6 ms·

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin) Beta 1 Released.

86 points by Garbage 15y ago

bobbles 15y ago
Dunno if this is the right place to say it but there's a typo in the very first feature listing "taping" should be "tapping".
yepreally 15y ago
Looking forward to 12.04. I liked Unity in 11.10 despite the community backlash. They need to move the "dock" horizontal and on bottom though, and let you reorganize the dock even after an app is locked into it. Basically, they should recreate OS X's interface except without the silly widgets. Also, the software download manager is nasty-ish in 11.10. It gets locked up quite a bit without being able to see why, and you have no way to stop download/installs other than killing it or restarting. Finally, the lack of a screensaver in Unity nor the ability to easily change display settings by right-clicking on the desktop is stupid.
- mixmastamyk 15y ago
  Horizontal docks waste a lot of precious vertical space on widescreen monitors.
  - replax 15y ago
    I agree. While it might take some time to get used to at first, I think it's worth it. In the end, you will be able to use more of your screen, because honestly, most applications are not optimised for 16:9 (/10) screens.
    - ekianjo 15y ago
      > take some time I boot Ubuntu almost everyday, and I still happen to position my mouse at the bottom when I want to access the application bar, before realising that nothing comes up and I went in the wrong place. It's funny how the screen setup has become just like a reflex after years and years of practice. It's really hard to get used to new choices in design.
      - replax 15y ago
        About how long have you been using Ubuntu with the vertical application bar for? I know it is highly personal, but I am trying to figure out a rough amount of time... I have never really been a user of Ubuntu myself but when I (mainly) switched to Linux from Windows, it only took a couple of day to get used to it. Then again, I was never clicking the icons in the application bar before (win key -> typing -> enter).
        ekianjo 15y ago
        i installed 11.10 in december, so about 3 months ago now. I should add that i use opensuse a lot on another machine, with an horizontal cairo dock, so i am not always on Ubuntu standards. I really like the win key to start programs, though.
      - whatusername 15y ago
        I boot Win7 every day and OSX a few times a week. I was on a colleagues PC (winXP) yesterday and couldn't work out why when I moved my mouse to the left-hand-side of the screen there was no dock. Seriously -- If you have a normal laptop / modern screen -- it's time to switch. It will take some time to adjust -- but it's worth it for the vertical space you reclaim.
    - regularfry 15y ago
      Where is the back button in your browser?
      - kbutler 15y ago
        On my keyboard.
  - cobychapple 15y ago
    Auto-hide FTW.
    - SkyMarshal 15y ago
      Yup, enabled by default.
      - fader 15y ago
        It's not enabled by default in 12.04 Beta 1 (at least not on my image that I installed last night). There have been some changes with the behavior of the launcher to make it less likely to open accidentally when hidden, though; maybe the default settings have been moved around some as well.
- SkyMarshal 15y ago
  >Also, the software download manager is nasty-ish in 11.10. Truth. I still use aptitude, synaptic, and gdebi when possible. Hope they unbloat USC and speed it up in future iterations. /second everything else, except I don't much care what they do with the dock as long as it can be set to autohide. Launchers like Gnome-do and Synapse > dock imho.
- tuxychandru 15y ago
  Icons in the launcher can be moved around by clicking and holding them for a second.
- lucian1900 15y ago
  When I used OS X I put the dock on the left side to save vertical space.
SkyMarshal 15y ago
>The technology that allows GPUs to go into a very low power consumption state when the GPU is idle (RC6) is now enabled by default for Sandy Bridge systems, which should result in considerable power savings when this stage is activated. Awesome. Now they just need to get Optimus and Switchable Graphics working. Also, nice of them to list the changes for the other Ubuntu variants as well, even though they're not officially supported. Didn't realize they did this.
- arianb 15y ago
  > Awesome. Now they just need to get Optimus and Switchable Graphics working. Would that they could. There is some work going on in bumblebee and its branches, but some of the design decisions made in X Server make it nigh-impossible to actually implement. Wayland might, though.
yxhuvud 15y ago
> * A new way to quickly search and access any desktop application's > and indicator's menu, called the HUD, can be accessed by taping the > Alt key and entering characters. I don't tend to be complain alot about updates of Ubuntu, but I really hope that button is customizable. I'd not be happy if I'd have to rebind meta key in emacs.
- disgruntledphd2 15y ago
  I don't complain either, but I don't see why its not the super key, as that brings up the dash in Ubunto 11.0[410].
- strictfp 15y ago
  Yes, and having to use tape seems really unhandy :P
- ot 15y ago
  I have the same concern but I'm sure a lot of Ubuntu developer are heavy Emacs users, they must have worked out a way to conciliate the two.
- lvillani 15y ago
  It doesn't trigger the HUD if you type a key sequence but it's quite easy to activate it nonetheless. Anyway, the command below is all that's needed to disable it. gconftool-2 -s /apps/compiz-1/plugins/unityshell/screen0/options/show_hud -t string '' You can also take the scenic route and use CCSM.
timc3 15y ago
I spun up 12.04 desktop on physical hardware with discreet nvidia graphic card ( I have a lot of experience with server ) and I must say I was hugely impressed by the usability of the system. Without thinking about it I was clearly able to get work done, navigate the system, access network shares. If only I could have illustrator, Photoshop and the other graphics apps I use daily I expect I would be more than happy. Would totally recommend checking 12.04 out.
- dchuk 15y ago
  The Adobe stack is really the only thing that keeps me on OS X. I'd much prefer to code on a system that shares the exact same stack as what I host with.
  - arianb 15y ago
    It's for this reason that I use Vagrant (http://vagrantup.com/ http://vagrantup.com/) - don't have to care what my development workstation is; I just spin up a virtual machine to hack and test in. :)
    - timc3 15y ago
      So you spin up an instance with Adobe software in?
      - Ecio78 15y ago
        I think he means he uses a local virtualbox virtual machine for all his development stuff so he doesnt need to care about which OS (win, linux, osx) is running on his physical machine.
        arianb 15y ago
        I should have been more clear, but this is what I meant.
      - maaku 15y ago
Drbble 15y ago
It took a year, but Linux graphics finally runs on Sandy Bridge hardware: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel_sandy_2011&num=1 http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel...
esolyt 15y ago
Are the application developers supposed to add any functionality to HUD or it just recognizes menu items automagically?
- fader 15y ago
  It populates from the menus themselves, using the framework already developed to pull the menu entries into the Unity panel. I believe it is possible to expand beyond this (e.g. having 'synonyms' recognized by the HUD) but it's still early days.
ramblerman 15y ago
how stable is it? Can I upgrade my development environment, or are there still a lot of issues?
- ttt_ 15y ago
  If stability is important to you, then I'd suggest waiting for at least the Release Candidate, though the actual release of a LTS version is probably as stable as you can get (considering a new release).
  - JshWright 15y ago
    Ubuntu doesn't do Release Candidates anymore (at least for LTS releases...). There is another Beta scheduled for March 29th, with a final release on April 26th. In my opinion, if stability is really your top priority, wait until after the first point release (12.04.1) on July 19th. My 10.04 boxen will be staying at 10.04.4 until after 12.04.1 has been out for a little while.
indiecore 15y ago
Downloading the Xubuntu release now, hopefully it fixes the few little problems I've had since I switched desktop managers. Also, I've completely clogged my pipes this morning with OS beta downloads, first Win 8, now this.
ajarmoniuk 15y ago
Doesn't work on my T500 (Intel i915 graphics). Shows black screen after everything loads. Does anyone else have this?
- SkyMarshal 15y ago
  Did you try increasing the screen brightness with the keyboard function? Happens to me too, but it's the brightness getting set to 0.
- ralphc 15y ago
  There was some switch around 9.10, different drivers or kernels or something. Here's what I used to get Lucid working on an old Gateway with a i915, it might work for you. http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2010/05/06/ubuntu-10-04-lucid-blank-screen-at-startup-workaround/ http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2010/05/06/ubuntu-10-04-lucid-bl...
rdtsc 15y ago
Loaded it on a MacBook. Works well. I really like the UI. It looks like they put a good amount of work into it.
- SkyMarshal 15y ago
  MacBook Pro or Air?
  - rdtsc 15y ago
    Older, regular MacBook (not Pro or Air). [Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4GHz].
ralphc 15y ago
I upgraded three things at once - OSX Lion, VMWare Fusion 4, and Ubuntu 12.04 - and one or more of those things enabled the fancy graphics, windows fade in and out, the nicer task switcher, all that when you enable 3d graphics in the VM.

86 points by Garbage 15y ago

Dunno if this is the right place to say it but there's a typo in the very first feature listing "taping" should be "tapping".

yepreally 15y ago

Looking forward to 12.04. I liked Unity in 11.10 despite the community backlash. They need to move the "dock" horizontal and on bottom though, and let you reorganize the dock even after an app is locked into it. Basically, they should recreate OS X's interface except without the silly widgets. Also, the software download manager is nasty-ish in 11.10. It gets locked up quite a bit without being able to see why, and you have no way to stop download/installs other than killing it or restarting. Finally, the lack of a screensaver in Unity nor the ability to easily change display settings by right-clicking on the desktop is stupid.

mixmastamyk 15y ago
Horizontal docks waste a lot of precious vertical space on widescreen monitors.
- replax 15y ago
  I agree. While it might take some time to get used to at first, I think it's worth it. In the end, you will be able to use more of your screen, because honestly, most applications are not optimised for 16:9 (/10) screens.
  - ekianjo 15y ago
    > take some time I boot Ubuntu almost everyday, and I still happen to position my mouse at the bottom when I want to access the application bar, before realising that nothing comes up and I went in the wrong place. It's funny how the screen setup has become just like a reflex after years and years of practice. It's really hard to get used to new choices in design.
    - replax 15y ago
      About how long have you been using Ubuntu with the vertical application bar for? I know it is highly personal, but I am trying to figure out a rough amount of time... I have never really been a user of Ubuntu myself but when I (mainly) switched to Linux from Windows, it only took a couple of day to get used to it. Then again, I was never clicking the icons in the application bar before (win key -> typing -> enter).
      - ekianjo 15y ago
        i installed 11.10 in december, so about 3 months ago now. I should add that i use opensuse a lot on another machine, with an horizontal cairo dock, so i am not always on Ubuntu standards. I really like the win key to start programs, though.
    - whatusername 15y ago
      I boot Win7 every day and OSX a few times a week. I was on a colleagues PC (winXP) yesterday and couldn't work out why when I moved my mouse to the left-hand-side of the screen there was no dock. Seriously -- If you have a normal laptop / modern screen -- it's time to switch. It will take some time to adjust -- but it's worth it for the vertical space you reclaim.
  - regularfry 15y ago
    Where is the back button in your browser?
    - kbutler 15y ago
      On my keyboard.
- cobychapple 15y ago
  Auto-hide FTW.
  - SkyMarshal 15y ago
    Yup, enabled by default.
    - fader 15y ago
      It's not enabled by default in 12.04 Beta 1 (at least not on my image that I installed last night). There have been some changes with the behavior of the launcher to make it less likely to open accidentally when hidden, though; maybe the default settings have been moved around some as well.
SkyMarshal 15y ago
>Also, the software download manager is nasty-ish in 11.10. Truth. I still use aptitude, synaptic, and gdebi when possible. Hope they unbloat USC and speed it up in future iterations. /second everything else, except I don't much care what they do with the dock as long as it can be set to autohide. Launchers like Gnome-do and Synapse > dock imho.
tuxychandru 15y ago
Icons in the launcher can be moved around by clicking and holding them for a second.
lucian1900 15y ago
When I used OS X I put the dock on the left side to save vertical space.

SkyMarshal 15y ago

>The technology that allows GPUs to go into a very low power consumption state when the GPU is idle (RC6) is now enabled by default for Sandy Bridge systems, which should result in considerable power savings when this stage is activated. Awesome. Now they just need to get Optimus and Switchable Graphics working. Also, nice of them to list the changes for the other Ubuntu variants as well, even though they're not officially supported. Didn't realize they did this.

arianb 15y ago
> Awesome. Now they just need to get Optimus and Switchable Graphics working. Would that they could. There is some work going on in bumblebee and its branches, but some of the design decisions made in X Server make it nigh-impossible to actually implement. Wayland might, though.

yxhuvud 15y ago

> * A new way to quickly search and access any desktop application's > and indicator's menu, called the HUD, can be accessed by taping the > Alt key and entering characters. I don't tend to be complain alot about updates of Ubuntu, but I really hope that button is customizable. I'd not be happy if I'd have to rebind meta key in emacs.

disgruntledphd2 15y ago
I don't complain either, but I don't see why its not the super key, as that brings up the dash in Ubunto 11.0[410].
strictfp 15y ago
Yes, and having to use tape seems really unhandy :P
ot 15y ago
I have the same concern but I'm sure a lot of Ubuntu developer are heavy Emacs users, they must have worked out a way to conciliate the two.
lvillani 15y ago
It doesn't trigger the HUD if you type a key sequence but it's quite easy to activate it nonetheless. Anyway, the command below is all that's needed to disable it. gconftool-2 -s /apps/compiz-1/plugins/unityshell/screen0/options/show_hud -t string '' You can also take the scenic route and use CCSM.

timc3 15y ago

I spun up 12.04 desktop on physical hardware with discreet nvidia graphic card ( I have a lot of experience with server ) and I must say I was hugely impressed by the usability of the system. Without thinking about it I was clearly able to get work done, navigate the system, access network shares. If only I could have illustrator, Photoshop and the other graphics apps I use daily I expect I would be more than happy. Would totally recommend checking 12.04 out.

dchuk 15y ago
The Adobe stack is really the only thing that keeps me on OS X. I'd much prefer to code on a system that shares the exact same stack as what I host with.
- arianb 15y ago
  It's for this reason that I use Vagrant (http://vagrantup.com/ http://vagrantup.com/) - don't have to care what my development workstation is; I just spin up a virtual machine to hack and test in. :)
  - timc3 15y ago
    So you spin up an instance with Adobe software in?
    - Ecio78 15y ago
      I think he means he uses a local virtualbox virtual machine for all his development stuff so he doesnt need to care about which OS (win, linux, osx) is running on his physical machine.
      - arianb 15y ago
        I should have been more clear, but this is what I meant.
    - maaku 15y ago

Drbble 15y ago

It took a year, but Linux graphics finally runs on Sandy Bridge hardware: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel_sandy_2011&num=1 http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel...

esolyt 15y ago

Are the application developers supposed to add any functionality to HUD or it just recognizes menu items automagically?

fader 15y ago
It populates from the menus themselves, using the framework already developed to pull the menu entries into the Unity panel. I believe it is possible to expand beyond this (e.g. having 'synonyms' recognized by the HUD) but it's still early days.

ramblerman 15y ago

how stable is it? Can I upgrade my development environment, or are there still a lot of issues?

ttt_ 15y ago
If stability is important to you, then I'd suggest waiting for at least the Release Candidate, though the actual release of a LTS version is probably as stable as you can get (considering a new release).
- JshWright 15y ago
  Ubuntu doesn't do Release Candidates anymore (at least for LTS releases...). There is another Beta scheduled for March 29th, with a final release on April 26th. In my opinion, if stability is really your top priority, wait until after the first point release (12.04.1) on July 19th. My 10.04 boxen will be staying at 10.04.4 until after 12.04.1 has been out for a little while.

indiecore 15y ago

Downloading the Xubuntu release now, hopefully it fixes the few little problems I've had since I switched desktop managers. Also, I've completely clogged my pipes this morning with OS beta downloads, first Win 8, now this.

ajarmoniuk 15y ago

Doesn't work on my T500 (Intel i915 graphics). Shows black screen after everything loads. Does anyone else have this?

SkyMarshal 15y ago
Did you try increasing the screen brightness with the keyboard function? Happens to me too, but it's the brightness getting set to 0.
ralphc 15y ago
There was some switch around 9.10, different drivers or kernels or something. Here's what I used to get Lucid working on an old Gateway with a i915, it might work for you. http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2010/05/06/ubuntu-10-04-lucid-blank-screen-at-startup-workaround/ http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2010/05/06/ubuntu-10-04-lucid-bl...

rdtsc 15y ago

Loaded it on a MacBook. Works well. I really like the UI. It looks like they put a good amount of work into it.

SkyMarshal 15y ago
MacBook Pro or Air?
- rdtsc 15y ago
  Older, regular MacBook (not Pro or Air). [Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4GHz].

ralphc 15y ago

I upgraded three things at once - OSX Lion, VMWare Fusion 4, and Ubuntu 12.04 - and one or more of those things enabled the fancy graphics, windows fade in and out, the nicer task switcher, all that when you enable 3d graphics in the VM.