridge Ubuntu with the applications users need to switch to the world’s best OS.”