Ubuntu received a major update today. The developers behind the popular Linux distribution released version 11.10, codenamed Oneiric Ocelot. The update brings a wide range of improvements, including some much-needed enhancements to Ubuntu's Unity shell.

New Ubuntu releases are issued every six months in conformance with the distribution's time-based development cycle. The agenda for version 11.10 was announced back in March, shortly before the release of version 11.04. Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth chose the codename Oneiric Ocelot to reflect the 11.10 cycle's dual emphasis on daydreams and discipline.

The 11.04 release was a major milestone because it introduced some radical changes to the Ubuntu desktop experience. As we wrote in our review, Unity exhibited enormous potential but fell short of expectations due to some weak areas. During the past six months, the developers have been working hard to close key gaps in the shell implementation.

As a result of their efforts, the Unity environment feels more robust in Ubuntu 11.10. The solid support for a work-alike 2D fallback for the shell is a particularly big step forward, ensuring that users can still get the Unity experience even if their graphics hardware doesn't support compositing.

The Unity dash is a bit cleaner in 11.10 and gained a new panel for music search and playback that is designed to integrate with the Banshee audio player. The menus in the top right-hand corner of the screen have been streamlined and reorganized so that they are easier to navigate.

Although Unity has come a long way, there are still some areas where mediocre design compromises Unity's intended usability advantages. The eccentric application launcher, for example, is still a sore spot in an otherwise elegant desktop.

Under the hood

Aside from Unity-related developments, there are a lot of other compelling changes in Ubuntu 11.10.

Mozilla's Thunderbird mail client has replaced Evolution as Ubuntu's default e-mail application. The GNOME login manager used in previous versions of Ubuntu has been replaced in 11.10 with the more flexible LightDM, skinned with a distinctive Unity-like style. The Gwibber social networking client got a major front-end overhaul that improves performance and brings a more native look and feel. Typography got another nice boost in the new version with the addition of an official Ubuntu monotype.

Under the hood, Ubuntu 11.10 uses version 3.0 of the Linux kernel and many components from GNOME 3.2. The legacy GNOME desktop environment, which was available as an alternate login session in 11.04, is no longer part of the default Ubuntu installation in 11.10 (but users who want it can still get it from the repositories).

Alongside the 11.10 development cycle, Canonical built a new Ubuntu developer website that provides technical reference material for third-party application developers. Although the developer documentation effort is still ramping up, the site is already stocked with some useful resources for programmers who are interested in building software that integrates with Ubuntu. The site discusses packaging conventions, development tools, Ubuntu APIs, and application deployment.

The ability to sell programs to Ubuntu users through the Ubuntu Software Center could make the platform a more appealing target for commercial software developers than it has been historically. The new developer site offers a useful starting point to educate developers about how they can take advantage of the opportunity that Ubuntu presents for growing their audience.

Now that Ubuntu 11.10 is ready for consumption, the developers will shift their focus to the next major version: Ubuntu 12.04, which is scheduled for release in April. Earlier this month, Shuttleworth announced that the codename for 12.04 will be Precise Pangolin. Ubuntu 12.04 is a long-term support release, which means that it will be supported with updates for five years on servers and three years on desktops.

The pangolin is a kind of scaly anteater with considerable defensive capabilities—they can curl up into a spiny ball and emit a foul-smelling odor when threatened. In the naming announcement, Shuttleworth joked that pangolins have been known to survive encounters with lions—a reference to the latest version of Apple's Mac OS X operating system, which is codenamed Lion. Much like its namesake, Precise Pangolin is intended to be a highly robust release as the development cycle will focus on stabilization. It is a good name, but doesn't quite inspire the same awe and technical confidence as "Beefy Miracle," the majestic codename of Fedora 17.

Users can download the new version of Ubuntu today from the project's website. For additional details, you can refer to the launch announcement and official release notes. Stay tuned for our in-depth review, which will stalk out of the forest soon.