The latest release of Ubuntu 11.04, the world’s most popular desktop Linux is out today. But, this is not just a one step forward update. No, it’s a giant leap to a new kind of Linux desktop thanks to its Unity desktop interface. Here’s what you need to know today about it.
First, as before, you can download Ubuntu 11.04 from the Web to your PC. In the next few weeks, you’ll also be able to run the Ubuntu 11.04 desktop from the cloud, but that’s not available yet. You can, however, give Ubuntu 11.04 server a try from the cloud today though.
Finally, you can also try Ubuntu 11.04 within Windows using Wubi. With this approach, you treat Ubuntu just as if it were a Windows application and run it within Windows. While this isn’t as fast as running Ubuntu as a native operating system or on a virtual machine, such as VirtualBox or VMware Player, it’s the easiest way for Windows users to give Ubuntu a try.
Most users though will want to download Ubuntu 11.04 and then use the operating system’s ISO image on a CD or a USB stick to either try it out or install it on their PC. If you use this way, you can install Ubuntu beside your existing operating system.