Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal Alpha 2 Released

    Exactly two months have passed since the  release of the first alpha , and now the second alpha of Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal has already been released .

    As with every new release, many packages have been updated. Separately, it is worth noting: LibreOffice 3.3 (replaced by OpenOffice.org 3.2), the Linux kernel 2.6.38-rc2, X.org Server 1.10 and Mesa 7.10.

    Under the cut - external changes compared to the first alpha. And before you start criticizing Canonical for anything, first remember that this is alpha. :)

    Unity


    Unity, the default desktop environment in Ubuntu 11.04, has changed a lot.

    Now the original version of Dash is used:



    Viewing files and applications has become somewhat easier:



    Sound menu


    Playlist support returned in the sound menu:



    Ubuntu one dashboard


    The Ubuntu One Dashboard app has been added to make it easy to sync and manage your Ubuntu One account:



    Grid


    Now, by default, the Compiz plugin "Grid" is enabled. You can drag the window up to expand it to full screen and left or right to resize it:



    GTK + Gripper


    If you are not comfortable with automatic resizing, you can use the new grip-element:



    Application center


    Now you can rate applications and write small reviews that you can immediately post on Twitter:



    Ubuntu Classic Desktop


    The Unity global menu applet is located on the top panel, next to the compact menu button:



    Installation


    If you really want to start using the second alpha (think again if you are not a developer), then instructions for upgrading from 10.10 and links to the system itself are available here: http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/natty/alpha2 .

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