Part two of this quick overview of an online upgrade to 12.04 explores the standard features of the latest Ubuntu release, including new and improved features and some old ones as well.
Maintenance, Applications, and Utilities
1. Software center - Ubuntu Software Center has largely replaced dependable but somewhat aged Synaptic Package Manager since the inception of the Unity Desktop. Adobe Flash, with its somewhat ambiguous role in the IT ecosystem today, is an excellent test for Software Center's prowess. Prior to the upgrade, I had been running the Flash plugin for Mozilla (Chrome, of course, supports Flash out of the box). Metatube prompted for a Flash upgrade, giving me a chance to install Adobe's more recent iteration of the plugin. Thankfully, installation of Flash on the 12.04 proved to be a non-issue.
2. Wokspaces and Desktop Switcher - A previous glitch that marred Ubuntu's paging system was fixed in 12.04. Switching using the Workspace link in the Launcher is as smooth as can be expected even when running 2D Unity.
3. Maintenance Utilities - There is now an option to install Landscape, Canonical's remote management system for multiple Ubuntu machines. Remmina Desktop Client and Power Statistics come standard on the 12.04 and a great boon for systems administrators. These three, along with System Testing (for testing hardware compatibility) indicate that the label LTS is for real.
4. Privacy feature - Part of Canonical's strategy is to brand Ubuntu as a serious corporate system and the Privacy utility is a clear proof of this. Although easy-to-use and straightforward, I doubt if either the log activity and application feature will be particularly useful for casual desktop users. It seems more like a gimmick more than anything else. Who really makes use of Private Browsing in Internet Explorer and Incognito Browsing in Chrome anyway? Same situation here.
5. Network Management in Ubuntu 12.04 may not be as powerful as KDE-based releases and other Network Managers available as packages, but it is certainly simple and friendly, matching OSX's earlier Network Interface modules. KNetworkManager in openSUSE is great on a wired network but somewhat crude and awkward when handling wireless networks. Ubuntu's Network service, on the other hand, makes itself easy for new users concerned about having to use ifconfig/iwconfig commands to connect to a network. On a wired network, Ubuntu and openSUSE connect much faster than Windows 7 anyway.
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