Moments ago on the Ubuntu homepage, the latest version of the world's most popular Linux distribution became available for download.
Ubuntu version 9.10 is last interim release before the next and third LTS (Long Term Support) edition. Along with the usual Server and Desktop editions, and the more recent Ubuntu Netbook Remix, Canonical has added Ubuntu Moblin Remix to their lineup. The alternate installation CD as well as both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are still available.
New to the stable of installation choices are Marvell Dove, Freescale i.MX51, Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud, and Amazon EC2 images. All Ubuntu forks such as Kubuntu and Xubuntu have also been updated to 9.10, the former adding Kubuntu Netbook Remix to the usual Desktop Edition offering.
Ubuntu 9.10 brings with it several complete changes to previous defaults: ext4 has replaced ext3 as the default file-system, empathy replaces Pidgin as the instant messaging client, and the Palimpsest Disk Utility has replaced GParted as the partition manager. There's no shortage of updates to 9.10 either: the GRUB boot loader has been updated to version 2, Firefox is now at version 3.5, and GNOME has been updated to version 2.28.
The latest Linux kernel, version 2.6.31, is also shipping with the new Ubuntu. Newly integrated into the OS is Ubuntu One, an online backup and syncing service. The 'Add/Remove Applications' tool has been ditched for the iTunes App Store-like 'Ubuntu Software Center'. Almost every facet of the theming has also gotten a complete overhaul.
Take a look at their changelog and marketing page for a more detailed listing of the changes and features in 9.10, or better yet download it yourself. You can run it as a live CD, install it in a virtual machine, or use the Wubi installer to check it out without committing any changes to your current partitions.
We here at Tom's Hardware have been keeping tabs on both the beta and the release candidate and like the progress we've observed, but have so far withheld final judgment. After we've had a few days to play around with the final product, we'll bring you a full review, so stay tuned. In the meantime, tell us what you think in the comments below. You can also find help, or simply help others in the Ubuntu 9.10 thread right here on the Tom's Hardware Forums.
