The Ubuntu Release Team has just announced the release of third alpha of Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat. This is an alpha release and, hence, is not meant for daily usage. It is meant for testing by developers and interested users.
This is what Martin Pitt from the Ubuntu Release Team wrote announcing the release:
Alpha 3 is the third in a series of milestone CD images that will be released throughout the Maverick development cycle. The Alpha images are known to be reasonably free of showstopper CD build or installer bugs, while representing a very recent snapshot of Maverick.
The third alpha brings a lot of new changes/features. Here are some:
Linux Kernel 2.6.35
Ubuntu 10.10 Alpha 3 uses the Linux Kernel 2.6.35. This kernel includes a lot of security enhancements over the previous kernels. It also has some interesting new features like support for Apple’s Magic Mouse and faster packet transmission.
Ubuntu Software Center
The Ubuntu Software Center has undergone some changes. The main page now shows “Featured” applications and also has a “Whats New” section. It also supports plugins now.
Ubuntu Netbook Edition
The Ubuntu Netbook Edition now uses the Unity interface by default. Global menu also makes an appearance.
Kubuntu
In Kubuntu, KDE SC 4.5 RC is used for this release. As expected, the default browser has also been changed to rekonq.
Download/Upgrade
If you want to try it out here is the download link: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/maverick/alpha-3/
If you would like to upgrade from Ubuntu 10.04 directly (not recommended!), open the terminal, execute the command below and follow the on-screen instructions.
update-manager -d
The final release is scheduled for 10th October 2010.
