raring ringtail

In the Raring Ringtail development cycle, the developers decided to ship only a BETA release before the actual stable Ubuntu 13.04 release, consequently, centering the gained development energy into strengthening Ubuntu components.

Raring Ringtail BETA has just been released, freezing the numerous and numerous changes into a BETA stage, allowing users from across the world to grasp, test and observe new features, functionalities, additions and visual polish since the release of Ubuntu 12.10.

Presently in Ubuntu, third-party developers are able to create software with Ubuntu SDK, applications, games, utilities, etc, based on the latest Qt/QML technologies.

Qt Creator is a powerful integrated development environment (IDE), that allows developers to create applications with the Qt application framework; Qt Creator 2.7.0 has already landed in Raring Ringtail, being available via Ubuntu Software Center, 2.7.0 release based on Qt 5.0.1.

Sometimes, it seems that minor features are able to draw a clear difference between a regular desktop and a highly-usable desktop, latter that contains worked-on-detail elements, in order to immediately familiarize the user with its features and intentions, as well as removing from the experienced user's shoulders the burden of double/triple-checking certain actions.

Unity can be easily described by the above-presented highly-usable desktop, progressively incorporating new and new design-wise details.

As a clear development objective, the developers announced weeks ago the upcoming landing of the 100 scopes (and of the Smart Scopes,--intelligent manner of searching through them and exposing relevant data--) project in Raring Ringtail.

Ubuntu ships by default Unity, allowing users to easily and accurately manage, group, access and observe applications via the Unity launcher.

Launching an application via the Dash, adds the previously-launched app to the launcher, from where the user can further interact with it.

Nautilus, Ubuntu's file manager, comes with powerful functionalities, allowing users to manage, access and open desired files and folders.

Usually, when dealing with various workflows, the user searches for images, text documents, clips, etc, in order to complete tasks, actions, needs.

Weeks ago, the developers announced and shared via a launchpad bug the upcoming landing of a new basic set of icons in Ubuntu 13.04, namely, new icons for Nautilus, Software Updater and Ubuntu Software Center (paired with new lens icons,--already implemented in Raring--).

Weeks ago, Ubuntu 13.04 received the exciting Unity-style shutdown dialogs, enriching the Raring desktop with chameleonic Unity-like textures, big-sized monochrome icons, multiple ways of closing the dialogs (clicking on a desktop space, hitting the Escape key, etc).

Yet, since their initial implementation, the Unity-style shutdown dialogs have been constantly polished and worked on details, in order to provide a no-compromise overall experience.

Ubuntu 13.04 has received, across the latest weeks, interesting visual improvements and additions, bundle of changes refining and beautifying the desktop's overall look & feel.

The latest updates landed in Raring Ringtail bring new changes, implementing minor yet relevant functionalities.

The method of implementing the default wallpaper pack in Ubuntu features an interesting approach: the developers start a call for submissions, interested users submit original wallpapers to a dedicated Flickr place, the developers select a shortlist, the developers refine the shortlist and land the selected wallpapers in Ubuntu by default.

Days ago, the developers announced and published the initial shortlist of wallpapers, wallpapers bearing a pleasant-to-the-eye overall look & feel with landscapes, abstract patterns, captured nature, etc.