(2009.09.30)
-DOWNLOAD-
DriverMax 5.31
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Recuva 1.31.437
(2009.09.30)
Changes in 1.31.437
- Added email recovery to Wizard.
- Improvements to Thunderbird email recovery.
- Improved handling of very large exFAT drives.
- Various stability fixes in 64-bit version.
- Updated installer to allow Recuva to run at the end.
- Added Estonian language support.
-DOWNLOAD-
Recuva 1.31.437
Changes in 1.31.437
- Added email recovery to Wizard.
- Improvements to Thunderbird email recovery.
- Improved handling of very large exFAT drives.
- Various stability fixes in 64-bit version.
- Updated installer to allow Recuva to run at the end.
- Added Estonian language support.
-DOWNLOAD-
Recuva 1.31.437
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16688)
(2009.09.28)
Changes in build 16688
- Fix: fixed potential crash in WSARecv and WSASend
- Fix: fixed piece availibility issue introduced in previous build
-DOWNLOAD-
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16688)
Changes in build 16688
- Fix: fixed potential crash in WSARecv and WSASend
- Fix: fixed piece availibility issue introduced in previous build
-DOWNLOAD-
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16688)
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.6 Update Build 20090928
(2009.09.28)
Update for:
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.x (Mega/Full/Standard/Basic/Corporate)
Changelog:
* Updated ffdshow to revision 3092
* Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.22
* Updated Codec tweak Tool to version 3.1.1
-DOWNLOAD-
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.6 Update Build 20090928
Update for:
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.x (Mega/Full/Standard/Basic/Corporate)
Changelog:
* Updated ffdshow to revision 3092
* Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.22
* Updated Codec tweak Tool to version 3.1.1
-DOWNLOAD-
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.6 Update Build 20090928
Monday, September 28, 2009
CCleaner 2.24.1010
(2009.09.28)
Changes in 2.24.1010
- Added support for Firefox 3.6.
- Added file search history cleaning for Windows 7.
- Improved Opera 10 cleaning.
- Reduced temp folder cleaning delay to 24 hours.
- Several bugs fixed to better support Windows 7.
- Added winapp2.ini filter support to detailed results view.
- Improved 64-bit support for Registry Cleaner.
- Fixed minor bug in Uninstall Tool.
- Fixed minor bug in System Restore Tool.
- Minor interface bugs fixed.
- Minor display bugs fixed.
-DOWNLOAD-
CCleaner 2.24.1010
Changes in 2.24.1010
- Added support for Firefox 3.6.
- Added file search history cleaning for Windows 7.
- Improved Opera 10 cleaning.
- Reduced temp folder cleaning delay to 24 hours.
- Several bugs fixed to better support Windows 7.
- Added winapp2.ini filter support to detailed results view.
- Improved 64-bit support for Registry Cleaner.
- Fixed minor bug in Uninstall Tool.
- Fixed minor bug in System Restore Tool.
- Minor interface bugs fixed.
- Minor display bugs fixed.
-DOWNLOAD-
CCleaner 2.24.1010
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Floola 5.3.1
(2009.09.26)
Changes in 5.3.1
# expiration message removed
# Albanian, Brazilian, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovenian, Spanish translation updated
# manage notes exceptions fixed
# fixed issue with playlist sorted by "album by artist" or "album by year"
# performance improvements
# fixed issues with iPod shuffle
# fixed issue when renaming album/artist/genre or when adding playlists under Mac
# main window minimize issue when amazon window was open
# improved podcast decoding
# fixed a rare hang when adding m4a files
PS. This version not compatible with iTunes 9
-DOWNLOAD-
Floola 5.3.1 (Windows) / Floola 5.3.1 (Mac) / Floola 5.3.1 (Linux)
Changes in 5.3.1
# expiration message removed
# Albanian, Brazilian, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovenian, Spanish translation updated
# manage notes exceptions fixed
# fixed issue with playlist sorted by "album by artist" or "album by year"
# performance improvements
# fixed issues with iPod shuffle
# fixed issue when renaming album/artist/genre or when adding playlists under Mac
# main window minimize issue when amazon window was open
# improved podcast decoding
# fixed a rare hang when adding m4a files
PS. This version not compatible with iTunes 9
-DOWNLOAD-
Floola 5.3.1 (Windows) / Floola 5.3.1 (Mac) / Floola 5.3.1 (Linux)
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16667)
(2009.09.25)
Changes in build 16667
- Change: Balance CDNs to download updates
- Fix: Fixes bug where magnet links wouldn't work if PEX was disabled
- Fix: potential crash in network code
- Fix: More crashes when using magnet links
-DOWNLOAD-
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16667)
Changes in build 16667
- Change: Balance CDNs to download updates
- Fix: Fixes bug where magnet links wouldn't work if PEX was disabled
- Fix: potential crash in network code
- Fix: More crashes when using magnet links
-DOWNLOAD-
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16667)
Friday, September 25, 2009
BitComet 1.15
(2009.09.25)
Changes in 1.15
GUI Improved: task information panel lists change to task information tabs, support drag & drop and context menu
GUI Improved: redesign "Task Summary" tab
GUI Improved: task "Recommend" page changes to "Start Page" tab
GUI Improved: hide unnecessary task tabs when no task selected or task stopped
GUI Improved: add "Network Setting Wizard" to "Network" page in Option dialog
GUI Improved: improve context menu of status bar, add "port mapping again" and "help"
GUI Improved: add download/upload limit setting to context menu of floating window and system tray icon
GUI Improved: show "ED2K link" in file list of BT task
GUI Improved: highlight the current time block in scheduler setting page
GUI Bugfix: password not cleared when change user name in CometPassport sign in dialog
GUI Bugfix: pieces status and upload speed of emule plugin display incorrectly in peer list
Core Improve: emule plugin upgraded to v0.49c
Core Improve: improve connection algorithm of Long-Time seed for high-speed network
Core Improve: "Start all seeding" from context menu of floating window do not start tasks with file missing
Core Improve: improve DNS query
Core Improve: update task finish time when BT task download finished again after selecting more files to download
Core Bugfix: EVENT_COMPLETE should be sent to tracker only when all files in BT task downloaded, not only selected (v1.13 and v1.14)
Core Bugfix: connection number too small after some files in BT task finished
Core Bugfix: UPNP modular can not exit normally sometimes
Core Bugfix: task should enter in queue if when started during stopped time of schedule
Core Bugfix: remove port mapping of eMule plugin when program exiting
-DOWNLOAD-
BitComet 1.15
Changes in 1.15
GUI Improved: task information panel lists change to task information tabs, support drag & drop and context menu
GUI Improved: redesign "Task Summary" tab
GUI Improved: task "Recommend" page changes to "Start Page" tab
GUI Improved: hide unnecessary task tabs when no task selected or task stopped
GUI Improved: add "Network Setting Wizard" to "Network" page in Option dialog
GUI Improved: improve context menu of status bar, add "port mapping again" and "help"
GUI Improved: add download/upload limit setting to context menu of floating window and system tray icon
GUI Improved: show "ED2K link" in file list of BT task
GUI Improved: highlight the current time block in scheduler setting page
GUI Bugfix: password not cleared when change user name in CometPassport sign in dialog
GUI Bugfix: pieces status and upload speed of emule plugin display incorrectly in peer list
Core Improve: emule plugin upgraded to v0.49c
Core Improve: improve connection algorithm of Long-Time seed for high-speed network
Core Improve: "Start all seeding" from context menu of floating window do not start tasks with file missing
Core Improve: improve DNS query
Core Improve: update task finish time when BT task download finished again after selecting more files to download
Core Bugfix: EVENT_COMPLETE should be sent to tracker only when all files in BT task downloaded, not only selected (v1.13 and v1.14)
Core Bugfix: connection number too small after some files in BT task finished
Core Bugfix: UPNP modular can not exit normally sometimes
Core Bugfix: task should enter in queue if when started during stopped time of schedule
Core Bugfix: remove port mapping of eMule plugin when program exiting
-DOWNLOAD-
BitComet 1.15
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Picasa 3.5 Build 79.67
(2009.09.22)
Changes in 3.5 Build 79.67
* Note that this is an English release only.
* Added name tags in the Picasa software.
* Improved geotagging: You can now geotag in Picasa using Google Maps in the 'Places' tab.
* Improved keyword tagging:
- New 'Tags' tab for easier tag management.
- New Quick Tag buttons for easy access to commonly used tags.
* Import changes
- Added the ability to upload and share while importing.
- Added the ability to add stars and upload only starred images during the import process.
* Added the ability to modify the date and time on pictures. 'Tools > Adjust date and time.'
* The Sharpen slider is now more responsive.
* Improved reliability for CD burning
-DOWNLOAD-
Picasa 3.5 Build 79.67 (Windows)
Changes in 3.5 Build 79.67
* Note that this is an English release only.
* Added name tags in the Picasa software.
* Improved geotagging: You can now geotag in Picasa using Google Maps in the 'Places' tab.
* Improved keyword tagging:
- New 'Tags' tab for easier tag management.
- New Quick Tag buttons for easy access to commonly used tags.
* Import changes
- Added the ability to upload and share while importing.
- Added the ability to add stars and upload only starred images during the import process.
* Added the ability to modify the date and time on pictures. 'Tools > Adjust date and time.'
* The Sharpen slider is now more responsive.
* Improved reliability for CD burning
-DOWNLOAD-
Picasa 3.5 Build 79.67 (Windows)
iTunes 9.0.18
(2009.09.23)
Changes in 9.0.18
Bug fixes:
* Resolves issues browsing the iTunes Store.
* Addresses a performance issue where iTunes may become unresponsive.
* Fixes a problem where iTunes may unexpectedly quit.
* Fixes a problem syncing Podcasts in playlists to iPod or iPhone.
* Fixes a problem sorting albums with multiple discs.
* Addresses an issue with the Zoom button not switching to Mini Player.
* Improves application syncing for iPod touch and iPhone.
* Genius is now automatically updated to show Genius Mixes.
New features and improvements:
* An improved look and feel, including a new Column Browser for easily browsing your artists or albums, movies, TV shows, and more.
* iTunes Store has a brand new look, with improved navigation for quick and easy exploration.
* iTunes LP and iTunes Extras create unique experiences that feature exclusive interviews, videos, photos, and more — available with select album and movie purchases on the iTunes Store.
* Home Sharing helps you manage your family's iTunes collection between computers in your home. iTunes can automatically transfer new purchases, or you can choose just the items you want.
* Genius Mixes are created for you by iTunes and play songs from your library that go great together.
* iPod and iPhone syncing now allows you to organize your iPhone and iPod touch home screens directly in iTunes. Syncing is now also more flexible, allowing you to sync individual artists, genres, or TV show and Podcast episodes.
* iTunes U items are now organized into their own section in your iTunes library.
* Sync with iPod nano (5th generation), iPod classic (Fall 2009), and iPod touch (Fall 2009).
* iTunes 9 also includes many other improvements, such as HE-AAC encoding and playback, more flexibility with Smart Playlists rules, simpler organization of your media files inside an iTunes Media folder, and more.
-DOWNLOAD-
iTunes 9.0.18
Changes in 9.0.18
Bug fixes:
* Resolves issues browsing the iTunes Store.
* Addresses a performance issue where iTunes may become unresponsive.
* Fixes a problem where iTunes may unexpectedly quit.
* Fixes a problem syncing Podcasts in playlists to iPod or iPhone.
* Fixes a problem sorting albums with multiple discs.
* Addresses an issue with the Zoom button not switching to Mini Player.
* Improves application syncing for iPod touch and iPhone.
* Genius is now automatically updated to show Genius Mixes.
New features and improvements:
* An improved look and feel, including a new Column Browser for easily browsing your artists or albums, movies, TV shows, and more.
* iTunes Store has a brand new look, with improved navigation for quick and easy exploration.
* iTunes LP and iTunes Extras create unique experiences that feature exclusive interviews, videos, photos, and more — available with select album and movie purchases on the iTunes Store.
* Home Sharing helps you manage your family's iTunes collection between computers in your home. iTunes can automatically transfer new purchases, or you can choose just the items you want.
* Genius Mixes are created for you by iTunes and play songs from your library that go great together.
* iPod and iPhone syncing now allows you to organize your iPhone and iPod touch home screens directly in iTunes. Syncing is now also more flexible, allowing you to sync individual artists, genres, or TV show and Podcast episodes.
* iTunes U items are now organized into their own section in your iTunes library.
* Sync with iPod nano (5th generation), iPod classic (Fall 2009), and iPod touch (Fall 2009).
* iTunes 9 also includes many other improvements, such as HE-AAC encoding and playback, more flexibility with Smart Playlists rules, simpler organization of your media files inside an iTunes Media folder, and more.
-DOWNLOAD-
iTunes 9.0.18
VLC media player 1.0.2
(2009.09.22)
Changes in 1.0.2
Decoders:
* Native support for WMA Professional, without the use of the Win32 dlls
* Fix issues in subtitles, especially SSA ones
* Various fixes on theora and ogg
Demuxers:
* Various fixes for EPG support in MPEG-TS demuxer
* Fixes for potential stack overflow in .avi, .mp4 and .asf demuxers
Access:
* Fixes for v4l2 devices
* Fixes for dvb-c channels-scanning
Qt Interface:
* Fix some playlist sorting issues
Mac OS X Interface:
* Fixed a crash when updating VLC
* Fixed a crash related to QTKit when opening video files (10.6 only)
* Added the ability to play 2nd media in sync to the primary item (input-slave)
* Added the "Quit after Playback" feature
Mac OS X Port:
* The "Delete Preferences" script is now delivered as a Universal Binary
with native code for PowerPC, Intel and Intel 64bit
* Full 64bit runtime compatibility on both Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6
- no support for Goom and SDL
- limited text rendering support
- This port is still considered as EXPERIMENTAL despite its binary release.
Encoders:
* MPEG2 transrate stream output removed
* x264 default-values closer to x264.exe defaults.
* x264 rc-behaviour fixes:
- if user defines qp-value, CQP-mode is used
- otherwise if user defines vb=0, CRF-mode is used
- otherwise ABR-mode is used
* x264 set vbv-bufsize/vbv-maxsize better if user hasn't defined these:
- ABR mode set vbv-max-bitrate=bitrate
- vbv-bufsize is bitrate * seconds between keyframes (keyint/fps)
-DOWNLOAD-
VLC Media Player 1.0.2 (Windows)
Changes in 1.0.2
Decoders:
* Native support for WMA Professional, without the use of the Win32 dlls
* Fix issues in subtitles, especially SSA ones
* Various fixes on theora and ogg
Demuxers:
* Various fixes for EPG support in MPEG-TS demuxer
* Fixes for potential stack overflow in .avi, .mp4 and .asf demuxers
Access:
* Fixes for v4l2 devices
* Fixes for dvb-c channels-scanning
Qt Interface:
* Fix some playlist sorting issues
Mac OS X Interface:
* Fixed a crash when updating VLC
* Fixed a crash related to QTKit when opening video files (10.6 only)
* Added the ability to play 2nd media in sync to the primary item (input-slave)
* Added the "Quit after Playback" feature
Mac OS X Port:
* The "Delete Preferences" script is now delivered as a Universal Binary
with native code for PowerPC, Intel and Intel 64bit
* Full 64bit runtime compatibility on both Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6
- no support for Goom and SDL
- limited text rendering support
- This port is still considered as EXPERIMENTAL despite its binary release.
Encoders:
* MPEG2 transrate stream output removed
* x264 default-values closer to x264.exe defaults.
* x264 rc-behaviour fixes:
- if user defines qp-value, CQP-mode is used
- otherwise if user defines vb=0, CRF-mode is used
- otherwise ABR-mode is used
* x264 set vbv-bufsize/vbv-maxsize better if user hasn't defined these:
- ABR mode set vbv-max-bitrate=bitrate
- vbv-bufsize is bitrate * seconds between keyframes (keyint/fps)
-DOWNLOAD-
VLC Media Player 1.0.2 (Windows)
Monday, September 21, 2009
Notepad++ 5.5
(2009.09.20)
Changes in 5.5
New Features and Fixed Bugs:
1. Update : upgrade Scintilla from v1.78 to v2.01.
2. New icon : change from old icon to a cool chamelon icon.
3. New feature : virtual space for column mode.
4. New feature : multi-editing / selection.
5. New feature : tab settings for per language.
6. New feature : selected lines moving up/down capacity.
7. New feature : incremental Search shows pink background when text not found (like Firefox).
8. New feature : rational number is recognized in User Defined Language System.
9. New feature : escape character capacity for the delimiter in User Defined Language System.
10. Bug fixed : tool bar tip crash issue.
11. Bug fixed : column editor inserting octal number broken issue.
12. Changed behaviour : "-nosession" parameter's not only none of session is loaded, but also none of session is saved.
13. Bug fixed : docking feature crash issue.
14. New feature : the ability to not launch Auto-updater during a period (15 days by default).
15. New feature : import plugins feature (load on the fly).
16. New feature : import theme (stylers.xml) feature.
17. Bug fixed : a crash issue while launch Fin in file (regression since v5.4.5).
18. Bug fixed : a crash issue while deleting the last line.
19. Bug fixed : a bug of plugin message NPPM_GETPLUGINSCONFIGDIR (regression since v5.4.5).
20. New feature : new plugin notification NPPN_DOCORDERCHANGED to notify plugins that document order is changed.
21. Bug fixed : tool bar chevron disappeared bug (regression since previous versions).
22. Bug fixed : a crash bug due to instability of FTP_synchronize plugin (enhance Docking feature).
23. Bug fixed : getting fonts problem under Chines/Korean/Japanese environment.
24. Bug fixed : wrong File encoding auto-detection problem : binary file is detected as UTF-16 big-endian.
Included plugins (Unicode):
1. TextFX v0.26
2. NppExec v0.3.2
3. Spell Checker v1.3.3
4. MIME Tools v1.5
5. NppExport v0.2.8
6. Doc Monitor v2.2
7. NppNetNote v0.1
8. Compare Plugin 1.5.5
9. Plugin Manager 0.9.2.1
Included plugins (ANSI):
1. TextFX v0.25
2. NppExec v0.3.2
3. Spell Checker v1.3.3
4. MIME Tools v1.5
5. NppExport v0.2.8
6. Light Explorer v1.5
7. Doc Monitor v2.2
8. NppNetNote v0.1
9. Compare Plugin 1.5.5
10. Plugin Manager 0.9.2.1
-DOWNLOAD-
Notepad++ 5.5
Changes in 5.5
New Features and Fixed Bugs:
1. Update : upgrade Scintilla from v1.78 to v2.01.
2. New icon : change from old icon to a cool chamelon icon.
3. New feature : virtual space for column mode.
4. New feature : multi-editing / selection.
5. New feature : tab settings for per language.
6. New feature : selected lines moving up/down capacity.
7. New feature : incremental Search shows pink background when text not found (like Firefox).
8. New feature : rational number is recognized in User Defined Language System.
9. New feature : escape character capacity for the delimiter in User Defined Language System.
10. Bug fixed : tool bar tip crash issue.
11. Bug fixed : column editor inserting octal number broken issue.
12. Changed behaviour : "-nosession" parameter's not only none of session is loaded, but also none of session is saved.
13. Bug fixed : docking feature crash issue.
14. New feature : the ability to not launch Auto-updater during a period (15 days by default).
15. New feature : import plugins feature (load on the fly).
16. New feature : import theme (stylers.xml) feature.
17. Bug fixed : a crash issue while launch Fin in file (regression since v5.4.5).
18. Bug fixed : a crash issue while deleting the last line.
19. Bug fixed : a bug of plugin message NPPM_GETPLUGINSCONFIGDIR (regression since v5.4.5).
20. New feature : new plugin notification NPPN_DOCORDERCHANGED to notify plugins that document order is changed.
21. Bug fixed : tool bar chevron disappeared bug (regression since previous versions).
22. Bug fixed : a crash bug due to instability of FTP_synchronize plugin (enhance Docking feature).
23. Bug fixed : getting fonts problem under Chines/Korean/Japanese environment.
24. Bug fixed : wrong File encoding auto-detection problem : binary file is detected as UTF-16 big-endian.
Included plugins (Unicode):
1. TextFX v0.26
2. NppExec v0.3.2
3. Spell Checker v1.3.3
4. MIME Tools v1.5
5. NppExport v0.2.8
6. Doc Monitor v2.2
7. NppNetNote v0.1
8. Compare Plugin 1.5.5
9. Plugin Manager 0.9.2.1
Included plugins (ANSI):
1. TextFX v0.25
2. NppExec v0.3.2
3. Spell Checker v1.3.3
4. MIME Tools v1.5
5. NppExport v0.2.8
6. Light Explorer v1.5
7. Doc Monitor v2.2
8. NppNetNote v0.1
9. Compare Plugin 1.5.5
10. Plugin Manager 0.9.2.1
-DOWNLOAD-
Notepad++ 5.5
Sunday, September 20, 2009
VirtualDub 1.9.6
(2009.09.19)
Changes in build 32618 (1.9.6, Stable)
[bugs fixed]
* Images: Fixed bug where the PNG encoder would randomly produce invalid encoded images.
* Scripts: Fixed memory read crash when attempting to open a file with percent signs.
[regressions fixed]
* Retweaked MP3 CBR rate determination.
* Fixed rare crash when stopping a scene shuttle operation.
* AVI: 1GB option was broken for normal save operations (although it did work for capture mode).
* Filters: Shift+Mouse color checking in preview windows works again (broken in 1.9.2).
* Filters: Fixed incorrect frame being sampled after edits were done on the timeline.
* UI: Removed "run as job" check box from Save Image Sequence dialog, since it's now redundant with the "queue batch operation" command.
-DOWNLOAD-
VirtualDub 1.9.6 Stable
Changes in build 32618 (1.9.6, Stable)
[bugs fixed]
* Images: Fixed bug where the PNG encoder would randomly produce invalid encoded images.
* Scripts: Fixed memory read crash when attempting to open a file with percent signs.
[regressions fixed]
* Retweaked MP3 CBR rate determination.
* Fixed rare crash when stopping a scene shuttle operation.
* AVI: 1GB option was broken for normal save operations (although it did work for capture mode).
* Filters: Shift+Mouse color checking in preview windows works again (broken in 1.9.2).
* Filters: Fixed incorrect frame being sampled after edits were done on the timeline.
* UI: Removed "run as job" check box from Save Image Sequence dialog, since it's now redundant with the "queue batch operation" command.
-DOWNLOAD-
VirtualDub 1.9.6 Stable
Friday, September 18, 2009
Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) Alpha 6
(2009.09.17)
Introduction
The Ubuntu developers are moving quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. The Karmic Koala Alpha 6 is the sixth alpha release of Ubuntu 9.10, bringing with it the earliest new features for the next version of Ubuntu.
This is an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released on October 29th, 2009.
Upgrading from Ubuntu 9.04
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 on a desktop system, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release '9.10' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 on a server system: install the update-manager-core package if it is not already installed; edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and set Prompt=normal; launch the upgrade tool with the command sudo do-release-upgrade; and follow the on-screen instructions.
New features in Karmic
Feature development for Karmic is happening with full speed. Please see the Karmic blueprint list for details.
Please test and report any bugs you find:
http://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs
Updated Packages
As with every new release, packages--applications and software of all kinds--are being updated at a rapid pace. Many of these packages come from an automatic sync from Debian's Unstable branch. For a list of all packages being accepted for 9.10 Karmic Koala, please subscribe to karmic-changes:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/karmic-changes
Upstart
As part of our boot performance work, we have now transitioned to Upstart. If you are testing on your primary machine, we strongly suggest having an Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 5 LiveCD available, or creating an Alpha 5 USB startup disk before doing an upgrade. This will allow us to help you recover in the case that something goes wrong during the boot of your system after upgrade. We request that all bugs affecting the performance or functionality of boot be tagged with ubuntu-boot in Launchpad.
Software Store
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 6 includes the Ubuntu Software Store. It is temporarily located under System, with a plan to replace Add\Remove in the Beta release. We kindly request users to try it out, and report any bugs they find.
GNOME
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 6 includes the latest GNOME 2.27.91 development release.
Empathy has replaced Pidgin as the default instant messaging client, introducing the Telepathy framework.
The gdm 2.27.91 login manager is a complete rewrite compared to the version in earlier Ubuntu releases.
Kubuntu
Kubuntu includes its first Netbook release, Social from the Start and the latest KDE packages. See the Kubuntu technical overview
Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud Images
Alpha 6 includes alpha images which are common to Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC) and Amazon's EC2. You can try out the latest Karmic server alpha instantly on EC2 using a preconfigured AMI, or download an image and put it into your own Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud. For information on using UEC images on Amazon EC2, see the EC2 Starter's Guide.
Ubuntu One file sharing
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 6 ships the Ubuntu One file sharing service by default, providing tightly integrated file synchronization of your computer with other computers and the Ubuntu One network storage service.
Linux kernel 2.6.31
Alpha 6 includes the 2.6.31-9.29 kernel based on 2.6.31-rc8. The kernel ships with Kernel Mode Setting enabled for Intel graphics (see below). linux-restricted-modules is deprecated in favour of DKMS packages.
hal deprecation
Karmic Alpha 6's underlying technology for power management, laptop hotkeys, and handling of storage devices and cameras maps has moved from "hal" (which is in the process of being deprecated) to "DeviceKit-power", "DeviceKit-disks" and "udev". When testing Alpha 6, please pay particular attention to regressions in those areas and report bugs.
New Intel video driver architecture available for testing
The Intel video driver has switched from the "EXA" acceleration method to the new "UXA". This solves major performance problems of Ubuntu 9.04, but could use further testing to flag any regressions it may bring.
Feedback about the new "kernel mode setting" feature is also heavily appreciated. This will reduce video mode switching flicker at booting, and dramatically speed up suspend/resume. Please see the instructions and feedback page for details.
New default compiler
Karmic uses GCC-4.4 as the default compiler, which in some parts is more strict than GCC-4.3, see list of changes. Please make sure to test packages on karmic or in a karmic chroot before upload.
ext4 by default
The new "ext4" filesystem is used by default for new installations of Karmic; of course, other filesystems are still available via the manual partitioner. Existing filesystems will not be upgraded.
If you have full backups and are confident, you can upgrade an existing ext3 filesystem to ext4 by following directions in the Ext4 Howto (note that the comments on that page at the time of writing about Ubuntu's use of vol_id vs. blkid are out of date and are not applicable to Karmic). Maximum performance will typically only be achieved on new filesystems, not on filesystems that have been upgraded from ext3.
GRUB 2 by default
GRUB 2 is the default boot loader for new installations of Karmic, replacing the previous GRUB "Legacy" boot loader. Existing systems will not be upgraded to GRUB 2 at this time, as automatically reinstalling the boot loader is an inherently risky operation.
If you wish to upgrade your system to GRUB 2, then see the GRUB 2 testing page for instructions. See also the upstream draft manual.
Some features are still missing relative to GRUB Legacy. Notable among these are lock/password support, an equivalent of grub-reboot, and Xen handling.
iSCSI installation
The iSCSI installation process has been improved, and no longer requires iscsi=true as a boot parameter; the installer will offer you the option of logging into iSCSI targets if there are no local disks, or you can select "Configure iSCSI" in the manual partitioner.
Putting the root filesystem on iSCSI is now supported.
AppArmor
A lot of work went into AppArmor for Karmic. The parser has been improved to use cache files, greatly speeding up AppArmor initialisation on boot. AppArmor also now supports 'pux' which, when specified, means a process can transition to an existing profile if one exists or simply run unconfined if one does not. Improved support for globbing has also been added, most notably when using wildcard matching for the binary of a profile. Significantly, the AppArmor patch for Ubuntu has been heavily reworked and now fully uses the upstream LSM hooks. This makes AppArmor in Ubuntu very self-contained and a good candidate for future inclusion in the upstream kernel.
New profiles
In addition to the above changes to AppArmor itself, several profiles were added. Enforcing profiles for ntpd, the GNOME document viewer (evince), and libvirt are enabled by default. Complain mode profiles for Dovecot are now available in the apparmor-profiles package. A new profile is provided for Firefox as well, though it is disabled by default. Users can enable this by using:
$ sudo aa-enforce /etc/apparmor.d/usr.bin.firefox-3.5
Please see the SecurityTeam/KnowledgeBase for a full listing of readily available profiles in Ubuntu.
Libvirt
Libvirt now contains AppArmor integration when using KVM or QEMU. Libvirtd is configured to launch virtual machines that are confined by uniquely restrictive AppArmor profiles. This feature significantly improves virtualisation in Ubuntu by providing user-space host protection as well as guest isolation.
Uncomplicated Firewall
The Uncomplicated Firewall now has support for filtering by interface and egress filtering when using the ufw command. Documentation for ufw is also improved to help users better utilise the ufw framework and take full advantage of Linux netfilter's power and flexibility. See UbuntuFirewall#Features for a full list of features.
Download Alpha 6
Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:
(Ubuntu Desktop, Server, and Netbook Remix)
(Ubuntu Server for UEC and EC2)
(Ubuntu Desktop for ARM)
(Kubuntu Desktop and Netbook)
(Xubuntu)
(UbuntuStudio)
(Mythbuntu)
(Edubuntu)
Known issues
As is to be expected at this stage of the release process, there are several known bugs that users are likely to run into with Karmic Alpha 6. We have documented them here for your convenience along with any known workarounds, so that you don't need to spend time reporting these bugs again:
# When installing Ubuntu from Alpha 6 in a dual-boot configuration with another operating system, such as Windows Vista, the grub2 configuration will not present an option to boot to the other OS. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (430141)
# Installing a UEC cluster controller under Ubuntu Server will hang on reboot due to a bug in the eucalyptus init scripts. As a workaround, you can log in to the server remotely via ssh and change the CLOUD_PORT value in /etc/init.d/eucalyptus-cc to 8774. This bug will be resolved for the Ubuntu 9.10 Beta. (430758)
# Installation of a eucalyptus node will not properly configure the bridge network setup in Alpha 6. To correct this after install, log in to the node and run the command sudo sed -i "s/^iface $interface inet dhcp$/iface $interface inet manual/" /etc/network/interfaces && sudo service networking restart, where $interface is the primary interface of the machine. Cluster nodes installed using Ubuntu 9.10 Beta will have the correct configuration set automatically. (430820)
# The OEM installer end-user setup will fail to start in Alpha 6. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431941)
# Choosing the "Install Kubuntu" option from Kubuntu and Kubuntu Netbook LiveCDs will start a live session instead. As a workaround, you can launch the installer from the live session desktop. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431169)
# Installing using Wubi will run to completion, but after reboot the newly-installed system will fail to boot with the error message "Could not find a bootloader configuration". Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431285)
# In some configurations, users will be unable to use the auto-resize option due to a timestamp problem during ext3/4 filesystem check. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431786)
# Some users with Intel video chipsets will experience a black screen on reboot after install because the fbcon module is not being loaded. As a workaround, users can boot with the i915.modeset=0 option. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431812)
# Encrypted partitions other than the root filesystem will not be mounted in Alpha 6 due to a bug in the cryptsetup package. This bug has been resolved immediately post-Alpha 6; as a workaround for this issue users are recommended to upgrade to cryptsetup version 2:1.0.6+20090405.svn49-1ubuntu4 before rebooting. (430496)
Introduction
The Ubuntu developers are moving quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. The Karmic Koala Alpha 6 is the sixth alpha release of Ubuntu 9.10, bringing with it the earliest new features for the next version of Ubuntu.
This is an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released on October 29th, 2009.
Upgrading from Ubuntu 9.04
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 on a desktop system, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release '9.10' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 on a server system: install the update-manager-core package if it is not already installed; edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and set Prompt=normal; launch the upgrade tool with the command sudo do-release-upgrade; and follow the on-screen instructions.
New features in Karmic
Feature development for Karmic is happening with full speed. Please see the Karmic blueprint list for details.
Please test and report any bugs you find:
http://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs
Updated Packages
As with every new release, packages--applications and software of all kinds--are being updated at a rapid pace. Many of these packages come from an automatic sync from Debian's Unstable branch. For a list of all packages being accepted for 9.10 Karmic Koala, please subscribe to karmic-changes:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/karmic-changes
Upstart
As part of our boot performance work, we have now transitioned to Upstart. If you are testing on your primary machine, we strongly suggest having an Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 5 LiveCD available, or creating an Alpha 5 USB startup disk before doing an upgrade. This will allow us to help you recover in the case that something goes wrong during the boot of your system after upgrade. We request that all bugs affecting the performance or functionality of boot be tagged with ubuntu-boot in Launchpad.
Software Store
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 6 includes the Ubuntu Software Store. It is temporarily located under System, with a plan to replace Add\Remove in the Beta release. We kindly request users to try it out, and report any bugs they find.
GNOME
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 6 includes the latest GNOME 2.27.91 development release.
Empathy has replaced Pidgin as the default instant messaging client, introducing the Telepathy framework.
The gdm 2.27.91 login manager is a complete rewrite compared to the version in earlier Ubuntu releases.
Kubuntu
Kubuntu includes its first Netbook release, Social from the Start and the latest KDE packages. See the Kubuntu technical overview
Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud Images
Alpha 6 includes alpha images which are common to Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC) and Amazon's EC2. You can try out the latest Karmic server alpha instantly on EC2 using a preconfigured AMI, or download an image and put it into your own Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud. For information on using UEC images on Amazon EC2, see the EC2 Starter's Guide.
Ubuntu One file sharing
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 6 ships the Ubuntu One file sharing service by default, providing tightly integrated file synchronization of your computer with other computers and the Ubuntu One network storage service.
Linux kernel 2.6.31
Alpha 6 includes the 2.6.31-9.29 kernel based on 2.6.31-rc8. The kernel ships with Kernel Mode Setting enabled for Intel graphics (see below). linux-restricted-modules is deprecated in favour of DKMS packages.
hal deprecation
Karmic Alpha 6's underlying technology for power management, laptop hotkeys, and handling of storage devices and cameras maps has moved from "hal" (which is in the process of being deprecated) to "DeviceKit-power", "DeviceKit-disks" and "udev". When testing Alpha 6, please pay particular attention to regressions in those areas and report bugs.
New Intel video driver architecture available for testing
The Intel video driver has switched from the "EXA" acceleration method to the new "UXA". This solves major performance problems of Ubuntu 9.04, but could use further testing to flag any regressions it may bring.
Feedback about the new "kernel mode setting" feature is also heavily appreciated. This will reduce video mode switching flicker at booting, and dramatically speed up suspend/resume. Please see the instructions and feedback page for details.
New default compiler
Karmic uses GCC-4.4 as the default compiler, which in some parts is more strict than GCC-4.3, see list of changes. Please make sure to test packages on karmic or in a karmic chroot before upload.
ext4 by default
The new "ext4" filesystem is used by default for new installations of Karmic; of course, other filesystems are still available via the manual partitioner. Existing filesystems will not be upgraded.
If you have full backups and are confident, you can upgrade an existing ext3 filesystem to ext4 by following directions in the Ext4 Howto (note that the comments on that page at the time of writing about Ubuntu's use of vol_id vs. blkid are out of date and are not applicable to Karmic). Maximum performance will typically only be achieved on new filesystems, not on filesystems that have been upgraded from ext3.
GRUB 2 by default
GRUB 2 is the default boot loader for new installations of Karmic, replacing the previous GRUB "Legacy" boot loader. Existing systems will not be upgraded to GRUB 2 at this time, as automatically reinstalling the boot loader is an inherently risky operation.
If you wish to upgrade your system to GRUB 2, then see the GRUB 2 testing page for instructions. See also the upstream draft manual.
Some features are still missing relative to GRUB Legacy. Notable among these are lock/password support, an equivalent of grub-reboot, and Xen handling.
iSCSI installation
The iSCSI installation process has been improved, and no longer requires iscsi=true as a boot parameter; the installer will offer you the option of logging into iSCSI targets if there are no local disks, or you can select "Configure iSCSI" in the manual partitioner.
Putting the root filesystem on iSCSI is now supported.
AppArmor
A lot of work went into AppArmor for Karmic. The parser has been improved to use cache files, greatly speeding up AppArmor initialisation on boot. AppArmor also now supports 'pux' which, when specified, means a process can transition to an existing profile if one exists or simply run unconfined if one does not. Improved support for globbing has also been added, most notably when using wildcard matching for the binary of a profile. Significantly, the AppArmor patch for Ubuntu has been heavily reworked and now fully uses the upstream LSM hooks. This makes AppArmor in Ubuntu very self-contained and a good candidate for future inclusion in the upstream kernel.
New profiles
In addition to the above changes to AppArmor itself, several profiles were added. Enforcing profiles for ntpd, the GNOME document viewer (evince), and libvirt are enabled by default. Complain mode profiles for Dovecot are now available in the apparmor-profiles package. A new profile is provided for Firefox as well, though it is disabled by default. Users can enable this by using:
$ sudo aa-enforce /etc/apparmor.d/usr.bin.firefox-3.5
Please see the SecurityTeam/KnowledgeBase for a full listing of readily available profiles in Ubuntu.
Libvirt
Libvirt now contains AppArmor integration when using KVM or QEMU. Libvirtd is configured to launch virtual machines that are confined by uniquely restrictive AppArmor profiles. This feature significantly improves virtualisation in Ubuntu by providing user-space host protection as well as guest isolation.
Uncomplicated Firewall
The Uncomplicated Firewall now has support for filtering by interface and egress filtering when using the ufw command. Documentation for ufw is also improved to help users better utilise the ufw framework and take full advantage of Linux netfilter's power and flexibility. See UbuntuFirewall#Features for a full list of features.
Download Alpha 6
Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:
(Ubuntu Desktop, Server, and Netbook Remix)
(Ubuntu Server for UEC and EC2)
(Ubuntu Desktop for ARM)
(Kubuntu Desktop and Netbook)
(Xubuntu)
(UbuntuStudio)
(Mythbuntu)
(Edubuntu)
Known issues
As is to be expected at this stage of the release process, there are several known bugs that users are likely to run into with Karmic Alpha 6. We have documented them here for your convenience along with any known workarounds, so that you don't need to spend time reporting these bugs again:
# When installing Ubuntu from Alpha 6 in a dual-boot configuration with another operating system, such as Windows Vista, the grub2 configuration will not present an option to boot to the other OS. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (430141)
# Installing a UEC cluster controller under Ubuntu Server will hang on reboot due to a bug in the eucalyptus init scripts. As a workaround, you can log in to the server remotely via ssh and change the CLOUD_PORT value in /etc/init.d/eucalyptus-cc to 8774. This bug will be resolved for the Ubuntu 9.10 Beta. (430758)
# Installation of a eucalyptus node will not properly configure the bridge network setup in Alpha 6. To correct this after install, log in to the node and run the command sudo sed -i "s/^iface $interface inet dhcp$/iface $interface inet manual/" /etc/network/interfaces && sudo service networking restart, where $interface is the primary interface of the machine. Cluster nodes installed using Ubuntu 9.10 Beta will have the correct configuration set automatically. (430820)
# The OEM installer end-user setup will fail to start in Alpha 6. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431941)
# Choosing the "Install Kubuntu" option from Kubuntu and Kubuntu Netbook LiveCDs will start a live session instead. As a workaround, you can launch the installer from the live session desktop. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431169)
# Installing using Wubi will run to completion, but after reboot the newly-installed system will fail to boot with the error message "Could not find a bootloader configuration". Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431285)
# In some configurations, users will be unable to use the auto-resize option due to a timestamp problem during ext3/4 filesystem check. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431786)
# Some users with Intel video chipsets will experience a black screen on reboot after install because the fbcon module is not being loaded. As a workaround, users can boot with the i915.modeset=0 option. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (431812)
# Encrypted partitions other than the root filesystem will not be mounted in Alpha 6 due to a bug in the cryptsetup package. This bug has been resolved immediately post-Alpha 6; as a workaround for this issue users are recommended to upgrade to cryptsetup version 2:1.0.6+20090405.svn49-1ubuntu4 before rebooting. (430496)
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.4 Update Build 20090917
(2009.09.17)
Update for:
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.x (Mega/Full/Standard/Basic/Corporate)
Changelog:
* Updated ffdshow to revision 3078
* Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.21
* Updated Codec tweak Tool to version 3.1.1
-DOWNLOAD-
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.4 Update Build 20090917
Update for:
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.x (Mega/Full/Standard/Basic/Corporate)
Changelog:
* Updated ffdshow to revision 3078
* Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.21
* Updated Codec tweak Tool to version 3.1.1
-DOWNLOAD-
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.4 Update Build 20090917
Thursday, September 17, 2009
XnView 1.96.5
(2009.09.16)
Changes in 1.96.5
Added:
* TIFF can write EXIF
* Mamiya, Leaf, Hasselblad, Epson, Imacon & Sinar Camera RAW read support
* AVT, Casio, Contax, Creative, Foculus, Leica, Micron, Panasonic, Rollei, RoverShot, Stmicro Camera RAW read support
* NConvert: -cmyk_space, you can convert RGB=>CMYK
* JPEG-XR read support
* deskew automatic
Fixed:
* EXIF date taken - http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=18026
* XPM writing (const)
* IPTC
* DPX - 32BitsPacking option added
* TIM2 CSM1 added
* PDF orientation
* Big WMF
* TIFF 16bits grey
-DOWNLOAD-
XnView 1.96.5 Standard version
Changes in 1.96.5
Added:
* TIFF can write EXIF
* Mamiya, Leaf, Hasselblad, Epson, Imacon & Sinar Camera RAW read support
* AVT, Casio, Contax, Creative, Foculus, Leica, Micron, Panasonic, Rollei, RoverShot, Stmicro Camera RAW read support
* NConvert: -cmyk_space, you can convert RGB=>CMYK
* JPEG-XR read support
* deskew automatic
Fixed:
* EXIF date taken - http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=18026
* XPM writing (const)
* IPTC
* DPX - 32BitsPacking option added
* TIM2 CSM1 added
* PDF orientation
* Big WMF
* TIFF 16bits grey
-DOWNLOAD-
XnView 1.96.5 Standard version
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Google Chrome 3.0.195.21
(2009.09.15)
3.0.195.21 has graduated from Beta to the Stable channel today.
This release includes themes support, a brand new New Tab page, an updated omnibox, support for audio and video tags, and a higher performing V8 engine.
-DOWNLOAD-
Google Chrome 3.0.195.21 (Windows)
3.0.195.21 has graduated from Beta to the Stable channel today.
This release includes themes support, a brand new New Tab page, an updated omnibox, support for audio and video tags, and a higher performing V8 engine.
-DOWNLOAD-
Google Chrome 3.0.195.21 (Windows)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The KMPlayer 2.9.4.1435
(2009.09.14)
Changes in 2.9.4.1435
- URL redirect support.
- Change playList XP style.
- Open avi file in 0byte fix.
- mx audio file reposition support.
- mx audio file crash fix.
- error with zip file (when title include , it wasn’t play)
- Crash error with unsupported file.
- Error with mkv file (searching five sec. forward and backward)
- Not displayed subtitle in vista EVR.
- Codec update : libcodec.dll.
- Change default install language to English.
- Uninstaller is now English.
- ASK Toolbar installation added.
- Support madVR.
- Support flv (avc, aac codec).
- MediaInfo.dll (ver 0.7.21.0) patch.
- Possible to playback damaged file.
- Support album art(MP3 thumbnail).
-DOWNLOAD-
The KMPlayer 2.9.4.1435
Changes in 2.9.4.1435
- URL redirect support.
- Change playList XP style.
- Open avi file in 0byte fix.
- mx audio file reposition support.
- mx audio file crash fix.
- error with zip file (when title include , it wasn’t play)
- Crash error with unsupported file.
- Error with mkv file (searching five sec. forward and backward)
- Not displayed subtitle in vista EVR.
- Codec update : libcodec.dll.
- Change default install language to English.
- Uninstaller is now English.
- ASK Toolbar installation added.
- Support madVR.
- Support flv (avc, aac codec).
- MediaInfo.dll (ver 0.7.21.0) patch.
- Possible to playback damaged file.
- Support album art(MP3 thumbnail).
-DOWNLOAD-
The KMPlayer 2.9.4.1435
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16442)
(2009.09.14)
Changes in build 16442
- Fix: Potential crashes with magnet links
-DOWNLOAD-
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16442)
Changes in build 16442
- Fix: Potential crashes with magnet links
-DOWNLOAD-
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16442)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
QuickTime 7.64.17.73
(2009.09.12)
What’s in this update?
QuickTime 7.6.4 includes changes that increase reliability, improve compatibility, and enhance security. This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users.
* Support for iTunes 9
* Improved audio device support on Windows Vista
-DOWNLOAD-
QuickTime 7.64.17.73
What’s in this update?
QuickTime 7.6.4 includes changes that increase reliability, improve compatibility, and enhance security. This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users.
* Support for iTunes 9
* Improved audio device support on Windows Vista
-DOWNLOAD-
QuickTime 7.64.17.73
KeePass Password Safe 2.09
(2009.09.12)
Changes in 2.09
New Features:
* Added option to use file transactions when writing databases (enabled by default; writing to a temporary file and replacing the actual file afterwards avoids data loss when KeePass is prevented from saving the database completely).
* Added PLGX plugin file format.
* Enhanced database synchronization by structure merging (relocation/moving and reordering groups and entries).
* Added synchronization 'Recent Files' list (in 'File' menu).
* Synchronization / import: added merging of entry histories.
* Synchronization / import: backups of current entries are created automatically, if their data would be lost in the merging process.
* Database name, description, default user name, entry templates group and the recycle bin settings are now synchronized.
* Added {NEWPASSWORD} placeholder, which generates a new password for the current entry, based on the "Automatically generated passwords for new entries" generator profile; this placeholder is replaced once in an auto-type process, i.e. for a typical 'Old Password'-'New Password'-'Repeat New Password' dialog you can use {PASSWORD}{TAB}{NEWPASSWORD}{TAB}{NEWPASSWORD}{ENTER}.
* Added scheme-specific URL overrides (this way you can for example tell KeePass to open all http- and https-URLs with Firefox or Opera instead of the system default browser; PuTTY is set as handler for ssh-URLs by default; see Options -> Integration).
* Added option to drop to the background when copying data to the clipboard.
* Added option to use alternating item background colors in the main entry list (option enabled by default).
* The Ctrl+E shortcut key now jumps to the quick search box.
* Added auto-type sequence conversion routine to convert key codes between 1.x and 2.x format.
* Added workaround for internal queue issue in SendKeys.Flush.
* Added more simple clipboard backup routine to workaround clipboard issues when special formats are present.
* Added native clipboard clearing method to avoid empty data objects being left in the clipboard.
* Added import support for custom icons.
* Added {GOOGLECHROME} placeholder, which is replaced by the executable path of Google Chrome, if installed.
* Added {URL:RMVSCM} placeholder, which inserts the URL of the current entry without the scheme specifier.
* Added ability to search for UUIDs and group names.
* Toolbar searches now also search in UUIDs and group names.
* Added {DELAY=X} placeholder to specify a default delay of X milliseconds between standard keypresses in this sequence.
* Added option to disable verifying written database files.
* Attachment names in the entry view are now clickable (to open the attachments in the internal editor or viewer).
* Added Unicode support in entry details view.
* Added option to render menus and toolbars with gradient backgrounds (enabled by default).
* MRU lists now have numeric access keys.
* Added '--entry-url-open' command line option (specify the UUID of the entry as '--uuid:' command line parameter).
* Added 'Application initialized' trigger event.
* Added 'User interface state updated' trigger event.
* Added host reachability trigger condition.
* Added 'Active database has unsaved changes' trigger condition.
* Added 'Save active database' trigger action.
* Added database file synchronization trigger action.
* Added database file export trigger action.
* KeePass now restores the last view when opening databases.
* Added system-wide hot key to execute auto-type for the currently selected entry (configurable in the options).
* Added option to disable auto-type entry matching based on title (by default an entry matches if its title is contained in the target window title).
* Added option to disable marking TAN entries as expired when using them.
* Added option to focus the quick search box when restoring from tray (disabled by default).
* Added entry context menu commands to sort by UUID and file attachments.
* Custom string fields are now appended to the notes when exporting to KeePass 1.x KDB files.
* Enforced configuration files are now item-based (items not defined in the enforced configuration file are now loaded from the global/local configuration files instead of being set to defaults).
* File transactions are used when writing configuration files.
* KPScript: added 'ChangeMasterKey' command.
* ShInstUtil: added check for the presence of .NET.
* TrlUtil: added command under 'Import' that loads 2.x LNGX files without checking base hashes.
* TrlUtil: added control docking support.
* Plugin developers: added static window addition and removal events to the GlobalWindowManager class.
* Plugin developers: added ability to write custom dialog banner generators (CustomGenerator of BannerFactory).
* Plugin developers: the IOConnectionInfo of the database is now accessible through the key provider query context.
* Plugin developers: added static auto-type filter events (plugins can provide own placeholders, do sequence customizations like inserting delays, and provide alternative key sending methods).
* Plugin developers: added UIStateUpdated main window event.
Improvements / Changes:
* Simple text boxes now convert rich text immediately.
* Improved entry change detection (avoid unnecessary backups when closing the entry dialog with [OK] but without any changes; detect by content instead of change events).
* Header in entry selection dialog is now non-clickable.
* Entry list header now uses native sorting icons.
* Key providers are now remembered separately from key files.
* The main window is now the owner of the import method dialog.
* The global URL override is now also applied for main entry URLs in the entry details view.
* Improved grouping behavior when disabling entry sorting.
* Improved field mapping in RoboForm import.
* Root groups now support custom icons.
* In the entry dialog, string values are now copied to the clipboard instead of asterisks.
* Improved import/synchronization status dialog.
* Improved import/synchronization error message dialogs.
* Entry history items are now identified by the last modification time instead of last access time.
* The trigger system can now be accessed directly through 'Tools' -> 'Triggers...', not the options anymore.
* Changed order of commands in the 'Tools' menu.
* Improved auto-type target window validity checking.
* Ctrl-V does not make the main window lose the focus anymore if auto-type is disabled for the currently selected entry.
* When restoring from tray, the main window is now brought to the foreground.
* Double-clicking an icon in the icon picker dialog now chooses the icon and closes the dialog.
* When adding a custom icon to the database, the new icon is selected automatically.
* When opening a database by running KeePass.exe with the database file path as parameter (and single instance option enabled), the existing KeePass instance will not prompt for keys of previously locked databases anymore when restoring (they are just left in locked state).
* Unlocking routine doesn't display multiple dialogs anymore.
* Improved shortcut key handling in main window.
* Master key change success message now has a distinguishable window title.
* Improved start position and focus of the URL dialog.
* Improved layout in options dialog.
* Improved UUID and UI updates when removing custom icons.
* Improved window deconstruction when closing with [X].
* Improved user activity detection.
* Improved state updating of sorting context menu commands.
* Improved sorting by UUIDs.
* Improved naming of options to clarify their meaning.
* Converted ShInstUtil to a native application (in order to be able to show a warning in case .NET is not installed).
* Plugins: improved IOConnection to allow using registered custom WebRequest descendants (WebRequest.RegisterPrefix).
* TrlUtil: improved XML comments generation.
* Various code optimizations.
* Minor other improvements.
Bugfixes:
* Password profile derivation function doesn't incorrectly always add standard character ranges anymore.
* In-memory protection for the title field of new entries can be enabled now.
-DOWNLOAD-
KeePass Password Safe 2.09
Changes in 2.09
New Features:
* Added option to use file transactions when writing databases (enabled by default; writing to a temporary file and replacing the actual file afterwards avoids data loss when KeePass is prevented from saving the database completely).
* Added PLGX plugin file format.
* Enhanced database synchronization by structure merging (relocation/moving and reordering groups and entries).
* Added synchronization 'Recent Files' list (in 'File' menu).
* Synchronization / import: added merging of entry histories.
* Synchronization / import: backups of current entries are created automatically, if their data would be lost in the merging process.
* Database name, description, default user name, entry templates group and the recycle bin settings are now synchronized.
* Added {NEWPASSWORD} placeholder, which generates a new password for the current entry, based on the "Automatically generated passwords for new entries" generator profile; this placeholder is replaced once in an auto-type process, i.e. for a typical 'Old Password'-'New Password'-'Repeat New Password' dialog you can use {PASSWORD}{TAB}{NEWPASSWORD}{TAB}{NEWPASSWORD}{ENTER}.
* Added scheme-specific URL overrides (this way you can for example tell KeePass to open all http- and https-URLs with Firefox or Opera instead of the system default browser; PuTTY is set as handler for ssh-URLs by default; see Options -> Integration).
* Added option to drop to the background when copying data to the clipboard.
* Added option to use alternating item background colors in the main entry list (option enabled by default).
* The Ctrl+E shortcut key now jumps to the quick search box.
* Added auto-type sequence conversion routine to convert key codes between 1.x and 2.x format.
* Added workaround for internal queue issue in SendKeys.Flush.
* Added more simple clipboard backup routine to workaround clipboard issues when special formats are present.
* Added native clipboard clearing method to avoid empty data objects being left in the clipboard.
* Added import support for custom icons.
* Added {GOOGLECHROME} placeholder, which is replaced by the executable path of Google Chrome, if installed.
* Added {URL:RMVSCM} placeholder, which inserts the URL of the current entry without the scheme specifier.
* Added ability to search for UUIDs and group names.
* Toolbar searches now also search in UUIDs and group names.
* Added {DELAY=X} placeholder to specify a default delay of X milliseconds between standard keypresses in this sequence.
* Added option to disable verifying written database files.
* Attachment names in the entry view are now clickable (to open the attachments in the internal editor or viewer).
* Added Unicode support in entry details view.
* Added option to render menus and toolbars with gradient backgrounds (enabled by default).
* MRU lists now have numeric access keys.
* Added '--entry-url-open' command line option (specify the UUID of the entry as '--uuid:' command line parameter).
* Added 'Application initialized' trigger event.
* Added 'User interface state updated' trigger event.
* Added host reachability trigger condition.
* Added 'Active database has unsaved changes' trigger condition.
* Added 'Save active database' trigger action.
* Added database file synchronization trigger action.
* Added database file export trigger action.
* KeePass now restores the last view when opening databases.
* Added system-wide hot key to execute auto-type for the currently selected entry (configurable in the options).
* Added option to disable auto-type entry matching based on title (by default an entry matches if its title is contained in the target window title).
* Added option to disable marking TAN entries as expired when using them.
* Added option to focus the quick search box when restoring from tray (disabled by default).
* Added entry context menu commands to sort by UUID and file attachments.
* Custom string fields are now appended to the notes when exporting to KeePass 1.x KDB files.
* Enforced configuration files are now item-based (items not defined in the enforced configuration file are now loaded from the global/local configuration files instead of being set to defaults).
* File transactions are used when writing configuration files.
* KPScript: added 'ChangeMasterKey' command.
* ShInstUtil: added check for the presence of .NET.
* TrlUtil: added command under 'Import' that loads 2.x LNGX files without checking base hashes.
* TrlUtil: added control docking support.
* Plugin developers: added static window addition and removal events to the GlobalWindowManager class.
* Plugin developers: added ability to write custom dialog banner generators (CustomGenerator of BannerFactory).
* Plugin developers: the IOConnectionInfo of the database is now accessible through the key provider query context.
* Plugin developers: added static auto-type filter events (plugins can provide own placeholders, do sequence customizations like inserting delays, and provide alternative key sending methods).
* Plugin developers: added UIStateUpdated main window event.
Improvements / Changes:
* Simple text boxes now convert rich text immediately.
* Improved entry change detection (avoid unnecessary backups when closing the entry dialog with [OK] but without any changes; detect by content instead of change events).
* Header in entry selection dialog is now non-clickable.
* Entry list header now uses native sorting icons.
* Key providers are now remembered separately from key files.
* The main window is now the owner of the import method dialog.
* The global URL override is now also applied for main entry URLs in the entry details view.
* Improved grouping behavior when disabling entry sorting.
* Improved field mapping in RoboForm import.
* Root groups now support custom icons.
* In the entry dialog, string values are now copied to the clipboard instead of asterisks.
* Improved import/synchronization status dialog.
* Improved import/synchronization error message dialogs.
* Entry history items are now identified by the last modification time instead of last access time.
* The trigger system can now be accessed directly through 'Tools' -> 'Triggers...', not the options anymore.
* Changed order of commands in the 'Tools' menu.
* Improved auto-type target window validity checking.
* Ctrl-V does not make the main window lose the focus anymore if auto-type is disabled for the currently selected entry.
* When restoring from tray, the main window is now brought to the foreground.
* Double-clicking an icon in the icon picker dialog now chooses the icon and closes the dialog.
* When adding a custom icon to the database, the new icon is selected automatically.
* When opening a database by running KeePass.exe with the database file path as parameter (and single instance option enabled), the existing KeePass instance will not prompt for keys of previously locked databases anymore when restoring (they are just left in locked state).
* Unlocking routine doesn't display multiple dialogs anymore.
* Improved shortcut key handling in main window.
* Master key change success message now has a distinguishable window title.
* Improved start position and focus of the URL dialog.
* Improved layout in options dialog.
* Improved UUID and UI updates when removing custom icons.
* Improved window deconstruction when closing with [X].
* Improved user activity detection.
* Improved state updating of sorting context menu commands.
* Improved sorting by UUIDs.
* Improved naming of options to clarify their meaning.
* Converted ShInstUtil to a native application (in order to be able to show a warning in case .NET is not installed).
* Plugins: improved IOConnection to allow using registered custom WebRequest descendants (WebRequest.RegisterPrefix).
* TrlUtil: improved XML comments generation.
* Various code optimizations.
* Minor other improvements.
Bugfixes:
* Password profile derivation function doesn't incorrectly always add standard character ranges anymore.
* In-memory protection for the title field of new entries can be enabled now.
-DOWNLOAD-
KeePass Password Safe 2.09
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Firefox 3.5.3
(2009.09.09)
What's New in Firefox 3.5.3
Firefox 3.5.2 fixes the following issues:
* Several security issues.
* Fixed several stability issues.
Please see the complete list of changes in this version. You may also be interested in the Firefox 3.5.2 release notes for a list of changes in the previous version.
-DOWNLOAD-
Firefox 3.5.3 (Windows) / Other Systems and Languages
What's New in Firefox 3.5.3
Firefox 3.5.2 fixes the following issues:
* Several security issues.
* Fixed several stability issues.
Please see the complete list of changes in this version. You may also be interested in the Firefox 3.5.2 release notes for a list of changes in the previous version.
-DOWNLOAD-
Firefox 3.5.3 (Windows) / Other Systems and Languages
Firefox 3.0.14
(2009.09.09)
What's New in Firefox 3.0.14
Firefox 3.0.14 fixes several issues found in Firefox 3.0.13:
* Several security issues.
* Fixed several stability issues.
* See the Firefox 3.0.13 release notes for changes in previous releases.
See the complete list of bugs fixed.
-DOWNLOAD-
Firefox 3.0.14 (Windows) / Other Systems and Languages
What's New in Firefox 3.0.14
Firefox 3.0.14 fixes several issues found in Firefox 3.0.13:
* Several security issues.
* Fixed several stability issues.
* See the Firefox 3.0.13 release notes for changes in previous releases.
See the complete list of bugs fixed.
-DOWNLOAD-
Firefox 3.0.14 (Windows) / Other Systems and Languages
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.2 Update Build 20090908
(2009.09.08)
Update for:
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.x (Mega/Full/Standard/Basic/Corporate)
Changelog:
* Updated ffdshow to revision 3069
* Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.21
* Updated Codec tweak Tool to version 3.1.1
-DOWNLOAD-
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.2 Update Build 20090908
Update for:
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.x (Mega/Full/Standard/Basic/Corporate)
Changelog:
* Updated ffdshow to revision 3069
* Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.21
* Updated Codec tweak Tool to version 3.1.1
-DOWNLOAD-
K-Lite Codec Pack 5.1.2 Update Build 20090908
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Auslogics Disk Defrag 2.1.2.50
(2009.09.04)
Changes in 2.1.2.50
* added new languages
* fixed bugs
* improved installers
-DOWNLOAD-
Auslogics Disk Defrag 2.1.2.50
Changes in 2.1.2.50
* added new languages
* fixed bugs
* improved installers
-DOWNLOAD-
Auslogics Disk Defrag 2.1.2.50
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16381)
(2009.09.04)
Changes in build 16381
- Change: Disable Ask for unsupported 64-bit Windows
- Fix: Buffer overrun vulnerability
- Change: Conservative network locking in installer
-DOWNLOAD-
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16381)
Changes in build 16381
- Change: Disable Ask for unsupported 64-bit Windows
- Fix: Buffer overrun vulnerability
- Change: Conservative network locking in installer
-DOWNLOAD-
uTorrent 1.8.4 (build 16381)
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Foxit Reader 3.1.1 Build 0901
(2009.09.03)
Changes in 3.1.1 Build 0901
1. The reported issue of Foxit Reader 3.1.0.0824 crashing when users are viewing certain PDF files has been updated and is no longer a problem.
2. Fixed an issue where Foxit Reader may not be launched in the system without installing Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable.
-DOWNLOAD-
Foxit Reader 3.1.1 Build 0901
Changes in 3.1.1 Build 0901
1. The reported issue of Foxit Reader 3.1.0.0824 crashing when users are viewing certain PDF files has been updated and is no longer a problem.
2. Fixed an issue where Foxit Reader may not be launched in the system without installing Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable.
-DOWNLOAD-
Foxit Reader 3.1.1 Build 0901
K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.1.0
(2009.09.03)
Changelog:
* Updated ffdshow to revision 3065
* Updated Cyberlink MPEG-2 decoder to version 8.4.0.615
* Updated AC3Filter to version 1.63b
* Updated RealMedia splitter to version 1.3.1268.0
* Updated Codec tweak Tool to version 3.1.0
* New set of file type icons for Media Player Classic
* Fixed file properties Explorer tab of Haali shell extension
* Minor changes
-DOWNLOAD-
K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.1.0
Changelog:
* Updated ffdshow to revision 3065
* Updated Cyberlink MPEG-2 decoder to version 8.4.0.615
* Updated AC3Filter to version 1.63b
* Updated RealMedia splitter to version 1.3.1268.0
* Updated Codec tweak Tool to version 3.1.0
* New set of file type icons for Media Player Classic
* Fixed file properties Explorer tab of Haali shell extension
* Minor changes
-DOWNLOAD-
K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.1.0
Recuva 1.30.435
(2009.09.03)
Changes in 1.30.435
- Added recovery of emails from Outlook Express.
- Added recover of emails from Windows Mail.
- Added 'Email' filter.
- Fixed bug that could cause secure delete to fail in list view.
- Various bug fixes.
-DOWNLOAD-
Recuva 1.30.435
Changes in 1.30.435
- Added recovery of emails from Outlook Express.
- Added recover of emails from Windows Mail.
- Added 'Email' filter.
- Fixed bug that could cause secure delete to fail in list view.
- Various bug fixes.
-DOWNLOAD-
Recuva 1.30.435
CCleaner 2.23.999
(2009.09.03)
Changes in 2.23.999
- Improved Opera 10 support for final release.
- Fixed the "No Disk" exception error.
- Fixed %ProgramFiles% bug in 64-bit Registry scanning.
-DOWNLOAD-
CCleaner 2.23.999
Changes in 2.23.999
- Improved Opera 10 support for final release.
- Fixed the "No Disk" exception error.
- Fixed %ProgramFiles% bug in 64-bit Registry scanning.
-DOWNLOAD-
CCleaner 2.23.999
Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) Alpha 5
(2009.09.03)
Introduction
The Ubuntu developers are moving quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. The Karmic Koala Alpha 5 is the fifth alpha release of Ubuntu 9.10, bringing with it the earliest new features for the next version of Ubuntu.
This is an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released on October 29th, 2009.
Upgrading from Ubuntu 9.04
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 on a desktop system, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release '9.10' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 on a server system: install the update-manager-core package if it is not already installed; edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and set Prompt=normal; launch the upgrade tool with the command sudo do-release-upgrade; and follow the on-screen instructions.
New features in Karmic
Feature development for Karmic is happening with full speed. Please see the Karmic blueprint list for details.
Please test and report any bugs you find:
http://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs
Updated Packages
As with every new release, packages--applications and software of all kinds--are being updated at a rapid pace. Many of these packages come from an automatic sync from Debian's Unstable branch. For a list of all packages being accepted for 9.10 Karmic Koala, please subscribe to karmic-changes:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/karmic-changes
GNOME
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 5 includes the latest GNOME 2.27.91 development release.
Empathy has replaced Pidgin as the default instant messaging client, introducing the Telepathy framework.
The gdm 2.27.91 login manager is a complete rewrite compared to the version in earlier Ubuntu releases.
Kubuntu
Kubuntu includes its first Netbook release, Social from the Start and the latest KDE packages. See the Kubuntu technical overview
Ubuntu UEC
Alpha 5 includes alpha images for the Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC) and Amazon's EC2. You can try out the latest Karmic server alpha instantly on EC2 using a preconfigured AMI, or download an image and put it into your own cloud with UEC. For information on using Ubuntu UEC on Amazon EC2, see the EC2 Starter's Guide.
Ubuntu One file sharing
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 5 ships the Ubuntu One file sharing service by default, providing tightly integrated file synchronization of your computer with other computers and the Ubuntu One network storage service.
Linux kernel 2.6.31
Alpha 5 includes the 2.6.31-9.29 kernel based on 2.6.31-rc8. The kernel ships with Kernel Mode Setting enabled for Intel graphics (see below). linux-restricted-modules is deprecated in favour of DKMS packages.
hal deprecation
Karmic Alpha 5's underlying technology for power management, laptop hotkeys, and handling of storage devices and cameras maps has moved from "hal" (which is in the process of being deprecated) to "DeviceKit-power", "DeviceKit-disks" and "udev". When testing Alpha 5, please pay particular attention to regressions in those areas and report bugs.
New Intel video driver architecture available for testing
The Intel video driver has switched from the "EXA" acceleration method to the new "UXA". This solves major performance problems of Ubuntu 9.04, but could use further testing to flag any regressions it may bring.
Feedback about the new "kernel mode setting" feature is also heavily appreciated. This will reduce video mode switching flicker at booting, and dramatically speed up suspend/resume. Please see the instructions and feedback page for details.
New default compiler
Karmic uses GCC-4.4 as the default compiler, which in some parts is more strict than GCC-4.3, see list of changes. Please make sure to test packages on karmic or in a karmic chroot before upload.
ext4 by default
The new "ext4" filesystem is used by default for new installations of Karmic; of course, other filesystems are still available via the manual partitioner. Existing filesystems will not be upgraded.
If you have full backups and are confident, you can upgrade an existing ext3 filesystem to ext4 by following directions in the Ext4 Howto (note that the comments on that page at the time of writing about Ubuntu's use of vol_id vs. blkid are out of date and are not applicable to Karmic). Maximum performance will typically only be achieved on new filesystems, not on filesystems that have been upgraded from ext3.
GRUB 2 by default
GRUB 2 is the default boot loader for new installations of Karmic, replacing the previous GRUB "Legacy" boot loader. Existing systems will not be upgraded to GRUB 2 at this time, as automatically reinstalling the boot loader is an inherently risky operation.
If you wish to upgrade your system to GRUB 2, then see the GRUB 2 testing page for instructions. See also the upstream draft manual.
Some features are still missing relative to GRUB Legacy. Notable among these are lock/password support, an equivalent of grub-reboot, and Xen handling.
iSCSI installation
The iSCSI installation process has been improved, and no longer requires iscsi=true as a boot parameter; the installer will offer you the option of logging into iSCSI targets if there are no local disks, or you can select "Configure iSCSI" in the manual partitioner.
Putting the root filesystem on iSCSI is now supported.
Download Alpha 5
Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:
(Ubuntu Desktop, Server, and Netbook Remix)
(Ubuntu Server for UEC and EC2)
(Ubuntu Desktop for ARM)
(Kubuntu Desktop and Netbook)
(Xubuntu)
(Mythbuntu)
Known issues
As is to be expected at this stage of the release process, there are several known bugs that users are likely to run into with Karmic Alpha 5. We have documented them here for your convenience along with any known workarounds, so that you don't need to spend time reporting these bugs again:
# Users in some timezones will find that their filesystems must be checked (fsck) immediately after install due to a bug in the installer's clock handling. Investigation of this issue is ongoing, and we expect it will be resolved in Alpha 6. (423247)
# When using the OEM installation option, the desktop fails to come up after reboot for some users. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (403021)
# The OEM installer is reported to not correctly set up the end user account in Alpha 5. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (423042)
# Due to a bug in the python-boto package, when running ec2-run-instances to launch an EC2 instance you must pass an additional --user-data x option to the command. This bug will be fixed for Alpha 6. (419306)
# The virtual kernel image has been built without virtio drivers, so installing using the "minimal virtual" option from the Ubuntu Server Alpha 5 will result in an unusable system after reboot. This problem also affects users of the linux-image-virtual kernel package who have installed from earlier alphas. Users are advised to wait until Alpha 6 before installing or upgrading. (423426)
# Installation of an LTSP server using the alternate CD in Alpha 5 will be incomplete because some recommended packages are not installed. This bug will be resolved for Alpha 6. As a workaround, users can install the pulseaudio-esound-compat and dhcp3-server packages after installation. (423615)
Introduction
The Ubuntu developers are moving quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to offer. The Karmic Koala Alpha 5 is the fifth alpha release of Ubuntu 9.10, bringing with it the earliest new features for the next version of Ubuntu.
This is an alpha release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released on October 29th, 2009.
Upgrading from Ubuntu 9.04
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 on a desktop system, press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release '9.10' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 on a server system: install the update-manager-core package if it is not already installed; edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and set Prompt=normal; launch the upgrade tool with the command sudo do-release-upgrade; and follow the on-screen instructions.
New features in Karmic
Feature development for Karmic is happening with full speed. Please see the Karmic blueprint list for details.
Please test and report any bugs you find:
http://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs
Updated Packages
As with every new release, packages--applications and software of all kinds--are being updated at a rapid pace. Many of these packages come from an automatic sync from Debian's Unstable branch. For a list of all packages being accepted for 9.10 Karmic Koala, please subscribe to karmic-changes:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/karmic-changes
GNOME
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 5 includes the latest GNOME 2.27.91 development release.
Empathy has replaced Pidgin as the default instant messaging client, introducing the Telepathy framework.
The gdm 2.27.91 login manager is a complete rewrite compared to the version in earlier Ubuntu releases.
Kubuntu
Kubuntu includes its first Netbook release, Social from the Start and the latest KDE packages. See the Kubuntu technical overview
Ubuntu UEC
Alpha 5 includes alpha images for the Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC) and Amazon's EC2. You can try out the latest Karmic server alpha instantly on EC2 using a preconfigured AMI, or download an image and put it into your own cloud with UEC. For information on using Ubuntu UEC on Amazon EC2, see the EC2 Starter's Guide.
Ubuntu One file sharing
Ubuntu Karmic Alpha 5 ships the Ubuntu One file sharing service by default, providing tightly integrated file synchronization of your computer with other computers and the Ubuntu One network storage service.
Linux kernel 2.6.31
Alpha 5 includes the 2.6.31-9.29 kernel based on 2.6.31-rc8. The kernel ships with Kernel Mode Setting enabled for Intel graphics (see below). linux-restricted-modules is deprecated in favour of DKMS packages.
hal deprecation
Karmic Alpha 5's underlying technology for power management, laptop hotkeys, and handling of storage devices and cameras maps has moved from "hal" (which is in the process of being deprecated) to "DeviceKit-power", "DeviceKit-disks" and "udev". When testing Alpha 5, please pay particular attention to regressions in those areas and report bugs.
New Intel video driver architecture available for testing
The Intel video driver has switched from the "EXA" acceleration method to the new "UXA". This solves major performance problems of Ubuntu 9.04, but could use further testing to flag any regressions it may bring.
Feedback about the new "kernel mode setting" feature is also heavily appreciated. This will reduce video mode switching flicker at booting, and dramatically speed up suspend/resume. Please see the instructions and feedback page for details.
New default compiler
Karmic uses GCC-4.4 as the default compiler, which in some parts is more strict than GCC-4.3, see list of changes. Please make sure to test packages on karmic or in a karmic chroot before upload.
ext4 by default
The new "ext4" filesystem is used by default for new installations of Karmic; of course, other filesystems are still available via the manual partitioner. Existing filesystems will not be upgraded.
If you have full backups and are confident, you can upgrade an existing ext3 filesystem to ext4 by following directions in the Ext4 Howto (note that the comments on that page at the time of writing about Ubuntu's use of vol_id vs. blkid are out of date and are not applicable to Karmic). Maximum performance will typically only be achieved on new filesystems, not on filesystems that have been upgraded from ext3.
GRUB 2 by default
GRUB 2 is the default boot loader for new installations of Karmic, replacing the previous GRUB "Legacy" boot loader. Existing systems will not be upgraded to GRUB 2 at this time, as automatically reinstalling the boot loader is an inherently risky operation.
If you wish to upgrade your system to GRUB 2, then see the GRUB 2 testing page for instructions. See also the upstream draft manual.
Some features are still missing relative to GRUB Legacy. Notable among these are lock/password support, an equivalent of grub-reboot, and Xen handling.
iSCSI installation
The iSCSI installation process has been improved, and no longer requires iscsi=true as a boot parameter; the installer will offer you the option of logging into iSCSI targets if there are no local disks, or you can select "Configure iSCSI" in the manual partitioner.
Putting the root filesystem on iSCSI is now supported.
Download Alpha 5
Get it while it's hot. ISOs and torrents are available at:
(Ubuntu Desktop, Server, and Netbook Remix)
(Ubuntu Server for UEC and EC2)
(Ubuntu Desktop for ARM)
(Kubuntu Desktop and Netbook)
(Xubuntu)
(Mythbuntu)
Known issues
As is to be expected at this stage of the release process, there are several known bugs that users are likely to run into with Karmic Alpha 5. We have documented them here for your convenience along with any known workarounds, so that you don't need to spend time reporting these bugs again:
# Users in some timezones will find that their filesystems must be checked (fsck) immediately after install due to a bug in the installer's clock handling. Investigation of this issue is ongoing, and we expect it will be resolved in Alpha 6. (423247)
# When using the OEM installation option, the desktop fails to come up after reboot for some users. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (403021)
# The OEM installer is reported to not correctly set up the end user account in Alpha 5. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. (423042)
# Due to a bug in the python-boto package, when running ec2-run-instances to launch an EC2 instance you must pass an additional --user-data x option to the command. This bug will be fixed for Alpha 6. (419306)
# The virtual kernel image has been built without virtio drivers, so installing using the "minimal virtual" option from the Ubuntu Server Alpha 5 will result in an unusable system after reboot. This problem also affects users of the linux-image-virtual kernel package who have installed from earlier alphas. Users are advised to wait until Alpha 6 before installing or upgrading. (423426)
# Installation of an LTSP server using the alternate CD in Alpha 5 will be incomplete because some recommended packages are not installed. This bug will be resolved for Alpha 6. As a workaround, users can install the pulseaudio-esound-compat and dhcp3-server packages after installation. (423615)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
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