Ubuntu 7.10 Server Edition released

Ubuntu 7.10 delivers platform for rapid server deployment to developers and businesses

Canonical Ltd. announced the upcoming availability of Ubuntu 7.10 Server Edition that provides developers and businesses with a platform for development and deployment in the data centre. Ubuntu 7.10 will be available for free download on Thursday 18 October. Canonical Ltd. is the commercial sponsor of the Ubuntu project.

Ubuntu is the award-winning Linux distribution for the desktop, laptop, and server which brings together the best of open source software. Ubuntu releases a new version every six months, with a long term support (“LTS”) release available every two years. The next LTS release is due in 2008.

Ubuntu Server focuses on providing a robust server platform that is both reliable and secure while ensuring that users get the usability and ease of management they expect from Ubuntu. The new release adds an enhanced security capability that protects common workloads and is easy to configure for advanced requirements. Three new quick start profiles have been added so typical services such as E-mail and Web serving can be deployed quickly using a standardised and repeatable set-up.

“Ubuntu Server is proving itself as a solid, maintainable platform for business infrastructure,” said Jane Silber, Chief Operating Officer, Canonical UK. “This release of Ubuntu Server Edition is particularly easy to provision and deploy on large numbers of servers with specific software package requirements. It is also optimised for virtualisation as a guest or host operating system which makes it the server product of choice for businesses looking for the right platform to complement their virtualisation strategy. This functionality was prioritised on the basis of feedback from businesses using Ubuntu Server in production and pilot environments.”

“Having established its credibility on the desktop, with millions of deployments worldwide, Ubuntu's aiming to bring that same strength to the server platform,” said Stephen O'Grady, Principal Analyst for RedMonk. “With strength in its application repository volume and a focus on virtualization, Ubuntu's likely to be an increasingly attractive choice for buyers.

The latest version includes the following new features:

New Functionality

• Enhanced security – AppArmor provides significantly enhanced security which protects the server from intrusion. Common server applications such as Apache and Postfix are protected with default policies. Administrators can easily lock down programs and resources and add policies for their specific requirements.
• Virtualized kernel – A tailored kernel optimized for use in virtualized environments. This smaller and simpler kernel is particularly suited for virtual appliances. This new kernel includes many improvements for paravirtualization, one of which is VMI (Virtual Machine Interface), a new independent way for hypervisors to relate to the kernel.
• Tickless kernel – A new “tickless” idle mode resulting in reduced power consumption/heat emission – This feature results in significant energy and cost savings on machines running several virtualised instances.
• Messaging – Deployments of large mail servers benefit from significant improvements to Postfix's performance. The new stable release of Postfix takes advantage of the kernel's epoll functionality to reduce load and improve performance.
• Printing – Improved interoperability with CUPS now supporting automatic discovery and authentication for many more protocols, including LDAP with SSL, Kerberos, MacOSX Bonjour and Zeroconf.
• Programming – A new release of Python allows for a faster and more reliable interpreter. Additionally OpenMP is now supported in gcc 4.2, which gives shared-memory programmers a simple and flexible interface for developing parallel application.

Improved Compatibility

• LDAP authentication – Ubuntu Server is now fully supported as an LDAP authentication client. Additionally, a new profile based configuration utility (auth-client-config) makes setup of multiple servers easier than ever.
• File sharing – Enhanced Samba compatibility with Microsoft Windows clients, including Vista, that allows for better performances and off line login.

Enhanced Manageability

• Quick start profiles – Three new quick start profiles have been added supporting Mail, Print and Database server set up. These profiles are in addition to the existing LAMP and DNS ones and significantly ease deployment, management and maintenance for common “edge of the network” functions.
• Landscape Management – Commercially supported users of Ubuntu Server can take full advantage of this web-based management tool for managing large deployments.

Ubuntu Server Edition is available and optimized for x86, AMD64, EM64T (Intel Core & Xeon), and Sun Sparc architectures.

More information is available at www.ubuntu.com/server

Genuinely Free

High-quality updates for Ubuntu 7.10 will be published at no charge to all users of the platform. This free maintenance service includes backports of new hardware support, minor updates and security updates. Ubuntu 7.10 will be maintained for 18 months on both the desktop and on the server upon which users can upgrade free of charge to a new version. Note – Ubuntu 7.10 is not a Long Term Support (LTS) release (3 years support on the desktop and 5 years on the server), the next LTS release will be in 2008.

About Canonical

Canonical is the commercial sponsor of the Ubuntu project and the leading provider of support services for Ubuntu deployments in the enterprise.

Ubuntu is a free, open-source platform for client, server and cloud computing. Since its launch in 2004, it has become a natural choice for users of all kinds, from Fortune 500 companies to hardware makers, content providers, software developers and individual technologists.

With developers, support staff and engineering centres all over the world, Canonical is uniquely positioned to help its partners and enterprise customers make the most of Ubuntu. Canonical is a privately held company.