Ubuntu 9.10, codenamed Karmic Koala, is the next major release of the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution. Karmic is scheduled to be released in October, but developers and testers can get an early look by getting the alpha 5 release, which will be available for download next week. Feature freeze and first look at new graphics will mark this version.
The roadmap for Ubuntu 9.10 was announced back in February. CEO Mark Shuttleworth of Canonical explained that some of the main features will include extensive support for cloud computing and further netbook compatibility improvements. During the recent Ubuntu Developer Summit in Barcelona, developers also discussed some other experimental features that are tentatively planned for the Karmic release.
These include support for Android applications, integration of social networking software, improved development tools, next version of Firefox 3.5, and many usability enhancements. Ubuntu also began taking major steps towards reducing boot time since 9.04, so that the developers’ ambitious ten-second startup goal can be achieved in the future version 10.04.
There are several major changes under the hood that users can expect to in Karmic Koala. Ext4 as the standard Linux filesystem, introduced
in 9.04, and now is the default for new installations. This is a step forward from Ubuntu 9.04, which only made Ext4 available as an option.
Boot management is another major component that will be included in the next generation in Karmic. The alpha 5 release ships with GRUB 2, the next-generation of GNU’s GRUB bootloader. It has been rewritten from ground up to deliver significantly greater flexibility and important features like localization support.
Keep in mind that Grub 2 is still in development, especially when it comes to exotic hardware. Ubuntu developers are looking for help from the community to test the new version on a wide range of hardware configurations. Testing instructions and a growing list of results can be found at the Ubuntu wiki.
If you want to test alpha 5 yourself, wait for Sept, 3rd or you can download alpha 4 from the Ubuntu website right now.