New Features and other interesting stuff in Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 "etch"
internal changes
What changed between the release of Sarge and the upcoming release of Etch, which might be interesting for users, even if it didn't effect them direcetly.
- New python policy
- mirror split
- AMD64 arch
- LSB 3.1
- UTF-8 environment by default on new installs
New Features
- apt-key and all that
- installer:
- graphical installer
- new languages through bidi support
- encrypted partitions
- graphical installer
- "default desktop environment" improvements
- update notification (using update-notifier)
- local deb install (using gdebi)
- printing support
- scanner support (post beta-3 stuff)
- better artwork (being discussed now)
- instant messaging (using gaim)
- partition management (using gparted) and more.
- ...
New introduced Packages
(Just the most important ones.)
Nexuiz
- xen and vserver kernel variants (no more patching)
- with advancement of free Java implementations packages like Eclipse Platform or Tomcat5 are possible
Updated Packages
(Just the most important ones.)
OpenOffice.org 2.0.3
nota bene: splitted packages; you don't need to install everything, if you just need OpenOffice.org writer
- KDE 3.5.3 (3.5.4 in sid will probably make it to etch, too)
- GNOme 2.12.3 (2.14.2.1 in sid will probably be released with etch, too)
- ...
- Linux Kernel 2.6.17 (?)
- X.org 7.x
- nota bene: Brings not only new drivers, but also modularized packages (and with that no mega downloads when a security update is releases)
removed packages
- Mozilla
(Might be mostly interesting for the release-notes? Some way to autogenerate such a list? ask tbm?)