First look at the distribution of Ubuntu 12.10

A few days ago came out the next version of one of the most popular flavors of Linux.Change, apparent even to the common user in Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal enough.Even changed the approach to the formation of the Boot Drive Desktop version: inCanonical no longer try to fit on a CD, so the image size up to 800 MB. Company and refused to drive with an alternative text installer because of the appearance of nearly all of its functionality (support for LVM partition and disk encryption) in a graphical form.Image of the support for deployment of a network, however, will not actually gone . 

In Ubuntu 12.10 upgraded components of application and system software: The release includes applications GNOME 3.6 (except for the new version of Nautilus  - Canonical developers did not like the changes made ​​to the team of Nautilus GNOME, and they have kept in the distribution version 3.4), GNU / Linux kernel branch 3.5 ( default back I / O scheduler Deadline), xserver 1.13, Mesa 9.0, KDE 4.9, XFCE 4.10 etc. A full list of the innovations found on the project site, and we move on from the version numbers to things more mundane.

Ubuntu 12.10 desktop

Distribution acquired support UEFI signed by key Microsoft staff loader without additional layers of abstraction. In this case, the kernel is not signed, and using GRUB 2 of Ubuntu 12.10, you can run any system. At least in theory - check it out in practice has not left yet because of the lack of devices on hand with UEFI Secure Boot.

In accordance with the previously voiced intentions , excluded from the distribution written in Qt shell Unity 2D. Now firmware shell Canonical can work through llvmpipe (driver Gallium3D) and does not require the presence of a modern graphics card. In Compiz added support for OpenGL ES 2.0, which will later allow Unity to run on mobile devices.

The most interesting changes have UI and shell Unity. It is worth noting the many improvements, such as the pre-show advanced information about the files and directories or filter photos by tags and data EXIF. Online accounts are now configured centrally and integrated with client programs. For instance, if you add the account Google, you will be able to exchange messages through Empathy, post photos from Shotwell to Picasa, as well as searching in  Google Docs and photos to Picasa through Unity Dash.

Online accounts in Ubuntu 12.10

In Unity added a lens for online trading services - unity-lens-shopping. Now in the SERPs is a section of additional proposals. 

Search online stores

While we are talking only about shopping at Amazon and the Ubuntu One Music Store, but with time Canonical can start cooperation with other advertisers. These services only receive anonymous data through the transit server developer distribution, so that the problems of confidentiality will not be. In addition, the privacy settings can stop operating online search, so the new lens does not even have to be uninstalled.

Privacy settings in Ubuntu 12.10

Last innovation, to which you should pay attention: with Ubuntu 12.10, Canonical has been actively working on the seamless integration of web applications in a user interface. We have already written , so it will not be repeated. Especially since the results are modest. The most notable of them - two icons in the sidebar Unity (shop Amazon and Ubuntu One), who open the site in a browser. From the traditional way of working with sites novelty is its own icon and adapted to the context menu of the service Unity. Yet prospects Webapps obvious: users increasingly prefer Web applications locally programs.

The overall impression leaves a good distribution. I thought it was more stable thanUbuntu 12.04 with long support. At least three days of Compiz fell not once a system error message in Ubuntu 12.10, I do not see it. In addition, the user interface in Quantal Quetzal was substantially completed, so that the transition to the new version makes sense. 

Shortly after the release, Mark Shuttleworth posted a message about changing strategies to integrate innovations in Ubuntu. Stage for the controversial innovation community discussion in the early stages of development will not be, and these new items will be presented is completely ready for use. Apparently, it is a created fierce controversy integration with online trading platforms and the like.