Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx) Alpha 3

(2010.02.25)

Introduction
The Ubuntu developers are moving quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source community has to offer. The Lucid Lynx Alpha 3 is the third alpha release of Ubuntu 10.04, 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 April 29, 2010.

Upgrading from Ubuntu 9.10 or Ubuntu 8.04 LTS
To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.10 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 '10.04' is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.

To upgrade from Ubuntu 9.10 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 -d; and follow the on-screen instructions.

New features in Lucid
Feature development for Lucid is happening with full speed. Please see the Lucid 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 Testing branch. For a list of all packages being accepted for 10.04 Lucid Lynx, please subscribe to lucid-changes:

https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/lucid-changes

GNOME
Ubuntu Lucid Alpha 3 includes the latest GNOME desktop environment with a number of great new features.

Linux kernel 2.6.32
Alpha 3 includes the 2.6.32-14.20 kernel based on 2.6.32.8.

KDE SC 4.4
Alpha 3 of Kubuntu features the new KDE SC 4.4. For more information about new features in Kubuntu, see https://wiki.kubuntu.org/LucidLynx/Alpha3/Kubuntu.

Hal removal
Lucid Alpha 3 sports full removal of the hal package, making Ubuntu faster to boot and faster to resume from suspend.

Major new version of likewise-open
The likewise-open package, which provides Active Directory authentication and server support for Linux, has been updated to version 5.4. The package supports upgrades from both the officially supported versions 4.0 (Ubuntu 8.04 LTS) and 4.1 (Ubuntu 9.10), as well as the likewise-open5 packages from universe.

Since this upgrade involves a lot of configuration file changes and in-place database upgrades, testing and feedback is appreciated.

New default open source driver for nVidia hardware
The Nouveau video driver is now the default for nVidia hardware. This driver provides kernel mode setting, which will give improved resolution detection. This driver provides hardware accelerated 2D functionality, like the -nv driver it replaces. The nouveau driver is being actively developed upstream and we anticipate this will enable faster bug fixes for problems encountered.

Improved support for nVidia proprietary graphics drivers
Three different NVIDIA proprietary drivers are currently available: nvidia-current (190.53), nvidia-173, and nvidia-96. Thanks to a new alternatives system, it is now possible to install all three of these packages at the same time (although it is only possible to have one configured for use at a time).

Social By Default
We now feature built in integration with Twitter, identi.ca, Facebook, and other social networks with the MeMenu in the panel, which is built upon the Gwibber project, which has a completely new, more reliable backend built on top of desktopcouch. Gwibber now also supports a multi-column view for monitoring multiple feeds simultaneously.

New features for Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC)
The Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud installer has been vastly improved in order to support alternative installation topologies. UEC components are now automatically discovered and registered, including for complex topologies. Finally, UEC is now powered by Eucalyptus 1.6.2 codebase.

Download Alpha 3
(Ubuntu Desktop and Server)
(Ubuntu Server for UEC and EC2)
(Kubuntu Desktop and Netbook Remix)
(Xubuntu)
(Edubuntu)
(Mythbuntu)
(Ubuntu Studio)

Issue when upgrading from Lucid Alpha 2
If you installed Lucid prior to Alpha 3, you may have libmysqlclient16 7.0.9-1 installed. This package was present in the Ubuntu archive by mistake and was retracted, but because it has a later version number than the real libmysqlclient16 package, the real package will not be installed automatically on upgrade. To ensure that you have the official package installed on your Lucid system and will receive security support for it throughout Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, please run sudo apt-get install libmysqlclient16/lucid and follow the instructions.

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 Lucid Alpha 3. 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:

    * On video hardware that supports KMS, the live CD sometimes does not reboot successfully, instead displaying the boot logo indefinitely. To work around this, you will need to power down the system manually. Investigation of this issue is ongoing. As a workaround, users can boot from a USB stick instead of from a CD. (506418)

    * When running on Ubuntu Server, the plymouth boot splash screen does not exit after the system is booted. To get to a console login after boot, you must press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to switch to VT1. Work on correcting this for the 10.04 release is ongoing. (506297)

    * Console keyboard selections made at install time may not be correctly respected on reboot, leaving users with the default US keyboard map. This issue affects all images, but is mostly of concern to users of Ubuntu Server. This bug is expected to be resolved shortly after Alpha 3. (524439)

    * Because of the new alternatives system used for nvidia driver packages, the nvidia installer from NVIDIA's website currently doesn't work.

    * The fglrx binary driver for ATI video chipsets does not yet support the X server in Lucid. As a workaround, users should use the open source -ati driver instead. (506656)

    * OEM setup mode does not work from the Alpha 3 Desktop CD, because the post-reboot configuration tool is not present. As a workaround, users can use the alternate CD for OEM installs. (527641)

Reporting bugs
It should come as no surprise that this alpha release of Lucid Lynx contains other bugs. Your comments, bug reports, patches and suggestions will help fix bugs and improve future releases. Please report bugs using the tools provided.

If you want to help out with bugs, the Bug Squad is always looking for help.

Participate in Ubuntu
If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways you can participate at

http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/