Ubuntu 9.10 review: Karmic Koala
Windows 7 isn't the only new operating system that's recently launched. In this review, we look at the latest flavour of Ubuntu Linux to see if it can compete.
Karmic Koala cements Ubuntu’s position as the best of the free desktop Linux distributions, but Windows remains the most advanced and cohesive desktop operating system.
Evolution remains the mail and calendar client, and with its relatively robust Exchange Server support that's no bad thing.
Karmic Koala takes yet another stab at easing the thorny topic of Linux software installation and management. Out goes the Add/Remove Software tool, in comes the Ubuntu Software Centre. The main interface is separated into sensible categories, but still leaves the user to separate the wheat from the chaff, with no ratings or indication of which applications are popular. It's easier to use than Synaptics Package Manager though (which is still included).
Cloud storage
No longer is it just the software that's free. With the release of Karmic Koala you get free cloud storage too, via the Ubuntu One service. This offers 2GB of free storage, or a flat $10 per month to upgrade to 50GB. Capacity beyond 50GB isn't currently available.
Technical improvements
The biggest noticeable performance boost comes in the shape of faster perceived boot times. The integration of the Upstart process, replacing the age-old init daemon, is the main reason for the quicker feel. Upstart is a multitasking system, allowing startup processes to do their thing in parallel. The init daemon, by contrast, is synchronous, blocking start-up tasks until the previous has completed. Upstart gives faster apparent boot time to the desktop - even if the system hasn't fully finished booting, it feels quick.
The Uncomplicated Firewall (ufw), the front-end for the dauntingly complex iptables firewall tool, gets an update including support for outgoing filtering. It remains a command-line application though, albeit one with (relatively) simple syntax.
-
Salesforce says ‘Microsoft’s anticompetitive tying of Teams' harmed business in triumphant response to EU concessions agreementNews Microsoft has agreed to make versions of its Office solutions suite available without Teams – and at a reduced price
-
Healthcare organizations report rampant email security failures – and Microsoft 365 is often the weakest linkNews IT leaders say they're drowning in security alerts and missing real threats, thanks to limited resources, expanding attack surfaces, and weak security strategies
-
Is the honeymoon period over for Microsoft and OpenAI? Strained relations and deals with competitors spell trouble for the partnership that transformed the AI industryAnalysis Microsoft and OpenAI are slowly drifting apart as both forge closer ties with respective rivals and reevaluate their long-running partnership.
