Kubuntu 7.04 - Feistier than Ever

April 19, 2007 - Kubuntu 7.04 has been released and is available for download now.

Kubuntu 7.04 stepped over the edge, becoming the feistiest release to date. Improved desktop, updated applications and increased usability features are just a few of the surprises with this latest release. The goal for Kubuntu 7.04, codenamed Feisty Fawn, was to continue on the creation of a secure and stable environment, working towards the perfect KDE based operating system. Starting with the excellent base of Ubuntu and an implementation of KDE, Kubuntu 7.04 set out to smooth the rough edges and polish the future of Kubuntu. The development team has succeeded and is very happy to bring you this new release. We hope you enjoy your Kubuntu 7.04 system.

Screenshots are available at LinuxQuestions Kubuntu Screenshots.

To download Kubuntu 7.04, go to:

• http://www.kubuntu.org/download.php
• Upgrade from 6.10 (Edgy) using the instructions below

New in Kubuntu 7.04

Here is what's new in Kubuntu 7.04

Desktop

The K Desktop Environment, a powerful graphical desktop environment, combines the ease of use, contemporary functionality, and outstanding graphical design with the technological superiority of the Kubuntu operating system. The stable release of KDE in Kubuntu 7.04 is version 3.5.6.

System Management

Kubuntu has once again restructured the way you manage your system. Split into General and Advanced, all aspects of system management are right at your fingertips. Look & Feel, Network & Connectivity, and System Administration are just a couple of the sections available for configuration. New to 7.04 is the Wine Applications configuration, so if you are using Wine to run Windows applications, this new configuration utility will be your new friend.

Printer Management

New to 7.04 is special printer management for owners of Hewlett Packard printers. For users who do not own one of these printers the basic printer configuration is still available via the Systems Settings application. Printer configuration, management, and sharing have never been easier. Printer sharing is now available with your installation of Kubuntu. For the HP printers we urge you to try out the new HPLIP Toolbox (KMenu -> System -> HPLIP Toolbox (Printer Toolbox)).

Power Management

Guidance Power Manager has been improved even further for 7.04. You now have the option to select how you would like to scale your CPU while using the power of the battery on your laptop. Dynamic, Powersave and Performance are your options for scaling. There are also options for how your system should react when you close the laptop lid and how to handle low power from the battery.

Photo Management

Digikam, Gwenview, Kooka, KPDF and KSnapshot have you covered for your graphics and photo management needs. For those old photos you have stored in a drawer, use your scanner with Kooka and get to scanning. Once you have scanned in your new photos, fire up digiKam to import and manage those photos. Gwenview is the viewing utility of choice for viewing your saved images and with KPDF you can view all of the PDFs as you wish. Want to show off your groovy Kubuntu system to your friends and family? Press the print screen key and take that screenshot with KSnapshot.

Multimedia

Watch your videos, listen to your music and rip your CDs with Kubuntu. K3b (version 1.0) is the CD and DVD one-stop-shop. Whether you need to copy, rip or burn, K3b is the application you have forever longed for. Get your energy by watching videos with the Kaffeine media player, and with a couple of extra clicks and configurations watch your favourite DVDs. Music has never been sweeter when using the Amarok music player. Whether you are playing your ripped albums or you streaming from neighbour on Last.fm, Amarok has the note for you.

Local Help

New in 7.04 is the use of a topic based help system. Gone are the times of handbooks when you are looking for help. The new system was designed after research into the various types of help systems. Now when you go to KMenu -> Help, and you click the Kubuntu System Documentation, help should be easier. View this documentation by going to KMenu -> Help or by opening Konqueror and clicking on System Documentation.

Networking

KNetworkManager, the new network manager for Kubuntu, makes it easier to manage your network connections, both ethernet and wireless, no matter the encryption, safely and easily. Zeroconf (zero configuration) is enabled by default allowing you to easily connect to services on your local network. So no matter your networking experience or your type of connection, Kubuntu has you covered.

OEM Installation

The OEM Installer has received a much needed facelift making it easier to setup and configure. The installer allows PC manufacturers and OEMs to install Kubuntu onto a system and when the end user receives the system they are provided the ability to input information specific to them.

WinFOSS - Windows Free Software

Not only can you use Kubuntu and install Kubuntu from the Desktop CD or the DVD, but you also have some popular Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) available to install on your Microsoft Windows operating system. Advantages of this software include being absolutely free of charge, being free to modify and being free to copy and distribute. The applications provided are: Scribus, an advanced desktop publishing utility; Mozilla Firefox, a secure and fast web browser and Mozilla Thunderbird, a full-featured email client - reclaim your inbox!

Localisation

https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/feisty/+translations

• Integration of language install with KDE's language configuration.
• Automatic setup of non-Latin input methods
• Menu item translations included in language packs for faster integration of new and updated translations, provided through Rosetta.
• Due to the late opening of documentation translations, translations for the Kubuntu documentation will be in the first set of updates.

Server

The Ubuntu server edition builds on the functionality from the previous release simplifying common Linux server deployments. Included is a major virtualisation support initiative. On x86 systems with the Intel VT or AMD-V extensions, Kernel-based Virtual Machine support (KVM) allows users to run multiple virtual machines running unmodified Linux. Each virtual machine has private virtualised hardware: a network card, disk, graphics adapter and so on. Also included is VMI support which provides optimised performance under VMWare. All server packages are available for installation from the Kubuntu DVD as well as the Ubuntu Server CD

Under the Hood

• GCC 4.1.2
• Glibc 2.5
• Python 2.5
• Linux 2.6.20

KDE 4!

Feeling brave? Want to help develop Kubuntu with KDE 4 in the future? Now in the repositories is the latest development snapshot of KDE 4. Do note that it is highly unstable and is used for development purposes only, at this time.

Downloading

http://www.kubuntu.org/download.php
Please download using BitTorrent if possible - torrent download files (.torrent) are located within the download page provided by the selected mirror location. Thank You!

Requirements

• CDs require 700MB media.
• Desktop install requires at least 256MB of RAM and 3GB of available hard drive space.
• Server install requires at least 64MB of RAM and 500MB of available hard drive space.

Kubuntu is available for download on two types of images. These images are:

• Desktop CD: The desktop CD includes a live system which allows you to try Kubuntu without changing your computer at all, and provides you with the option to install it permanently. This is the most common type of CD image that is downloaded, as the installation process is easier for new users. You will need at least 256MB of RAM to install from this CD.
• Alternate CD: The alternate CD allows you to perform custom or expert, installations of Kubuntu. It is required for setting up automated deployments, upgrading from older installations without network access, LVM and/or RAID partitioning, installing GRUB (Boot Loader) to a location other than the Master Boot Record and for systems with less than 256MB of RAM.

There are three various file types for each image. These file types are:

• ISO: This is the actual CD image and will be downloaded directly from a mirror server.
• Torrent: This is a Torrent file, which is seeded by people around the world using BitTorrent clients. This is the recommended download type, as it usually proves to be quicker during heavy traffic times.
• Jigdo: This is Jigsaw Download, jigdo for short, which is a tool designed to ease the distribution of very large files over the internet.

Once you have downloaded the correct CD image, you will need to burn it use a CD burner (CD-RW). For assistance in burning the images to a CD, please review https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto.

Upgrading from 6.10 (Edgy Eft)

Users of Kubuntu 6.10 can upgrade to 7.04 over the internet by using the new Kubuntu Distribution Upgrade Tool.

1. Open the Adept Manager by going to KMenu -> System -> Adept Manager (Manage Packages).
2. In Adept -> Manage Repositories enable edgy-updates (or feisty-updates "Recommended Updates" if you are already on feisty)
3. If you are using the Edgy KDE 3.5.6 repository, also add
   deb http://kubuntu.org/packages/kde-356-pre-feisty-upgrade/ edgy main
4. If your system is up to date, the upgrade wizard will appear or you can choose it via the Version Upgrade button. Otherwise:
1. Press the Full Upgrade button.
2. Press the Apply Changes button.
3. Once the packages are installed, exit the Adept Manager (Adept -> Quit).
4. Repeat the initial steps (1-4).

Feedback and Helping

We welcome feedback and help with making the next version of Kubuntu.

Comments can be left on https://wiki.kubuntu.org/KubuntuFeistyComments.

Any known problems can be found at http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/704.

For support and/or bug issues, report them on Launchpad:

• Bugs: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+bugs
• Support: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+tickets

If you have any questions, please try asking on one of the following:

• IRC: Server irc.ubuntu.com, Channel #kubuntu
• Kubuntu Users Mailing List: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/kubuntu-users
• Kubuntu Forums: http://www.kubuntuforums.net
• Ubuntu Forums: http://www.ubuntuforums.org

Visit https://wiki.kubuntu.org/HelpingKubuntu if you are interested in helping the Kubuntu team.

Contact

For more information about Kubuntu visit our website at http://www.kubuntu.org

Press contact:

• Jonathan Riddell +44 (0)7941 938912 (Scotland)