Canonical Launches Ubuntu 13.04, Dev Preview SDK
Canonical launched Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" on Thursday, the latest version of its popular Linux-based operating system for the desktop. It's a prelude to Ubuntu's release on a wide range of mobile form factors, the company said, bringing to the plate a number of performance and quality improvements.
According to the company, Ubuntu 13.04 is the fastest and visually most polished release to date thanks to a focus on performance for lightweight systems. That means significantly faster response times in casual use, and a reduced memory footprint that benefits all users.
"This release also illustrates Ubuntu’s ongoing commitment to quality and dependability," said Canonical CEO Jane Silber. "Our kaizen approach to development as well as community engagement result in a high quality alternative for people worldwide. This release, our 17th on a regular cadence, meets the needs of enterprises, organizations, governments and communities looking for a secure and intuitive computing experience."
ZDNet's review reports that 13.04 has a more finely tuned and polished Unity shell, and incremental improvements in the Linux kernel and the major preinstalled apps. However there are no new features, and a few have actually been removed including the ability to install the GNOME classic shell, and the Windows-based Ubuntu Installer (WUBI).
The Register points out that a number of promised features for this release has been pushed back to 13.10 including Smart Scopes and the "fine-grained" improvements to Ubuntu's privacy settings. The Ubuntu One Music Store has also been removed from Rhythmbox in favor of a web-based store that is linked to a shortcut on the sidebar.
Also included in Thursday's launch is Canonical's next generation display server, MIR, for developer testing and contribution. It will enable the seamless convergence of Ubuntu across phone, tablet and PCs in the next set of releases. The Developer Preview SDK will also be provided so that developers can get started on building native apps for Ubuntu-based devices.
"Using this SDK, developers can make a single application for all Ubuntu form factors and publish it in the Ubuntu Software Centre with a single upload," the company said. "Developers have already started to create applications for Ubuntu across different devices."
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To download Ubuntu 13.04, head here. Ubuntu Touch Preview can be downloaded from here.
Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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house70 Really? Removed GNOME? WTF? Why?Reply
Plenty of people can't stand Unity (myself included). Anyone knows of a good/valid reason why this OPTION was removed? -
steamroller16 Reply
Crazy right? I think I'm going to try ubuntu-gnome and see how that works.10717711 said:Really? Removed GNOME? WTF? Why?
Plenty of people can't stand Unity (myself included). Anyone knows of a good/valid reason why this OPTION was removed?
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NeeKo Does it still give search results to amazon and places Ads when you search? No thanks, I'll stick to my ArchReply -
anononon Rather than focusing on the look of the OS, like or Hate Unity.... What id like to see ubuntu do is create a better/simpler crossover method from those looking to escape MS and iOS.Reply
I use ubuntu everyday, and I do love it, but driver support is hit or miss. Yes, most of it can fixed, but usually only under the hands of someone who knows how to use terminal, and the inner workings... NOT EVER going to happen with a basic "home user"
How many times have you changed one thing in linux to literally break another part of it? -
joecole1572 Reply10717640 said:Why again does Windows cost money when a more secure more advanced OS is free?
Well, this will not be the case for much longer. Instead of charging you for the OS, canonical wants to integrate ads directly to your dashbar. I would rather pay for an OS and not get tracked (for ad purposes) than to have all of my habits sold to ruthless advertisers.
I really hope that other linux distros don't follow this model. It seem to go against the FOSS philosophy.
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anononon Reply10718022 said:10717640 said:Why again does Windows cost money when a more secure more advanced OS is free?
Well, this will not be the case for much longer. Instead of charging you for the OS, canonical wants to integrate ads directly to your dashbar. I would rather pay for an OS and not get tracked (for ad purposes) than to have all of my habits sold to ruthless advertisers.
I really hope that other linux distros don't follow this model. It seem to go against the FOSS philosophy.
I agree to a whole here- If it came down to it, id MUCH rather pay for an OS to maintain privacy than deal with targeted advertising, and other data collection.
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anonymous_user Reply
AFAIK, gnome-shell is still in the repos from raring. I don't see why you can't install it:10717711 said:Really? Removed GNOME? WTF? Why?
Plenty of people can't stand Unity (myself included). Anyone knows of a good/valid reason why this OPTION was removed?
http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=gnome-shell
Also there is always the new Ubuntu GNOME:
http://ubuntugnome.org/download/