[BETA] First Look at Ubuntu Linux 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" Beta

Most Ubuntu Linux releases
change a few things here and
there, upgrade the default
software packages, and perhaps
upgrade the look of your
desktop a bit. Not Ubuntu 11.04,
code-named "Natty Narwhal." In
its beta release, Natty has a new
desktop and app launching
scheme, a fast search, some big
default app changes, and
something of a new mission.
Take a look.
First off, I'll agree with what
I've read elsewhere in the tech
community: Ubuntu 11.04 beta
is very, well, beta. The brand-
new Unity interface is missing
many features, options, and
small refinements, and
occasionally just refuses to
launch an app. From the log-in
screen (assuming you aren't set
up to automatically log in), you
can revert to the more familiar,
GNOME-based look by selecting
"Ubuntu Classic," and you can
get even more simple (and
power/process-efficient) with
"Ubuntu Classic (No Effects)."
But Ubuntu 11.04 beta on the
whole has given me more crash
reports, odd quirks, and a
general sense of a work-in-
progress. The ship date is April
28, and while improvements can
certainly be made, users who
had a workflow down with
previous Ubuntu desktops may
find themselves switching to
Classic.
On to the particularly new stuff.
Click the images below for a
larger view.
A Much More
Understandable Installer
If you didn't know what a
partition was, or what exactly
"swap" space did, previous
versions of Ubuntu's installer
didn't leave you entirely sure
what was happening, or
whether you were really
protecting your perfectly fine
Windows installation. Ubuntu's
latest installer is quite
impressive —it tells you exactly
what's happening, what you
might want to do, and how it
will work. It starts installing
almost immediately, and lets you
do some standard Q&A stuff
(time zone, keyboard, username)
while it's working in the
background. From the get-go,
too, you can choose to have
Ubuntu install third-party stuff
like MP3s, Flash, and other
goodies that make the real web
go 'round.
The Unity Bar
First Look at Ubuntu Linux 11.04
"Natty Narwhal" Beta
There's always been a certain
percentage of Windows and Mac
users who see putting their
Taskbar or Dock on the side of
the desktop as more efficient,
especially on a monitor with
widescreen dimensions. Ubuntu
has made that side-loaded
launch center the default in their
new Unity interface; quite a
default, too, as there's no real
way to move it. You launch
apps, folders, and file searches
from this spot, and apps you've
launched show up here. You can
right-click an app to keep it in
the launcher, and you can move
the buttons around by clicking,
holding, then draggging. Shift-
clicking brings up a new
instance of a launched app, tiny
lights show multiple instances,
and, well, that's about it. It feels
like there's a lot more to come
with Unity's dock/bar, especially
in the way of customization. For
now, it's intended to create a
kind of netbook or iOS
experience on the desktop:
when you maximize a windows,
the dock drops out of sight,
brought back by hovering your
mouse to the upper-right corner,
onto the tiny Ubuntu icon.
Mac-Style Menu Bars
If you thought Ubuntu had
made some Apple-like decisions
here, you're headed in the right
direction. The top-most desktop
bar now serves as the universal
app menu bar, filling in with File,
Edit, and so on when an app
offers them. The Natty release
has taken strides to give users
as much space as possible on the
desktop, and in that regard, at
least, it seems to have
succeeded.
Universal Keyboard
Navigation
If trying to customize and work
Unity with a mouse or trackpad
isn't the most rewarding
experience, Ubuntu has at least
given keyboard aficionados
quite a bit to work with. The
entire interface is navigable by
keyboard shortcuts, many
utilizing the Windows/"Super"
key on Windows-based PCs. Hold
down Windows to show the
numbers linked to each dock
item, and launch them by
pressing Windows+1, Windows
+2, and so on. That's pretty
handy, but Ubuntu took the
Super key a step farther.
Quick Search Box
Tapping the Windows key (or
another key you designate in
the Keyboard settings) now
brings up a universal search box
from the upper-left corner,
where you can launch apps, find
files, and get access to settings
and system utilities. It's my
favorite feature in Ubuntu
11.04, if not exactly new to the
desktop scene. The search is
fairly generous to humans, too;
I searched for what I thought
were "Display" settings, and
"Monitors" came up as the
appropriate item.
Workspace Switching
Embedded into the Unity dock is
a workspace switcher that's
quick and smooth, with
keyboard accessibility and good-
sized thumbnails of your
workspaces. I'm not a multi-
workspace enthusiast, but this
seems generally up to snuff
with the Mac offering (though
that may ring as a back-handed
compliment).
New Software Defaults
Banshee has replaced
Rhythmbox as the default music
app, though it also seems to
have been styled to be nearly
indistinguishable from its
predecessor. LibreOffice has
replaced OpenOffice, and it
works, well, just the same. The
Software Center, Ubuntu's
version of an app "store," now
makes recommendations for
software, based on what you've
installed. Firefox 4 is the default
browser that ships with the
desktop, and many more
packages have received updates
along the way.
So that's Ubuntu 11.04, and its
somewhat bold step forward,
and somewhat away from other
distributions. What do you think
of it, in looks alone or after
using the beta a bit? Give us
your take in the comments.