Ubuntu Linux, easily one of the most popular Linux distributions available today, is out with what may be its most significant set of changes to date. 11.04 “Natty Narwhal” has brought with it not just major version jumps for nearly every core app and service, but also a completely revamped Unity interface.Earlier this month, we took an extensive tour through a beta release of Ubuntu’s latest iteration, and things have only gotten better since then. The betas may have been rough around the edges, but 11.04 is now stable and it feels the part.
Love it or hate it, Unity is clearly here to stay. It’s been through a major update since 10.10, and it’s not just for netbooks anymore, either. The interface does sit atop the GNOME Desktop Environment, though — so things aren’t so different once you get past the layout and some basic controls.
Ubuntu 11.04 is also available in several variants, called derivatives by Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu), which include Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu and more. These derivatives allow users to have all the updated features of the underlying OS while using the interface of their choosing, like KDE or XFCE.
As always, Ubuntu is free to download for everyone.
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