Do you really need to install Intrepid Ibex (Ubuntu Linux 8.10)? E-mail
by David M Williams   
Monday, 03 November 2008
Ubuntu fans rejoice, the latest release is upon us in the form of version 8.10, Intrepid Ibex. But can't you just run a software update in Hardy Heron? I'll tell you what's different down to the package level between an upgraded Hardy installation and a fresh Intrepid installation so you can evaluate for yourself.

The previous release of Ubuntu this year, version 8.04 - otherwise known as Hardy Heron - obviously has the jump on Intrepid Ibex in terms of existing installations.

Existing Ubuntu users must consider whether to remain on their current release, or whether they wish to install 8.10 either afresh or on top of their existing system.

Newcomers to Ubuntu also face a decision: ordinarily it'd be a no-brainer to go with the newest version, but Ubuntu 8.04 was dubbed a "LTS" or "long time support" release by Canonical. This means Ubuntu's team guarantee support for the product for several years. This might be a deciding factor for some.

The question must be asked then - what is different in Intrepid Ibex? What do you gain from loading it on over merely upgrading Hardy Heron as much as possible?

To nut this out I set up two virtual machines using Sun's VirtualBox. On one I installed Hardy Heron and Intrepid Ibex on the other. I used all the default settings, except for the appropriate time zone. You can see a screenshot of them both running on a MacBook Pro below.

Next, I used Update Manager to bring both systems right up to date. There were a small number of Intrepid Ibex patches and a whopping 333 patches for Hardy Heron.

So, what's different? Please read on!

(Click for a larger image)
Ubuntu 8.x comparison


CONTINUED





 
< Next story in category   Previous story in the category >
iTWire user statistics Visitors last 30 days
694,279
Subscribers 15,210
#1 independent technology news advertise here
  •   *  
  • Search
  • AdvSeach
  • Login
  • Events
  • FreeStuff

- Advertisement -

Featured Whitepapers

Follow iTWire on Twitter

About iTWire

iTWire is all about technology news, information, jobs and community for the IT and telecommunications industry professional. Subscribe to our free ICT daily newsletter