Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx) Release Candidate

(2010.04.22)

Introduction
The Ubuntu team is happy to bring you the latest and greatest software the Open Source community has to offer. Our newest release, the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Release Candidate, brings a host of exciting new features for users.

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.

To upgrade from Ubuntu 8.04 LTS: follow the same instructions as for the appropriate Ubuntu 9.10 upgrade, but set Prompt=lts instead of Prompt=normal.

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Local mirrors are also available:

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GNOME
Ubuntu 10.04 LTS RC includes the latest GNOME desktop environment with a number of great new features.

Linux kernel 2.6.32
Ubuntu 10.04 LTS RC includes the 2.6.32-21.32 kernel based on 2.6.32.11.

KDE SC 4.4
Kubuntu 10.04 LTS RC features the new KDE SC 4.4. For more information about new features in Kubuntu, see the Kubuntu technical overview.

HAL removal
This release fully removes HAL from the boot process, 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 from the Start
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 boot experience
Multiple changes to look, feel and speed of the boot experience have been included in the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Release Candidate.

New Indicators
The notification area now features more consistent user experience and design for communication, session management, and many other tasks. See the application indicators page for information on this change.

New Themes
The desktop has been beautified with the addition of two brand new themes, Ambiance and Radiance. New wallpaper and icons are also included.
Ubuntu One File Syncing

Select any folder in your home directory for sync, pick from your existing contacts when sharing folders. An updated preferences application has been added, with more features.

Ubuntu One Music Store
Millions of songs are available for purchase from your Ubuntu desktop, integrated with the Rhythmbox Music Player and using Ubuntu One cloud storage for backup and easy sync.

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.

Security 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, it is important that you run sudo apt-get install libmysqlclient16/lucid and follow the instructions.

Known issues
There are a small number of known bugs that users may run into with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS RC which will be fixed before the final release. We have documented them here for your convenience along with any known workarounds.

For a full list of errata for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, please see the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS release notes.

* LVM, RAID, or encrypted block devices are incorrectly limited to 2TiB. This issue will be resolved for the 10.04 LTS release. (543838)

* In some cases, the partitioner will fail with the error message "Unable to satisfy all constraints" when using previously existing partitions. This bug will be resolved for the 10.04 LTS release; users encountering it are advised to wait for the fix in the final release. (558382)

* Support for XFS and JFS is missing from the Ubuntu LiveCD. Users who need support for the XFS or JFS filesystems on their Ubuntu desktop at install time can install using one of the other installation media (Ubuntu alternate CD or Ubuntu DVD), or can wait for the final release of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. (568024)

* A memory leak in the X server's handling of 3D rendering will cause systems that use the default compiz window manager to become sluggish over time. This bug is being actively investigated and a resolution is expected for the final release of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. (565981)

Help Spread the Word About Ubuntu 10.04 LTS

New banners are available for counting down the days until the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS release:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/countdown

You can add the countdown banner to your website to help build excitement for the new release as the date approaches.

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/