Dapper Drake has officially been released:
“About Ubuntu 6.06 LTS
———————
Highlights of this release include:
On the Desktop CD
* A new, very fast, graphical installer based on the Live CD
* Faster system startup and login
* Simplified menu organization
* Graphical shutdown process
* Easy access to power management settings with GNOME Power
Manager (Ubuntu)
* Improved support for video playback
* Optional NetworkManager for convenient roaming between different
wireless and wired networks
* OpenOffice.org 2.0.2, X.org 7.0
* Support for ongoing translation updates throughout the life of
this release, for all supported desktop environments
On the Server
* New kernels targeted at server platforms. The server kernels are
tuned differently than the desktop kernels (providing better
performance for server applications).
* Both low-end and “big iron” server kernels. The low-end
server kernel is generic, and should work on the same equipment
that the desktop kernel runs on. The high-end server kernel is
geared towards systems with greater than 8 CPUs (ES7000 / Summit
/ BIGSMP).
* Turn-key LAMP installation for this common deployment scenario
* Improved support for clusters and SANs
* Thin client enhancements, including faster client startup,
graphical boot process, reduced memory requirements, and sound
device support
Localization
* 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
* Ongoing translation updates from the Rosetta web service:
https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/dapper/+translations
Installation and Upgrades
* Ubuntu can now be installed to USB devices, such as removable
hard drives and flash memory, using the text-mode installer
* A new upgrade tool is available, for simple, clean and reliable
upgrades from one Ubuntu release to the next, starting with
Ubuntu 5.10
* The alternate installer now runs in a single stage, rebooting
straight into the complete system. This makes it faster,
simpler, and more reliable.
“
Further information here
The Irish Linux Users’ Group (ILUG) is organising an event to coincide with the release
I upgraded to Dapper and was pleasantly surprised to find that my system is much more responsive than with Breezy. Firefox seems especially snappier. I really like the new GNOME deskbar applet too.