Ubuntu 10.04 LTS

Although I've been running Ubuntu 10.04 beta since it went live I have put the 10.04LTS release on.

My preferred method is to download the Alternate install CD, this allows you to mount it either with a loop command (so you mount the ISO as a virtual CD) or simply burn a CD and open that.

Either way you get the option to run the updater and if you select "no" to the option to download update files from the internet you can migrate quite quickly whilst the 10 million or so other users are putting some strain on the servers.

The only program that didn't seem to work in the Beta version was the automatic wallpaper changer that my and my daughter use.

This appears to have been put into the current repository though as this works perfect in the final release.

Everything else works exactly as I would expect it to, the only difference you notice is the new button layout (although mine stayed the same as I was using Emerald as my screen decorator and not the default decorator.

Anyway, if your buttons are on the left and you don't like them just install MWBUTTONS, it's a simple script that lets you move them around and do all sorts of clever stuff with them.

Ubuntu is going from strength to strength and although I hated Vista with a vengance of a thousand cursed souls I feel the future will narrow down to Windows 7 and Ubuntu for the average user.

I have no gripes against Windows 7, just that I can do everything I need to do in Ubuntu, in fact I was so used to it simply working I forgot how much it was protecting me until I went to an innocent looking web site (looking for a birthday present for my daughter) and Firefox warned me the site was attempting to install files onto my PC.

The good news was 1) It simply couldn't as I wasn't running windows, 2) Even if the files had somehow got onto my PC they would have been useless and 3) I spent a while annoying the site by just clicking "no" to the warning and refreshing the page.

At one point just to really annoy it I opened multiple firefox sessions to the page getting something like 14 warning screens up - and still the PC ignores them and carries on regardless.

New in Ubuntu 10.04

• VERY fast boot up and shut down, I have one machine (P4 1.8ghz) timed at 7 seconds to boot up and 3 to shut down !
• EXT 4 file system as standard on new install
• Grub 2 loader on new installs
• New user interface - nice dark looking but I still prefer my "glass" effect windows
• Empathy is the supported messenger client in 10.04 - I was getting some strange issues with Pidgin which was a shame but Empathy works very well.
• Support for status (on line, busy etc) right next to the log off area for single function control.
• Gwibber - status alerts to all your social networking clients in one application
• Firefox 3.6 

Lots and lots of other tweaks but none that should be an issue.

A very worthy successor to 9.10 and a painless transition from 9.10 to 10.04 with no issues at all.