New Zealand Linux

From : http://www.freebsd.org/releases/8.0R/relnotes.html

The highlights in the 8.0-RELEASE are the following:

• A new virtualization container named “vimage” has been implemented. This is a jail with a virtualized instance of the FreeBSD network stack and can be created by using jail(8) command.
• The FreeBSD netisr framework has been reimplemented for parallel threading support. This is a kernel network dispatch interface which allows device drivers (and other packet sources) to direct packets to protocols for directly dispatched or deferred processing. The new implementation supports up to one netisr thread per CPU, and several benchmarks on SMP machines show substantial performance improvement over the old one.
• The FreeBSD newbus subsystem is now MPSAFE.
• The FreeBSD TTY layer has been replaced with a new one which has better support for SMP and robust resource handling. A tty now has own mutex and it is expected to improve scalability when compared to the old implementation based on Giant lock.
• [amd64, i386] The FreeBSD Linux emulation layer has been updated to version 2.6.16 and the default Linux infrastructure port is now emulators/linux_base-f10 (Fedora 10).
• The FreeBSD GENERIC kernel now includes Trusted BSD MAC (Mandatory Access Control) support. No MAC policy module is loaded by default.
• The FreeBSD USB subsystem has been reimplemented to support modern devices and better SMP scalability. The new implementation includes Giant-lock-free device drivers, Linux compatibility layer, usbconfig(8) utility, full support for split transaction and isochronous transaction, and so on.
• The FreeBSD CAM SCSI subsystem ( cam(4)) now includes experimental support for ATA/SATA/AHCI-compliant devices.
• The shared vnode locking for pathname lookups in the VFS(9) subsystem has been improved.
• The ZFS file system has been updated to version 13. The changes include ZFS operations by a regular user, L2ARC, ZFS Intent Log on separated disks (slog), sparse volumes, and so on.
• The FreeBSD NFS subsystem now supports RPCSEC_GSS authentication on both the client and server.
• The FreeBSD NFS subsystem now includes a new, experimental implementation with support for NFSv2, NFSv3, and NFSv4.
• The wireless network support layer (net80211) now supports multiple BSS instances on the supported network devices.
• The FreeBSD L2 address translation table has been reimplemented to reduce lock contention on parallel processing and simplify the routing logic.
• The IGMPv3 and SSM (Source-Specific Multicast) including IPv6 SSM and MLDv2 have been added.
• The ipsec(4) subsystem now supports NAT-Traversal (RFC 3948).
• The GCC stack protection (also known as ProPolice) has been enabled in the FreeBSD base system.
• The supported version of the GNOME desktop environment (x11/gnome2) has been updated to 2.26.3.
• The supported version of the KDE desktop environment (x11/kde4) has been updated to 4.3.1.

For more details, please see the Detailed Release Notes.

A list of all platforms currently under development can be found on the Supported Platforms page.

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 9.10
Desktop and Server editions, Ubuntu 9.10 Server for UEC and EC2, and the
Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Codenamed “Karmic Koala”, 9.10 continues Ubuntu’s
proud tradition of integrating the latest and greatest open source
technologies into a high-quality, easy-to-use Linux distribution.

We consider this release candidate to be complete, stable, and suitable for
testing by any user.

Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop Edition improves on the work of 9.04 to get you going
faster, with improved startup times and a streamlined boot experience.

Ubuntu 9.10 Server Edition integrates Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud setup in the
installer and provides improvements to system security with AppArmor,
including an AppArmor profile for libvirtd to further isolate virtual
machines from the host system.

Ubuntu 9.10 Server for UEC and EC2 brings the power and stability of the
Ubuntu Server Edition to cloud computing, whether you’re using Amazon EC2 or
your own Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud.

The Ubuntu 9.10 family of variants, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, Ubuntu
Studio, and Mythbuntu, also reach RC status today. This release sees the
first technology preview of Kubuntu Netbook.

The final release of Ubuntu 9.10 is scheduled for 29 October 2009 and will
be supported for 18 months on both desktops and servers. Users requiring a
longer support lifetime on the server may choose to continue using Ubuntu
8.04 LTS, with security support until 2013, rather than upgrade to 9.10.

Before installing or upgrading to Ubuntu 9.10 please review the instructions
and caveats in the release notes:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/910

In addition, there are a small number of known bugs in the release candidate
that will be fixed before the Ubuntu 9.10 release, but warrant highlighting
for your attention:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/910overview#Known%20issues

About The Release Candidate
—————————

The purpose of the Release Candidate is to solicit one last round of testing
before the final release. Here are ways that you can help:

* Upgrade from Ubuntu 9.04 to the Release Candidate by following the
instructions in the release notes referenced above.

* Participate in installation testing using the Release Candidate CD
images, by following the testing and reporting instructions at
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/ISO

Desktop features
—————-

GNOME 2.28 featuring Empathy: with this latest release, Ubuntu now uses the
Empathy instant messaging service by default, introducing the Telepathy
framework.

Ubuntu Software Center: the first step in a replacement for Add/Remove
Software has landed.

New boot experience: multiple changes to look, feel and speed of the boot
experience have been included in the Ubuntu 9.10 release candidate.

Server features
—————

Cloud computing: Ubuntu 9.10 builds on the tantalizing cloud support in
Ubuntu 9.04, with support for Eucalyptus configuration at install time and
publishing of standard VM images for UEC.

AppArmor: Ubuntu 9.10 continues to raise the bar for server security, with
AppArmor profiles enabled by default for ntpd and libvirt providing another
layer of protection from attacks on the network or via guest virtual
machines.

UEC and EC2: Ubuntu 9.10 includes the first official release of Ubuntu
Server images for UEC and for Amazon’s EC2, giving you everything you need
for rapid deployment of Ubuntu instances in a cloud computing environment.
UEC images, and information on running Ubuntu 9.10 on EC2, are available at:

http://uec-images.ubuntu.com/releases/9.10/rc

Ubuntu Netbook Remix features
—————————–
Ubuntu Netbook Remix is optimised for Intel Atom netbooks and compatible
x86 devices. It includes a new consumer-friendly interface that allows
users to quickly and easily get on-line and use their favourite
applications. This interface is optimised for a retail sales environment.

It includes the same faster boot times and improved boot experience as
Ubuntu desktop.

Kubuntu features
—————-

Kubuntu 9.10, built on KDE 4.3, brings users a complete, full-featured KDE 4
desktop with many new applications and innovations.

This is the first release for a new Kubuntu variant, Kubuntu Netbook Edition.
Built on a Kubuntu base, it brings users an exciting first look at KDE’s
netbook-oriented desktop environment.

New features include better integration with OpenOffice.org and various
social website connections for applications. Notable problems with network
management and user configuration have been fixed.

Please see https://wiki.kubuntu.org/KarmicKoala/RC/Kubuntu for all the
details.

For upgrade instructions from Kubuntu 9.04 or 8.04 see
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/KarmicUpgrades/Kubuntu

Xubuntu features
—————-

Xubuntu 9.10 comes with the light-weight Xfce 4.6 desktop environment to
provide a desktop designed for productivity while conserving system
resources.

Xubuntu 9.10 is proud to offer an improved multimedia experience with the
Exaile media player, a more integrated power management solution with the
Xfce4 power manager, and more convenience built right in with improved
multimedia volume key support and more consistent desktop notifications.

Please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu/KarmicKoala/RC for the full list
and details about all the great enhancements Xubuntu 9.10 has to offer.

Edubuntu features
—————–

Edubuntu 9.10 transitions from an add-on educational CD that depended on an
existing Ubuntu installation to a full Ubuntu derivative delivered on as a
DVD image. This allows prospective users and decision makers to try the
educational offerings prior to installation and the flexibility to make
Edubuntu a first class educational operating system.

Mythbuntu features
——————

Mythbuntu 9.10 introduces MythTV 0.22. The entire stack has been ported to
QT4 and now allows for very neat UI effects. Also 0.22 adds support for
VDPAU hardware acceleration, and HD-PVR hardware support.

Please see http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Release_Notes_-_0.22 for more details
about changes introduced in 0.22.

See http://mythbuntu.org/9.10/rc for information about the Mythbuntu release
candidate.

A more complete tour of the features new in 9.10 can be found at
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/910overview

About Ubuntu
————

Ubuntu is a full-featured Linux distribution for desktops, laptops, netbooks
and servers, with a fast and easy installation and regular releases. A
tightly-integrated selection of excellent applications is included, and an
incredible variety of add-on software is just a few clicks away.

Professional services including support are available from Canonical and
hundreds of other companies around the world. For more information about
support, visit http://www.ubuntu.com/support

To Get the Ubuntu 9.10 Release Candidate
——————————

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the beta release of Ubuntu 9.10
Desktop and Server editions, and the Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Codenamed
“Karmic Koala”, 9.10 continues Ubuntu’s proud tradition of integrating the
latest and greatest open source technologies into a high-quality,
easy-to-use Linux distribution.

Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop Edition improves on the work of 9.04 to get you going
faster, with improved startup times and a streamlined boot experience.

Ubuntu 9.10 Server Edition integrates Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud setup in the
installer and provides improvements to system security with AppArmor,
including an AppArmor profile for libvirtd to further isolate virtual
machines from the host system.

The Ubuntu 9.10 family of variants, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, Ubuntu
Studio, and Mythbuntu, also reach beta status today.

Desktop features
—————-

GNOME 2.28 featuring Empathy: with this latest beta release, Ubuntu now
uses the Empathy instant messaging service by default, introducing the
Telepathy framework.

Ubuntu Software Center: the first step in a replacement for Add/Remove
Software has landed for testing and feedback.

New boot experience: multiple changes to look, feel and speed of
the boot experience have been included in the Ubuntu 9.10 beta.

Please see http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/karmic/beta for details.

Server features
—————

Cloud computing: Ubuntu 9.10 builds on the tantalizing cloud support in
Ubuntu 9.04, with support for Eucalyptus configuration at install time and
publishing of standard VM images for UEC.

AppArmor: Ubuntu 9.10 continues to raise the bar for server security, with
AppArmor profiles enabled by default for ntpd and libvirt providing another
layer of protection from attacks on the network or via guest virtual
machines.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix features
—————————–
Ubuntu Netbook Remix is optimised to run on Intel atom based netbooks. It
includes a new consumer-friendly interface that allows users to quickly and
easily get on-line and use their favourite applications. This interface is
optimised for a retail sales environment.

It includes the same faster boot times and improved boot experience as
Ubuntu desktop.

Kubuntu features
—————-

Kubuntu 9.10, built on KDE 4.3, brings users a complete, full-featured KDE4
desktop with many new applications and innovations.

This is the first release for a new Kubuntu variant, Kubuntu Netbook Edition.
Built on a Kubuntu base, it brings users an exciting first look at KDE’s
netbook-oriented desktop environment.

Please see https://wiki.kubuntu.org/KarmicKoala/Beta/Kubuntu for all the
details.

Xubuntu features
—————-

Xubuntu 9.10 comes with the light-weight Xfce 4.6 desktop environment
to provide a desktop designed for productivity while conserving system
resources.

Xubuntu 9.10 is proud to offer an improved multimedia experience with
the Exaile media player, a more integrated power management solution
with the Xfce4 power manager, and more convenience built right in with
improved multimedia volume key support and more consistent desktop
notifications.

Please see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu/KarmicKoala/Beta for the
full list and details about all the great enhancements Xubuntu 9.10
has to offer.

Edubuntu features
—————–

Edubuntu 9.10 transitions from an add-on educational CD that depended on
an existing Ubuntu installation to a full Ubuntu derivative delivered on
as a DVD image. This allows prospective users and decision makers to try
the educational offerings prior to installation and the flexibility to
make Edubuntu a first class educational operating system.

Mythbuntu features
——————

Mythbuntu 9.10 introduces MythTV 0.22. The entire stack has been ported
to QT4 and now allows for very neat UI effects. Also 0.22 adds support
for VDPAU hardware acceleration, and HD-PVR hardware support.

Please see http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Release_Notes_-_0.22 for more details
about things introduced in 0.22.

See http://mythbuntu.org/9.10/beta for information about the Mythbuntu
beta release.

Other
—–

* On the Desktop: GNOME 2.28, KDE 4.3, XFCE 4.6.1, OpenOffice.org 3.1.1,
X.Org server 1.6.3

* On the Server: Apache 2.2, PostgreSQL 8.4, PHP 5.2.10, LTSP 5.1

* “Under the hood”: GCC 4.4.1, glibc 2.10, Linux 2.6.31.1, Python 2.6.2

The full release notes can be found at
http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/karmic/beta

About Ubuntu
————

Ubuntu is a full-featured Linux distribution for desktops, laptops, and
servers, with a fast and easy installation and regular releases. A
tightly-integrated selection of excellent applications is included, and an
incredible variety of add-on software is just a few clicks away.

Professional technical support is available from Canonical Limited and
hundreds of other companies around the world. For more information about
support, visit http://www.ubuntu.com/support

To Get Ubuntu 9.10 Beta
———————–

To upgrade to Ubuntu 9.10 Beta from Ubuntu 9.04,
follow these instructions:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/KarmicUpgrades

Or, download Ubuntu 9.10 Beta here (choose the mirror closest to you):

Europe:

* http://ubuntu.ipacct.com/releases/9.10 (Bulgaria)
* http://ftp.oleane.net/ubuntu-cd/9.10 (France)
* http://ftp.uni-kl.de/pub/linux/ubuntu.iso/9.10 (Germany)
* http://ie.releases.ubuntu.com/9.10 (Ireland)
* http://nl.releases.ubuntu.com/releases/9.10 (Netherlands)
* http://no.releases.ubuntu.com/9.10 (Norway)
* http://se.releases.ubuntu.com/9.10 (Sweden)

North America:

* http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (United States)
* http://ubuntu.cs.utah.edu/releases/9.10 (United States)

Oceania/Australia:

* http://ftp.citylink.co.nz/ubuntu-releases/9.10 (New Zealand)

Rest of the world:

http://releases.ubuntu.com/9.10 (Great Britain)

Please download using Bittorrent if possible.

The final version of Ubuntu 9.10 is expected to be released in October 2009.