Ubuntu 11.04, Natty Narwhal, in-depth review

Ubuntu 11.04, code-named Natty Narwhal, has been released, continuing Ubuntu's trend of combining the latest open-source technologies into a modern, innovative, stable and awesome Linux distribution.

What software does Natty include?

• Mozilla Firefox 4 is the default browser (full appmenu support, lovely integration with Ubuntu's default themes, Ambiance and Radiance, default icon on the launcher)



• LibreOffice 3.3.2 is the default office suite (has replaced OpenOffice.org, new mimes icons, appmenu support after "lo-menubar" installation via Ubuntu Software Center, default icon on the launcher)



• Ubuntu Software Center 4 (supports now Ratings and Reviews, keeps track of "Used:x times" related to various applications, new "Featured" and "What's new" areas on its "main page", supports test&drive numerous apps with the installation of "qtnx" package, design improvements)



• Ubuntu One Control Panel 1.0 respects Ambiance&Radiance with its new redesigned interface (new branded icon, default icon on the launcher)



• CompizConfig Settings Manager 0.9.4 ("OpenGL" is now a plugin that can be enabled/disabled with one click, "Composite" has its different place, under "Desktop" there is a new plugin, "Ubuntu Unity Plugin", that contains Unity-related configurations, "Desktop Cube" is disabled, "Desktop Wall" is enabled by default, new "Grid" effect" with awesome animations ("aero snap"-like), windows resize border is now orange)



• X.org 1.10 and Mesa 7.10
• Shotwell 0.9, the digital photo organizer



• Banshee 2.0 is the default music player (integrated into the Sound Menu, includes online extensions like "Amazon MP3 Store", "Ubuntu One Music Store", appmenu support)



• kernel version 2.6.38 (removal of the Big Kernel Lock, file-system improvements to Ext4, Btrfs, improved support for new hardware)
• Upstart 0.9 (.7) (is "chroot-aware" now)
• new "btrfs" file-system (can be installed and is quite usable, with few errors and "corrupt a file-system irrecoverably" related issues)
• Ayatana Overlay Scrollbars 0.1, the new fancy "real estate"-aware scrollbars (currently working on GTK-based applications, no support for Mozilla Firefox, Chrome/ium, GNOME-Terminal , Update Manager,Eye of Gnome, LibreOffice, Synaptic Package Manager, etc)

User Interface

Unity 3D is the default shell in Ubuntu 11.04 (if the hardware can't handle it, there are 2 recommended options: GNOME 2.x panel, shipped as the default fall-back or Unity 2D, Unity 3D's almost identical QT-based brother, easily installable via Ubuntu Software Center)

• new shadowed Unity panel (the top panel isn't GNOME 2.x panel anymore) with support for Application Indicators ("appindicators") and a minimal default "systray" (Skype, Java-based, etc)



• Springboard, the new Unity dock/panel (different hide behaviors, new reveal mode, either by hovering over the Ubuntu logo from top-left corner of the screen or by pushing the left-edge of the screen, "drag&drop" support, scrolling support for better navigation through the icons, open/close state on opening the Dash becomes desaturated)



• the Dash, the new fancy overlay summoned with a click on the Ubuntu logo, that sustains all of your applications, files, folders, etc organized in different categories (can be expanded to full-screen or "minimized", features a new animation on performing task like searching various items, "Alt+F2" support, completely "opened" to a logic set of shortcuts, scrolling support, white on black design, drag&drop support)



• Unity places/lenses ,a technology that integrates with the overlay, the Dash, used to return categorized data (there are 2 default lenses, "Applications" and
  "Files&Folders", contain categorized quick-lists for handy access, search through items support)



• Workspaces, the new default enhance productivity way, launched with just one click on the "Workspace switcher" from Unity dock

Complete false ideas about Ubuntu 11.04, Natty Narwhal

Ubuntu 11.04 ditched GNOME in favor of Unity is false (Unity is just a shell, Ubuntu 11.04 is a GNOME distro, Unity is competing, or is perceived as, with GNOME-shell, not with GNOME)

We can say bye, bye to many applications, now that the top panel doesn't have support for "systray" is false (the developers must provide appindicator support for their apps and that's it)

Standard maintenance updates will be provided for Ubuntu 11.04 for 18 months (until October 2012).