The Fedora Project, a Red-Hat-sponsored open source collaboration, has announced availability of the latest version of the Fedora Core Linux distribution, Fedora Core 5. The latest version features a range of new desktop applications, advances in security and Xen virtualisation, which is designed to makes it easy for users to set up virtual machines.

- Tomboy, an easy-to-use and efficient note-taking tool;
 
- F-Spot an easy to use digital photograph manager;
 
- Improved power management with GNOME Power Manager;
 
- Support for the Broadcom 43xx wireless chipsets, current;y used in Apple computers;

- The latest Firefox 1.5 web browser;
 
- The most recent version of OpenOffice.org 2.0.2, which introduces OpenDocument support, a new enhanced database frontend, a mail merge wizard, and better PDF export capability; and
 
- New releases of both the GNOME 2.14 and KDE 3.5 GUIs.

"Fedora Core 5 is the first distribution I feel truly involved and excited by," said Thomas Chung, Fedora Community ambassador.  "I'm sure I share this feeling with many Fedora contributors who have witnessed the birth from the very beginning. I can almost feel what a expecting father will experience with his first child. Fedora Core 5 is truly a great accomplishment in technology."

A number of desktops running Fedora Core 5 will be on display at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in Sydney which commences 28 March.