New developments in LTS

Historically, Edubuntu releases weren't released as long-term support releases with their Ubuntu LTS counterparts. While the Ubuntu LTS release was supported for 3 years on the desktop and 5 years on the server, the Edubuntu release was supported for the standard 18 months.

Ubuntu 12.04 takes a huge leap forward by not only supporting the server for 5 years, but also the desktop install. Derivatives can also separately apply for LTS status.

Some necessary changes

The Edubuntu team decided to apply for LTS status for 12.04, and had to made some changes in order to support Edubuntu 12.04 for such a period. The most notable changes is dropping the Java runtime files from the default installation, since we don't have the capacity to maintain security updates for it for 5 years. This leads to the removal of Freemind, a great mind mapping tool, as well as Geogebra, an algebra tool. The good news is that both packages will still be available a few clicks away in the Ubuntu Software Center.

iTalc is being removed and is replaced with Epoptes, which is actively developed and integrated in Edubuntu.

Better planning and support

Having long-term Edubuntu releases will allow administrators to better plan and co-ordinate software deployments and upgrade. It also allows contributors to better focus backports of packages and encourages developers to focus on the supportability of the product.

Edubuntu will also have point releases for the 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) release. This means that updated installation media will be made available that will include up to date packages for all software shipped. Point releases will be made along with the Ubuntu release schedule.

The Edubuntu 12.04 LTS proposal can be found on the Ubuntu wiki.

WebLive Milestone

Yesterday, the Edubuntu WebLive service surpassed it's one hundred thousandth session. We're thrilled that so many people have taken the time to look at Edubuntu and find out just how easy open source software is and that it can be really valuable in an educational setting.

Try it out!

Haven't tried out WebLive yet? Give it a go! WebLive itself is also open source, if you'd like to deploy your own instance, you can find it hosted on Launchpad.net.

Welcome to Edubuntu 11.10

The Edubuntu development team is really proud and happy to announce that Edubuntu 11.10 has now been released.

You may now try it online or download it.

This release brings a refreshed desktop environment based on Ubuntu's Unity while still offering you easy access to the familiar classic Gnome environment (through the Gnome fallback mode).

What's new ?

As usual, Edubuntu inherits most of the changes that occur in Ubuntu.
Additionally, this release brings you:

• New updated version of LTSP Live, translated in multiple languages
• Updated installer featuring translations in over 25 languages
• A new version of Gobby, the collaborative text editor, now at version 0.5
• The latest and greatest version 2 of Gbrainy.
• A refreshed user interface, now based on Unity by default and featuring a different icon theme and wallpaper.
• Support for OEM installations of Edubuntu

This release will be supported for 18 months.

To learn more about what's new Ubuntu 11.10, you can read the official release notes.

How do I get it ?

The DVD image (also usable as a USB image) is downloadable from our download page.

Installation instructions are available here.

And if you just want to see what it looks like, we have screenshots available.

As usual, if you want to try it out, but can't wait for your download to finish, try it out online on Edubuntu WebLive!

If you already have an Ubuntu or derivative system installed, you can simply install any additional Edubuntu packages that you would like to use.

Users of Edubuntu 11.04 can also upgrade directly to 11.10, please note that in all cases you'll get Unity as your new interface, you'll need to select Gnome fallback from the login screen after reboot if you want a classic Gnome interface.

Known issues

• Unfortunately, due to Gnome upstream transitioning to gsettings and gtk3, we weren't able to include Gnome Nanny, Sabayon and Pessulus in this release.
• Our advanced package selection tool may not appear for users installing in some languages, in such case, all the Edubuntu packages will get installed and you'll then need to remove these you don't want after rebooting to your installed system.
• When using the Gnome fallback mode, removing a panel will result in a crash message on the first attempt. After that it works fine.

Further Information

Community support is available via IRC, Forums and Mailing lists.
Please refer to http://edubuntu.org/documentation for more information.

Welcome to Edubuntu 11.04

The Edubuntu development team is really proud and happy to announce that Edubuntu 11.04 has now been released.

You may now try it online or download it.

This version builds on the excellent 10.10 release, making the installation process even more flexible and improves the desktop not only by updating it but also by updating the look&feel and choosing the best available software for each use case.

What's new ?

Here are the major changes and choices we made for this 11.04 release:

• Edubuntu 11.04 ships with a classic Ubuntu desktop by default. Unity is available in both its 2D and 3D versions for these who want to test this new user interface as an option in the installer.
• Building on the installer improvements done for the 10.10 release, it's now possible to do fine grained package selection so you can install only what you need.
• To improve Edubuntu's security, 11.04 also ships with Arkose installed by default. This tool lets you easily run untrusted binaries in a safe environment (sandbox).
• New software packages in Edubuntu include Pencil, Geogebra, Calibre, LibreCAD, Freemind and Stellarium.
• The default wallpaper and the installation slideshow have been updated.
• LTSP now ships with an Edubuntu theme for both the boot splash and the login screen
• Thanks to WebLive, you may now try most software available in the Ubuntu Software Center online without having to install them. Simply pick a software and click the "Test drive" button below the screenshot. After a few seconds you'll be testing that software online.

How do I get it ?

If you just want to see what Edubuntu 11.04 looks like, simply go and try it on WebLive.
All you need is a few minutes and a computer with Java installed.

You can install Edubuntu from flash disk or DVD installation media.

If you already have an Ubuntu or derivative system installed, you can simply install any additional Edubuntu packages that you would like to use.

Visit our Downloads page for more information. Installation instructions is available from the Documentation page.

Further Information

Please refer to the Ubuntu 11.04 Release Notes which contains more useful information that is published with the release, including upgrade instructions, known issues and workarounds if required.

Community support is available via IRC, Forums and Mailing lists. Please refer to http://edubuntu.org/documentation for more information.

The Edubuntu team is happy to announce the 2nd beta pre-release of Edubuntu 11.04. This is the last pre-release iteration before the final release, and is available for testing immediately.

Download

The DVD ISO image is available for download from:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/natty/beta-2/

What's new?

This beta release brings no new features, but adds many bug fixes in preperation for the final release.

For more information on this Beta release, including non-Edubuntu specific bugs and features, please refer to the Natty Narwhal Technical Overview wiki page. We strongly recommend reading this, since there are issues which aren't resolved yet and may require workarounds on certain platforms.

The Final release is on 28 April and we hope that you'll be as excited about it as we are!

The Edubuntu team is happy to announce that the Beta 1 of Edubuntu 11.04 is released !

Download

The DVD ISO image is available for download from:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/natty/beta-1/

Release Notes

WebLive is now directly integrated in the Ubuntu Software Center
letting you test the most popular apps without installing them on your
machine. Just click the "Test drive" button.

Ubiquity now has an additional step allowing users to fine-tune which
applications should be installed on the final system.

Edubuntu now ships with Arkose, which provides application sandboxing
for downloaded apps.

New software packages in Edubuntu include Pencil, Geogebra, Calibre,
LibreCAD, Freemind and Stellarium.

Theming improvements include a new LDM theme when installing LTSP from
the Edubuntu installer. The text-mode boot mode now displays "Edubuntu"
instead of "Ubuntu". Our ongoing menu refinements include new icons
where they were missing, and more consistent case use in menu entries.

Edubuntu 11.04 ships with the classical Gnome desktop by default but
Unity is available as an option in the installer.

For more information on this Beta release, including non-Edubuntu specific bugs and features, please refer to the Natty Narwhal Technical Overview wiki page. We strongly recommend reading this, since there are may be bugs that may result in data loss under certain circumstances.

Edubuntu follows the Ubuntu release schedule, for more information on the roadmap to release, please refer to the Release Schedule.

What is Schooltool?

From the SchoolTool website:

SchoolTool is a suite of free administrative software for schools. Since it can be installed easily and used with no licensing fees, SchoolTool can be used by schools for a single purpose, by individual teachers or small teams within schools, or as a whole-school comprehensive student information system, encompassing demographics, gradebooks, attendance, calendars and reporting.

Schooltool and Edubuntu

In 2005 when Edubuntu was first released, it shipped with Schooltool installed by default. For a few releases, Schooltool wasn't available in the Ubuntu archives due to many of its dependencies being unavailable.

A collaborative effort that spans the SchoolTool itself, Zope maintainers, Ubuntu MOTU, Edubuntu and Ubuntu-NGO over the last 2 releases paid off and now Schooltool is back in the Ubuntu archives. Users who are testing the upcoming 11.04 release will already be able to install it.

SchoolTool won't be installed in Edubuntu by default, but it will be just a few clicks away via the Ubuntu Software Center.

For more information about SchoolTool, please refer to the SchoolTool website:
http://schooltool.org/

WebLive Progress

In October 2010 we launched a new Edubuntu service called WebLive. This allowed users to connect to an Edubuntu session with nothing more than a java-enabled web browser for up to 2 hours. Users are allowed to renew their session and get another 2 hours if they would like to try it out further.

Since then, it's been extended to not only support the current Edubuntu stable release, but also the development version of Edubuntu and Ubuntu with the top rated applications from the Ubuntu Software Center pre-installed.

This provides potential users a great opportunity to try out Edubuntu and see what great software is available in Ubuntu- before they even download it.

Last week Stéphane announced a public API for WebLive that will result in some other nice things. In particular, we'll be working on some Chromium/Firefox plugins for the service.

Service Usage

Today, we hit 15 000 sessions since we started logging the amount of sessions in November. We've had great feedback so far and would appreciate some more.

We also had one user who has been logging into the WebLive service almost every day since we've made it available! We don't collect e-mail addresses and don't log anything else than username and when the person has logged on, so if that person would like to give us some feedback we'd love to talk to you!

Give it a Try!

For performance reasons, and because of limited server availability, we only allow 10 simultaneous connections. If the server is currently full, then please try again later.

New Development Release

Edubuntu 11.04 (codenamed: Natty Narwhal) is the next version of Edubuntu due for release in April 2011. Development on the system is in full swing and today marks the third tested installable development version. It is still in an early state and has known problems, it is not recommended for anything else than testing and experimental purposes for people who are interested in Edubuntu development.

Download

The DVD ISO image is available for download from:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/natty/alpha-3/

Release Notes

What's New in this Alpha?

• The Edubuntu installer now has an additional installation step that allows users much better control over which packages are installed on the final system.
• QCad is now replaced by LibreCAD.
• Too many bug fixes too mention.

Known Issues:

• When installing LTSP, you have to link the old CDROM path to the new one before commencing installation. You can do this by typing "sudo ln -s /cdrom /media/cdrom" from the command line. (LP: #727783)
• On 64bit systems, you may have two of the same icons in the system notification area. (LP: 727811)
• Notifications that a software volume has been detected will often pop up. It's safe to just close these notifications when they do. (LP: 727817)
• The trash applet will sometimes crash on login. (LP: 727844)

For more information on this Alpha release, including non-Edubuntu specific bugs and features, please refer to the Natty Narwhal Technical Overview wiki page. We strongly recommend reading this, since there are may be bugs that may result in data loss under certain circumstances.

Edubuntu follows the Ubuntu release schedule, for more information on the roadmap to release, please refer to the Release Schedule.

Bug Day

Interested in getting involved with Edubuntu? We're having a bug day on 10 March to iron out some problems in Natty before the final freezes are in effect. More details here:
http://edubuntu.org/2011-02-23/edubuntu-bug-day-10-march

Small Bugs are Important Too

Bugs may sound cute and harmless, but often even small software bugs can have a huge impact on the overall user experience.

The current development version of Edubuntu, codenamed "Natty Narwhal" which will in time become Edubuntu 11.04 is shaping up quite well. However, quite often attention is focussed on the big issues and sometimes the smaller problems just don't get the attention they also deserve, which results in feedback like "Hey! Why didn't you fix this, it would've only taken you 15 minutes!".

So, to give special love and attention to all Edubuntu bugs, we're declaring 10 March an Edubuntu Bug day!

The Details

The bug day will last all day on 10 March 2011 in collaboration with the Ubuntu Bugsquad team on the #ubuntu-bugs IRC channel on freenode.

The plan is to take a look at all related open bugs, do as much triaging and fixing as possible and then put together a report at the end of the day and identify and prioritise remaining issues targeted for the final release.

If you're new to bug squashing (or even scared of them) we still encourage you to drop by on IRC and say hi! You're even welcome to join as and nag us about your favourite bugs.

More information:

Bugsquad Hugday page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuBugDay
Edubuntu Roadmap: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Edubuntu/Devel/RoadMap
Natty Release Schedule: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NattyReleaseSchedule
List of bugs we follow in Edubuntu: https://bugs.launchpad.net/~edubuntu-bugs/+packagebugs (will be updated before bug day)