Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy Heron” is now a Beta

Ubuntu Linux has released the beta version of Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy Heron” with a number of improvements over Ubuntu 7.10 “Gutsy Gibbon.”

Some of the changes have been available since Alpha 6, but the goodies in this beta include

• The new 2.6.24 kernel with many significant improvements over the kernel used for Ubuntu Gutsy
• Xorg 7.2, with better autoconfiguration and a more minimal configuration file
• GNOME 2.22, the newest version of the GNOME desktop environment including the latest version of the Nautilus file manager
• A new Policy Kit which makes it easier to grant users specific levels of authorization
• Pulse Audio us now the default audio system, taking over from ALSA and OSS
• Firefox 3 Beta 4 is the new default web browser. Please Note: This is a beta version and is not recommended for general use. Many things are changing in Firefox 3, including the user profile. Profiles for Firefox 3 should never be shared with Firefox 2, because Firefox 2 simply cannot read them. If you are not comfortable with using beta software, including with the risk of things breaking in the course of development, you should remove Firefox 3 and install Firefox 2 with the Synaptic Package Manager.(I personally like Firefox 3, especially since I use Zoomer 0.9 to give me the old school text zoom, but I strongly disagree with Ubuntu’s decision to include a beta web browser as the default. I still think users should have to specifically opt-in to using a beta web browser as their default browser.)
• The Transmission Bit Torrent client is now installed by default, making it easier to obtain legal files over Bit Torrent networks.
• The xvnc4viewer has been removed as the default VNC client, and has been replaced by Vinagre
• Brasero CD burning application takes over for Serpentine, making it even easier to burn CDs and DVDs. I’ve used both programs and love Brasero.
• As I mentioned before, the Calendar panel applet has been replaced with the International Clock applet which now includes weather information for your desired locations
• and much more, including better demo support that lets you run it under Windows to see if Ubuntu may be right for you

There’s also a beautiful new default wallpaper for Hardy that gets away from the rather bland wallpapers of earlier versions of Ubuntu. I think you’ll like it.

Of course this is still a beta release, with the final release scheduled for 24 April, and as a beta release it is not recommended for use on your regular computer. Some programs are still getting updated and some bugs are still getting fixed so if you use it on your production (regular use) computer you should have your important data backed up first. Now would be a great time to go through the wonderful checklist that Nanci wrote about. And for those who do install the beta, as long as you take all of the updates that come down the pipe your computer will up to date as the Release Candidates and the final version of Ubuntu Hardy are released.

For all the details check out the official announcement, the Introduction to Ubuntu 8.04 Beta and grab an ISO disk image that you can burn to a disk so you an see how Ubuntu Hardy can run on your current hardware. Remember, you can run the LiveCD without installing anything or interfering with your current operating system in any way, although Ubuntu does run slower from the LiveCD than it will from your hard drives.