gnu/linux, ubuntuOctober 27, 2006 12:39 pm

Ubuntu 6.10

Just a quick post to let you know that the new version of Ubuntu, 6.10, has been released. You can download it from the Ubuntu web site.

This release, named "Edgy Eft", comes only four months after their previous version. They normally try to keep to a six-monthly release cycle, but making the last version stable enough for a production environment delayed it by two months. "Edgy" is a slightly more experimental release, using less-thoroughly technology, and is not expected to be suitable for everyone. It does, however, give people like me chance to play with the new stuff. ;-)

I’ll say more about it once I’ve had chance to install it.

GNU Free Documentation License

Copyright (c) 2006-2007 Michael J Kaye.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the content of this blog post under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
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firefox 12:18 pm

A few more Firefox 2 notes

A few things I didn’t mention when I blogged yesterday…

Extensions

I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were compatible versions available for most of my extensions. In fact, of those extensions which lacked updates, most of their functionality is now available in Firefox directly.

I moved from Tabbrowser Preferences to Tab Mix Plus after reading that it fit better with 2.0. Having said that, the version of Tab Mix Plus for FF2 is an experimental one, while there is an official version of Tabbrowser Preferences for 2.0. I have been impressed with TMP so far, though.

Depending on your choice of extensions, your experience may be different. However, I use a fairly extensive range, and I haven’t found any show-stoppers yet.

SVG

Firefox 2.0 has improved its implementation of SVG and fixed a number bugs. It seems to do an admirable job, but still doesn’t provide a complete implementation. I have wondered whether support for Flash could be implemented by using an XSLT stylesheet to transform the SWF into SVG. Some JavaScript may be needed for interactivity, and maybe some SMIL for audio. That would make it unnecessary to download the non-Free Flash plugin. Of course, it may the case that the two formats are simply too incompatible.

Feel

Firefox 2 gives the impression of feeling more polished, and seems more comfortable to use. However, the improved functionality of the new versions of the extensions may be responsible for a good portion of this.


I do think that the improvements are worth the upgrade, and I’m relieved to find that I haven’t been left wondering why I did.

GNU Free Documentation License

Copyright (c) 2006-2007 Michael J Kaye.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the content of this blog post under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
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