Ubuntu spreads its wings

Ubuntu 8.04, codenamed Hardy Heron, spread its wings and flew out of the nest last month. This is the second Ubuntu release to offer long-term support, which means that critical updates will be available on the desktop for three years and on the server for five years. The extended lifespan makes this release an important one for Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, because it is a key part of the company's strategy to bring its Linux distribution into enterprise environments.

We tested Ubuntu 8.04 extensively on the desktop throughout the entire development cycle and watched the functionality evolve in the various alpha and beta releases (1, 2, 4, 5, 6). The final release is an incremental improvement over Ubuntu 7.10, with lots of added polish and some significant new features.

Although Ubuntu 8.04 has a lot to offer, there are some flaws that significantly detract from the quality of the user experience. After spending some time living with Hardy Heron, we have plenty of thoughts to share with you.

Installing Ubuntu 8.04



The Ubuntu installer runs from a complete Ubuntu Linux environment that boots from a CD and includes an assortment of useful applications and utilities, including a web browser, instant messaging program, and office suite. The installer, which has changed little since the 7.10 release, walks the user through the partitioning process and several other configuration tasks before installation.

The LiveCD environment seems to provide slightly better hardware detection in this release than it did in the previous version. For instance, it properly configured my network hardware so that I could surf the web without having to manually specify which ethernet device to use. Display detection is also slightly better in 8.04, but still works poorly on systems with multiple monitors.

Ubuntu 8.04 is the first version to include Wubi, a new installation system that allows Windows and Ubuntu to share a partition. The Wubi installer runs from within Windows and installs Ubuntu into a folder on the Windows filesystem. It sets up a boot menu so that users can choose which operating system to run when the computer starts. Wubi users can uninstall Ubuntu with the Add/Remove Programs utility in Windows.

Wubi eliminates the challenges typically associated with partitioning and makes it possible for prospective users to try Ubuntu without any risks. It makes the entire Ubuntu installation process just as easy as installing a regular Windows program. Wubi is a big game-changer because it facilitates a commitment-free approach that could make the transition to Linux a lot more palatable for many users.

The Wubi installer is included in the regular Ubuntu LiveCD image, so you can do Wubi installations and full Ubuntu installations from the same media. Users can also download just the Wubi installer and use it without having to burn a CD at all. It is now compatible with several versions of Windows, including 98, 2000, XP, and Vista. We have tested it extensively on Windows XP.

Although there are many advantages to using Wubi for dual-boot environments, there are still some trade-offs that make a regular installation more desirable for long-term use. The Wubi approach incurs a slight performance penalty and does not yet support suspend and hibernate features.