Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) launched yesterday. Ubuntu is a linux distribution with a focus on desktop systems and usability. It issues major releases at pre-scheduled six monthly intervals.
I installed the previous version of Ubuntu (7.04) on one of my laptops recently and was very impressed with its performance and stability.
The update from 7.04 to 7.10 was completely painless – it was a one button click in the Update Manager!
The new version has lots of tweaks and newer versions of applications but it also has eye candy visual effects built-in (System -> Preferences -> Appearance -> Visual Effects:
http://www.youtube.com/v/iUg19CckiyI
I have had one problem with 7.10 so far and that is that it won’t remember my DNS settings. I’m not sure why that is or if it is only me. I normally use OpenDNS for my DNS – it is annoying to go back to Eircom’s significantly slower DNS servers after using OpenDNS servers for so long now.
The updated packages are downloading here as I type. Looking forward to the new release, although I don’t think my crappy onboard video card will handle the eye candy very well!
I’m encountering all kinds of problems. I can’t get adept to pick up the dist-upgrade. And I get a blank screen on the Release Candidate CD.
Your DHCP client re-gets network settings periodically.
I have a copy of /etc/resolv.conf called /etc/resolv.conf.opendns, which I copy over when I remember (Digiweb Metro’s DNS servers suck less than Eircom’s).
You could add that ‘cp’ command to cron (`crontab -e` to edit your own crontab), or take the computer’s network settings out of ‘Roaming Mode’ and set everything manually.
Or, get into the admin interface for your home router and get it to send the OpenDNS nameservers to its DHCP clients instead of whatever it’s doing now.
John, thanks for the suggestions.
I had tried to re-set the router but it is a Netopia and, of course, the DNS part of the DHCP service is not editable!
I may have to take it out of Roaming Mode which is annoying considering it is a laptop!
I’m not sure why this has started happenning. It wasn’t how 7.04 worked 🙁
Thanks Tom trying to upload this cool ‘eye candy’ , you should take a look at Vazumo.com , a new Irish directory with some really cool features to a better than your golden pages. keep up the blogging
Tom, thanks for the posting on 7.10. I am currently thinking of getting a new laptop for my work and would like to convince the IT people there that Ubuntu can do the job that Win2000 Pro does.