Those who have been religiously following the release schedule for Canonical will know that the firm has just launched the latest version of Ubuntu, called Saucy Salamander, which will enjoy nine months of support until the next LTS (“Long-Term Support”) is released in April 2014. The main novelties are better optimization and performance on low-power machines, the inclusion of the Unity 7 desktop, and its integration with the comprehensive search system Smart Scopes.
New features
This new version includes the new Kernel 3.11, boasting greater compatibility with new types of hardware, as well as optimized energy management and better performance. This was the main thing lacking in earlier versions, ruling out the installation of Ubuntu on machines that are slightly out of date. But it seems this trend is reversing.
In the end the new graphics server Mir has not made it into this update, meaning we shall carry on a bit longer with X Window. What have been included are new versions of some of the programs in the basic toolkit, such as LibreOffice, Rhythmbox, and Firefox, which is set up as the operating system’s default browser.
But undoubtedly one of the most controversial of the new features is the inclusion of the Smart Scopes system, a way to conduct broader searches that had already begun to come together in earlier versions of the operating system and that now arrives in its full splendor: when you type something into the search bar, results will apear that include programs and locally stored files on your computer as well as other services like Amazon, Wikipedia, or Flikr.
Ubuntu for smartphones
Alongside Ubuntu 13.10 arrives the first stable version of Ubuntu Touch, the Canonical operating system for smartphones, although at the moment it’s only fully compatible with devices from the Nexus range. At the moment, Touch is principally focused on manufacturers and developers, and the development SDK has also been made available to users so that those who are interested can start working on compatible applications.
Even still, if standard users wish to have a look, you can find a complete installation tutorial on Ubuntu’s official wiki, although at the moment Ubuntu Touch includes little more than a browser and some additional tools to check the time, date, or weather.
Download Ubuntu 13.10 on Uptodown
http://ubuntu-13-10-saucy-salamander.en.uptodown.com/ubuntu
