The “Break it Down” Blog

The Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) Release Candidate (RC) has been released for mass-consumption and deemed stable for any user to try out. For the folks that are “waiting for the final release”, you can just install this and the updates, as they are made available, will popup in the system updater for you to add.

So assuming they don’t find any show-stopped during the install process, for all intents and purposes you can install this and upgrade to the final release when it comes out by way of the auto-updated.

Some of the sexy-ass features in this release that make it worth checking out and upgrading to:

Display Configuration GUI

Integrated Desktop Search (Deskbar)

Fast User Switching

Integrated Firefox Plugin Management

GNOME 2.20

The Gutsy Gibbon release candidate brings you the latest and greatest GNOME 2.20 with lots of new features and improvements.

Desktop 3D effects

Compiz Fusion is enabled by default and will bring 3D desktop visual effects that improve the usability and visual appeal of the system. Ubuntu 7.10 automatically detects whether the hardware is capable of running compiz; if not, it falls back to normal desktop. Additional effects can be enabled in “System/Preferences/Appearance” under the “Visual Effects” tab. There you can also disable the effects entirely.

Dynamic screen configuration

Several drivers, including ones for ATI, nVidia, and Intel graphics chips now support the X Resize and Rotate Extension (xrandr). This enables dynamic monitor detection, and resizing and rotating of video output, for no-fuss support for projectors and external monitors.