First alpha of Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10

The Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10 Alpha is challenging; a bug in the contrast settings makes installing a little harder The developers of the GNOME desktop-based Ubuntu derivative have, under the name Ubuntu GNOME Remix, released their first alpha version of the distribution. Based on the upcoming Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" release, the developers describe the Remix as a developer snapshot to "give a very early glance at the next version".

Available as a torrent (details in the release notes), the distribution is shipping with the GNOME 3.6 beta, 3.5.90. Some packages will not be upgraded to 3.6 for the release though. The first alpha does come with Web, the Epiphany browser, AbiWord and Gnumeric. Also omitted is the Boxes virtualisation and remote access tool, as it "didn't seem to be working" and Documents, because it currently depends on LibreOffice. Ubuntu One's installer is included but not Ubuntu One as it "doesn't feel like a GNOME app".

The schedule for Ubuntu GNOME Remix 12.10 is aggressive. The developers are planning to release a beta on 27 September, the same week as the second beta of Ubuntu 12.10 is expected to arrive. The hope is to have a release ready to go with the 18 October release of Ubuntu 12.10 but that will probably be incomplete and more of a community-supported release; for example, one known issue is that there won't be a separate ubuntu-control-center for the 12.10 release, but the developers expect to have this ready for Ubuntu 13.04 (April 2013), when it is also hoped the GNOME Remix will become an official derivative of Ubuntu.

(djwm)