Kubuntu 8.04 Released

Submitted on Thu, 2008-04-24

Kubuntu 8.04 - Hardy Heron In Double Vision

April 24, 2008 - Kubuntu 8.04 has been released and is available for download now.

kde3 kde4 kubuntu_glasses
Click in either lens for a preview!

Kubuntu 8.04 stepped over the barriers of gutsiness and took on a whole new feat by providing this latest release with double vision. Improved desktops, updated applications, increased usability features, and a new future are just a few of the surprises with this latest release. Improved desktops? Double vision? Yes! Kubuntu 8.04 now provides you the ability to use either one of two desktop environments, or both if you shall choose. If stability is the feather in the cap you are looking for, then look no further than Kubuntu 8.04 featuring the KDE 3 desktop environment. If you are looking for a bit of an edge, Kubuntu has you covered with the new Kubuntu 8.04 KDE 4 Remix. This time around the development team jumped over hurdles, bent backwards, and did all kinds of flips for a non-Olympic event in order to bring you this latest release. So it is with our pleasure that we introduce you to the new Kubuntu 8.04 and we hope you enjoy your ride aboard the Hardy Heron.


To download Kubuntu 8.04, go to:

If you have Kubuntu 7.04 installed follow these upgrade instructions.

Kubuntu 8.04 Highlights

Here is what's hot in Kubuntu 8.04

KDE - two for the price of FREE

Kubuntu 8.04 now features two versions of the K Desktop Environment, a powerful graphical desktop environment which combines the ease of use, contemporary functionality, and outstanding graphical design with the technological superiority of the Kubuntu operating system. The stable release of KDE in Kubuntu 8.04 is version 3.5.9. The edgier release of KDE in Kubuntu 8.04 is version 4.0.3.


KDE 4

KDE4

Info: http://www.kde.org/announcements/4.0/guide.php
Version: 4.0.3

The future of the desktop is upon us, and the award winning desktop environment, KDE, is pleased to grace all of us with their newest desktop, KDE 4.0. This latest release, version 4.0.3, includes many new features, improvements, and many bug fixes such as:

  • Plasma - size and position of the panel is now configurable
  • KHTML - repainting issues addressed and KHTML now supports more websites by accepting more non-HTML4-compliant documents
  • Several stability issues have been fixed
  • Session switching has been included
  • and more...

KDE 4 is available on the Kubuntu 8.04 KDE 4 Remix CD, or with apt-get install kubuntu-kde4-desktop.

KDE 3

Info: http://dot.kde.org/1203436147/
Version: 3.5.9

The award winning desktop environment, KDE, has updated its stable version with the 3.5.9 release. This latest release includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes such as:

  • A favorite email folders view in KMail as well as drag-and-drop support for the folders
  • Easier scheduling in KOrganizer
  • KGeography and Kig fixes within the KDE Edu module
  • Fixes to KPDF
  • and more...


Desktop Special Effects

Desktop Effects

Kubuntu 8.04 now provides you the ability for 3D desktop effects such as a spinning cube, true transparency, wobbly windows, and more. Utilizing the Compiz desktop effects you have the ability to choose from 4 levels of desktop effects:

  1. No Effects - all effects are disabled and the KDE window manager (KWin) is used
  2. Standard Effects - some simple effects such as shadows, window shrinking, and more
  3. Extra Effects - take the standard effects, multiply them by ten, throw on some sunglasses, and hang on
  4. Custom Effects - Extra Effects not enough? You want more? No problem, this setting has you covered! You will need to install the Compiz Configuration Manager in order to tweak the effects

Multimedia

Kubuntu 8.04 provides various multimedia resources. For listening to and managing your music there is Amarok, an award winning music player featuring album covers, lyrics, Wikipedia integration, multiple multimedia devices support, and more. For watching videos there is Kaffeine for KDE 3 and the new Dragon Player for KDE 4. New in Kubuntu 8.04 for the Kaffeine player is the new codec installation which will automatically install codecs when opening a file for the first time. When you insert a DVD movie, Kaffeine will automatically install the necessary DVD codecs for your viewing enjoyment.


File System Support

Kubuntu 8.04 provides many new advancements and support for file systems. Two new features have been added to Kubuntu 8.04 in this arena. The first is the ability to install and encrypted file system during installation. This option is currently available only on the Alternate Installation CD. You can encrypt every partition except for the /boot partition, providing you a more secure version of Kubuntu. The second new feature provides you the ability to easily read and write any NTFS partitions you may have on your desktop.


Printer Auto Configuration

Kubuntu 8.04 now provides an applet that automatically configures a printer when it is attached to your system. This new applet also provides you with feedback on the status of the printer installation and configuration.


Wubi

Kubuntu 8.04 Desktop, or Live, CDs provide a new installer for those running Windows. Wubi allows the installation of Kubuntu just like it were any other application you would install in Windows. Wubi does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC or the need to use a different boot loader.


Office Suite

Kubuntu 8.04 includes OpenOffice.org 2.4, which is an open-source office suite similar in functionality to that of other office suites. The included applications are: Writer, a fully functional word processor, Calc, an advanced spread sheet program and Impress, a tool for creating effective multimedia presentations. OpenOffice.org is compatible with all major office suites.

For those of you wanting something lighter, KOffice is a simple install away. It includes world leading applications such as Kexi the database manager and Krita the image editor.


Personal Information Management

Kontact, the Personal Information Manager in Kubuntu 8.04, unites an entire suite of PIM applications in one central environment which are tailored to work well with each other. Kontact delivers innovations to help you manage your communications easily, organize your work faster and work together more closely, resulting in more productivity and efficiency in digital collaboration. Components include mail, calendar, contacts, notes, and more.


Localisation

https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/hardy/+translations

  • Integration of language install with KDE's language configuration.
  • Automatic setup of non-Latin input methods
  • Menu item translations included in language packs for faster integration of new and updated translations, provided through Rosetta.
  • Due to the late opening of documentation translations, translations for the Kubuntu documentation will be in the first set of updates.

Server

The Ubuntu server edition builds on the functionality from the previous release simplifying common Linux server deployments. Included is a major virtualisation support initiative. On x86 systems with the Intel VT or AMD-V extensions, Kernel-based Virtual Machine support (KVM) allows users to run multiple virtual machines running unmodified Linux. Each virtual machine has private virtualised hardware: a network card, disk, graphics adapter and so on. Also included is VMI support which provides optimised performance under VMWare. Server packages are available for installation from the Kubuntu DVD as well as the Ubuntu Server CD.

Under the Hood

  • Linux 2.6.24
  • GCC 4.2.3
  • X.org 7.3
  • Python 2.5.2
  • Qt 3.3.8 or Qt 4.3.4

Downloading

http://www.kubuntu.org/getkubuntu
Please download using BitTorrent if possible - torrent download files (.torrent) are located within the download page provided by the selected mirror location. Thank You!

CDs

Kubuntu is available for download on two types of images. These images are:

  • Desktop CD: includes a live system which allows you to try Kubuntu without changing your computer at all, and provides you with the option to install it permanently. This is the most common type of CD image that is downloaded, as the installation process is easier for new users. You will need at least 384MB of memory to install from this CD and 3GB of available hard drive space.
  • Alternate CD: allows you to perform custom or expert installations of Kubuntu. It is required for setting up automated deployments, upgrading from older installations without network access, LVM and/or RAID partitioning, installing GRUB (Boot Loader) to a location other than the Master Boot Record and for systems with less than 384MB of RAM.

There are three various file types for each image. These file types are:

  • ISO: the actual CD image and will be downloaded directly from a mirror server.
  • Torrent: a Torrent file, which is seeded by people around the world using BitTorrent clients. This is the recommended download type, as it usually proves to be quicker during heavy traffic times.
  • Jigdo: Jigsaw Download, jigdo for short, which is a tool designed to ease the distribution of very large files over the internet.

Once you have downloaded the correct CD image, you will need to burn it using a CD burner (CD-RW). For assistance in burning the images to a CD, please see BurningIsoHowto.

Upgrading from 7.10 (Gutsy)

You can only directly upgrade to Kubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) from Kubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)

Follow the images at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HardyUpgrades/Kubuntu

  1. Open the Adept Manager by going to KMenu -> System -> Adept Manager (Manage Packages)
  2. In Adept, click on Adept -> Fetch Updates
  3. Click the "Version Upgrade" button

Feedback and Helping

We welcome feedback and help with making the next version of Kubuntu.

Comments can be left on https://wiki.kubuntu.org/KubuntuHardyComments

Major known problems can be found at http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/804

For support and/or bug issues, report them on Launchpad:

If you have any questions, please try asking on one of the following:

Visit https://wiki.kubuntu.org/HelpingKubuntu if you are interested in helping the Kubuntu team.

Contact

For more information about Kubuntu visit our website at http://www.kubuntu.org

Press contact:

  • Jonathan Riddell +44 (0)7941 938912 (Scotland)