Hi all,
The Final Beta of Ubuntu Desktop is ready! Here’s a quick run down on what’s new and what you can do to contribute and help as we go in to full-speed bug fixing mode.
The biggest change you’ll notice is the switch from Unity 7 to GNOME Shell. This might not be immediately obvious as we’ve spent time making sure that the people who having been using Unity 7 for years don’t have to change their workflow too much. The most obvious example of this is the Ubuntu Dock (based on Dash To Dock and developed upstream).
Display Server
If you’re running supported hardware you’ll get a Wayland based session by default. We’re very interested in hearing about your experiences with Wayland, if you are experiencing problems please log a bug. If you would like to switch between display servers you can do this from the greeter:
Settings
Settings has been redesigned in the latest GNOME release. As you can see from the screenshot you have the list of available settings categories down the lefthand side. There is also a search button in the top left corner to help you find what you’re looking for more quickly.
Printing
Ubuntu 17.10 adds support for all “driverless printers”. Essentially, if you can print to your printer directly from your phone, then you should also be able to print to it with Ubuntu without having to install a special driver.
GNOME Software
The latest version of GNOME Software brings new features, improved layout and better support for Snaps.
Install some Snaps
Once you’ve got 17.10 installed, it’s time to have some fun. Installing a Snap is a easy as:
$ sudo snap install irccloud-desktop
$ sudo snap install ohmygiraffe
$ sudo snap install retroarch
Default GNOME Session
If you’re interested in trying out the vanilla GNOME Shell desktop experience, you can simply install the gnome-session:
$ sudo apt install gnome-session
and reboot. Then select GNOME from the greeter:
Download the ISO and test
You can download the beta from here http://releases.ubuntu.com/artful/ubuntu-17.10-beta2-desktop-amd64.iso. You could install this as a virtual machine, using VirtualBox for example, trying it as a live session by booting off a USB stick, or even install it directly on to your computer. Install some Snaps, install some debs, connect to your devices, print off some documents and generally have a play. Please let us know how you get on!
Have fun!
