Ubuntu 18.10 Beta - Quick tour of the new features
744Installation:
First, the installer is now a lot faster. It uses Facebooks compression algorithm, Zstandard, to unpack the packages used to install, which results in a speedier install.
At first startup, an extra step has also been added to configure your online accounts right from the start, while the distro installs.
Under the hood
Ubuntu 18.10 uses the linux kernel version 4.18, which includes a lot of performance and battery life improvements, as well as some updated drivers.
It ships with GNOME 3.30, which adds a lot of new features and refinements to the desktop, but still sticks to Nautilus 3.26, which means that all improvements since the latest two versions of the file manager won't be included, and that's a shame.
Ubuntu 18.10 will ship with a new wallpaper displaying its very cute new mascot, the cosmic cuttlefish, but is was not present in the beta I downloaded. It provides Firefox version 61, Shotwell 0.30, LibreOffice 6.1.1 and Thunderbird 52.
Look and feel
The main point of Ubuntu 18.10 is the new default theme. Ubuntu now ships with the Yaru theme, previously known as communitheme, and it looks pretty good. The colors are still the traditionnal Ubuntu orange browns, but is adds a flatter, more modern look which is a welcome change. This new theme is complimented by the SURU icon theme, which is based on Ubuntu Phone's icon theme. Icon design looks nice, but the fact that each icon is encased in a square shape is obviously bad for differentiation, and not all apps have their own Suru icon, resulting in a few graphical hiccups here and there, with icons not looking consistent across the whole desktop.
Snap enhancements
SNAP packages are Ubuntu's take on the whole "app shipping problem" on Linux. Ubuntu 18.10 adds a few interesting features to their distribution method, such as improvements to the startup speed of pre-installed snap applications (notably the calculator app), or the addition of a new status in the Ubuntu software center, to see quiclky which publisher is verified or not. Snap mounts also are hidden by default in the System Monitor, which should clean up the interface. Unfortunately, there are still no way to browse snaps through sub categories, and you'll still see duplicate entries in the Ubuntu Software Center, one for the standard "deb" app, the other for the snap package.
GNOME improvements
SHipping with GNOME 3.30, Ubuntu benefits from almost all improvements. The highlights include a faster GNOME shell, since GJS, the javascript engine used to power gnome shell, has been updated to SpiderMonkey version 60. It means that performance is now better, and it now uses less memory as well, with smoother animations.
GNOME now supports natively the thunderbolt interface, with automatic hiding of these settings if your computer does not have the required hardware. This automatic hiding has been applied to all hardware settings panels, so for example, if your computer does not support wifi or bluetooth, you won't see these options in the system settings.
In the "activities" view, all workspaces are now visible by default, instead of being semi hidden on the right side of the screen.
GNOME 3.30 also enhances a lot of its default apps, such as GNOME boxes, GNOME games, or GNOME builder, but Ubuntu does not ship these by default. Ubuntu also misses on the new Nautilus toolbar layout, dynamic resizing, and faster file search.
Ubuntu 18.10 is stated to release on the 18th of October, and this will be its only beta. All in all, it looks like a stable release, but a little short on new features. At this point, there are little Ubuntu-specific developments that could entice a GNOME user to switch to Ubuntu's customized version.
Artifact - The Dark Contenent by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100324
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Follow me on Twitter : http://twitter.com/thelinuxEXP
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Also Watch my Experience with Manjaro Budgie on a Full AMD Linux Build:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZdj4Q08fBg
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