What’s new in Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin beta 2 since beta 1

Unity (both 2D and 3D) gained an option to configure the launcher for multi-monitor setups: you can now select to display the launcher on the primary monitor or on all monitors. The Launcher behaviour for multi-monitor setups can be set from System Settings (Displays, under Launcher Placement). Under System Settings, you can now also enable/disable Sticky Edges:

Via: webupd8.org

An example: Tab Utilities 1.1.3.

Some of the compatibilities reports say it is OK….

But how do I test it if its marked non-compatible?

Add-on Compatibility Reporter no longer allows the user to force compatibility.

Oh. Dear. Me.

This sound just like the bad old days :-(

Here is the fix:
extensions.checkCompatibility.12.0 = false
extensions.checkCompatibility.12.0a = false
extensions.checkCompatibility = false

I had uninstalled it and previously the site would not allow me to reinstall.

After the addition of the preferences above I was allowed to install and all looks OK so far.

Ubuntu
PrecisePangolin
12.04
Beta1
OK…
Lets do it :-D

Terminal: sudo update-manager -d&

And… back up and running :-)

Downloading the files took 30-45mins, the configuration and updating about an hour.

Reboot was quick and then straight back in to 12.04 after login.

Next up was 20 seconds of scary white screen with black dots… then Tada!

Both screens clear to show my desktop.

Both monitor screens now have a launch bar, whereas before there was only one.

Sweet :-)

Bugs:

Mouse cursor traversal between displays is too “sticky”

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/927662

Bug Description

With an un-mirrored dual display setup, the left side of the external display is “sticky” for the mouse cursor, which presents a problem when trying to traverse to internal display which is configured to the left of the external.

Saitek USB keyboard “Light Colour Key” forces a restart of X on 12.04 precise

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/945962

Bug Description

What you expected to happen:
When the built in media key is hit the keyboard lights should cycle through the available colours.

What happened instead
A restart of X.
Could be a crash or “Ctrl-Alt-Backspace” key combination forcing a restart of X.

YouTube – How to file a bug on Launchpad

Upgrade Shots:

Notes:

= Welcome to the Ubuntu ‘Precise Pangolin’ development release =

”This is still a BETA release.”
”Do not install it on production machines.”

Thanks for your interest in this development release of Ubuntu.
The Ubuntu developers are moving very quickly to bring you the
absolute latest and greatest software the Open Source Community has to
offer. This development release brings you a taste of the newest features
for the next version of Ubuntu.

== Testing ==

Please help to test this development snapshot and report problems back to the
developers.  For more information about testing Ubuntu, please read:

http://www.ubuntu.com/testing

== Reporting Bugs ==

This development release of Ubuntu contains bugs. If you want to help
out with bugs, the Bug Squad is always looking for help. Please read the
following information about reporting bugs:

http://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs

Then report bugs using apport in Ubuntu.  For example:

ubuntu-bug linux

will open a bug report in Launchpad regarding the linux package. Your
comments, bug reports, patches and suggestions will help fix bugs and improve
future releases.

== Participate in Ubuntu ==

If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of
ways you can participate at

http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/

== More Information ==

You can find out more about Ubuntu on the Ubuntu website and Ubuntu
wiki.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

http://wiki.ubuntu.com/

To sign up for Ubuntu development announcements, please
subscribe to Ubuntu’s development announcement list at:

http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-announce

Cant find the release notes?

I think they are now called “TechnicalOverview” :-)

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrecisePangolin/TechnicalOverview/Beta1

Get Ubuntu 12.04

Upgrading from Ubuntu 11.10

To upgrade from Ubuntu 11.10 on a desktop system, press Alt+F2 and type in “update-manager -d” (without the quotes) into the command box. Update Manager should open up and tell you: New distribution release ’12.04′ is available. Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.

To upgrade from Ubuntu 11.10 on a server system: install the update-manager-core package if it is not already installed; launch the upgrade tool with the command sudo do-release-upgrade -d; and follow the on-screen instructions. Note that the server upgrade is now more robust and will utilize GNU screen and automatically re-attach in case of e.g. dropped connection problems.

Upgrading from Ubuntu 10.04

There are some known issues at this time, so only developers and testers should try doing this upgrade at the moment. (927993)

Notes:

ReleaseSchedule

The Bliss Lens takes things old-skool: organising applications into category folders reminicisnt of the old GNOME 2 menus.

This is for those who prefer the more traditional approach to application-menu structure. Each application category is a folder. Inside each folder lay the respective application icons.

Created by Mikkel Kamstrup Erlandsen, Maintainer of the Unity Application Lens.

______________________________

Step by Step Package Creation and Install.

1) Install some development tools:

sudo apt-get install bzr gnome-common checkinstall

2) Create a folder

/home/YOURNAME/projects/bliss

Run:

bzr branch lp:unity-lens-bliss

3) From /projects/bliss/unity-lens-bliss$

Run:

./autogen.sh --prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc && make

4) Create a package for it:

Run:

sudo checkinstall

**********************************************************************

This package will be built according to these values:

0 -  Maintainer: [ Silverwave silverwav@gmail.com ]
1 -  Summary: [ Bliss Lens Hack for Unity ]
2 -  Name:    [ bliss-unity-lens---menu-style ]
3 -  Version: [ 0.0.1 ]
4 -  Release: [ 1 ]
5 -  License: [ GPL ]
6 -  Group:   [ checkinstall ]
7 -  Architecture: [ amd64 ]
8 -  Source location: [ unity-lens-bliss ]
9 -  Alternate source location: [  ]
10 – Requires: [  ]
11 – Provides: [ unity-lens ]
12 – Conflicts: [  ]
13 – Replaces: [  ]

Enter a number to change any of them or press ENTER to continue:

Installing with make install…

**********************************************************************
Done. The new package has been installed and saved to

/home/YOURNAME/projects/bliss/unity-lens-bliss/bliss-unity-lens---menu-style_0.0.1-1_amd64.deb

You can remove it from your system anytime using:

dpkg -r bliss-unity-lens---menu-style

**********************************************************************

5) Log-out, log-in. Test.

From Unity Bliss: An Alternative Application Lens for Ubuntu.
______________________________

Optional: You can remove the old lens via the package manager.

Its called “unity-lens-applications” and after removal you will need to log-out, log-in, again.

______________________________

Note: The best way to use the Bliss lens is to hit SUPER + A.

Keyboard Shortcuts
SUPER + A – application lens
SUPER + F – files lens
SUPER + M – music lens

I was experiencing issues when playing video with Movie Player and mplayer.

I initially thought it was caused by pulseaudio but traced it down to Firefox and npviewer.bin usage.

If I kill npviewer.bin the sound works.

Will look for a bug to report it under.

—

[link]

Interesting – searched for this after seeing as an option in Alternative drivers via Ubuntu control centre.

Tried it and it works for me ;-)

Updates to the proprietary AMD Catalyst and NVIDIA drivers post-release will finally be available! No longer will you be bound to the latest NVIDIA / AMD driver release at the time of the distribution’s release. Canonical is looking to provide optional packages via Jockey that user’s can opt-in to using that would enable using the latest monthly / stable blobs. This though isn’t for open-source driver users since those are harder to update in a sane manner, but there is also xorg-edgers for that as well.

here and here.

Any other issues I am adding here:

1. My Nautilus Launcher from the dock doesn’t work. Starting it from from the desktop or terminal does work though.
   Needs to be added back in to the launcher each reboot.
2. Nvidia Settings Launcher missing from dock. I used dash to open it and added it back in.
3. How do you configure the Radiance Theme?
   Unselecting and reselecting the Radiance Theme gave me the lighter title bars that I was looking for.
4. No detail view on the file manager nautilus? See here.
5. Pastie broke so I installed ClipIt, looking good so far.
   Oh and that is the first time I have used the Software Centre and it gets points for creating a launcher.
6. Virtualbox is still working OK the package Manager is saying it is still Natty.
7. Zeitgeist takes 100% CPU on one core. See here.
8. Zeitgeist is watching you… privacy fix? See here.

That’s it so far not too bad for a beta1 :-)

nvidia drivers, second monitor covered by black (Bug #813343 )

This was a little tricky.

I have a Nvidia GeForce 8600 GTS; 1 x Samsung SM226BW (left 1680x 1050); 1 x SMB2430H (right 1920x 1080.).

I was using TwinView via NVIDIA Settings in Natty 11.04 OK prior to the upgrade.

________________________________________

Update : 02.09.2011

I find that to have TwinView work correctly across both screens I need to do this:

The NVIDIA Settings Screen Dance

Enable TwinView, apply and click OK on the invisible dialogue box.

Set Clone and Apply then Cancel.

Note: Both screens now are enabled (but both showing the same view).

Move the right screen to the left or vice versa and apply.

Note: Both screen now allow windows to be moved from one to another.

Move the right screen back to the left and apply.

All working correctly now :-)

Oh and you may want to have a look at this.

________________________________________

Update : 08.09.2011

The latest update has fixed this issue, NVIDIA Settings with TwinView now works fine. :-)

________________________________________

Update : 10.09.2011

Tested again, NVIDIA Settings with TwinView still need to do the The NVIDIA Settings Screen Dance :-(

sil@klon:~$ free -m
             total       used       free    buffers     cached
Mem:          8000       7865        134        864       4621
-/+ buffers/cache:       2380       5620
Swap:         8191          0       8191
sil@klon:~$ free -m
             total       used       free    buffers     cached
Mem:          8000       6846       1154       2029       1177
-/+ buffers/cache:       3638       4361
Swap:         8191          0       8191

3.6Gib in Resources tab, Matches the 3638 in used above.

1922 is the approx total displayed in Processes down to <1MiB

3638-2029=1609

Good enough for me ;-)

The Resources Tab Used figure of 3.6Gib seems to include Buffers.