1Ubuntu 14.04 ‘Trusty Tahr’ Brings Long-Term Linux Desktop Support
by Sean Michael Kerner
2Basic Desktop Installation Needs Just 6.2GB of Space
To install a fresh image of Ubuntu 14.04, the basic minimum drive space requirement is just 6.2GB. Users can also choose to run a live image from a CD or USB to demo Ubuntu 14.04 without installing anything on a hard drive.
3Ubuntu 14.04 Continues Tradition of Colorful Naming
The code name for the Ubuntu 14.04 release is the “Trusty Tahr.” “The tahr navigates Himalayan heights, shaggily suited, sure-footed and steady,” Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth noted in a blog post. “A small tourist tahr population lived on my favourite Table Mountain, and while they’ve made way for indigenous animals, for a long time they symbolized hardiness and fearlessness, perched as they were against the cliffs.”
4Main Desktop Takes a Minimalist Approach
The Unity Linux desktop interface in Ubuntu 14.04 retains the core look and feel of prior Unity releases, providing a clean user experience.
5Users Can Customize Sizes of Unity Launcher Icons
An enhancement in the Unity interface that ships with Ubuntu 14.04 is that users can now choose to adjust application launcher icon sizes as big or as small as they want.
6Locally Integrated Windows Now a User Option
In previous releases of Ubuntu, Unity by default only enabled window application options to be displayed in the top menu bar of the operating system. With Ubuntu 14.04, users now have the choice to have menus listed in the window’s own title bar.
7Windows Are Anti-Aliased
The Unity interface in Ubuntu 14.04 now displays anti-aliased windows, providing a more fluid folder and application window for users.
8Users Can Easily Search the Desktop
The integrated search capability enables users to easily search their systems and the web from a single interface.
9Firefox Remains the Default Browser
Mozilla’s Firefox Web browser is the default Web browser in Ubuntu 14.04, though users can choose to add other browsers, including Google Chrome.
10LibreOffice Provides Office Suite Applications
The Document Foundation’s LibreOffice is the default productivity technology in Ubuntu 14.04, providing word processing, spreadsheet and presentation applications.
11Shotwell Helps Ubuntu Users Manage Photos
The default photo manager application in Ubuntu 14.04 is Shotwell, providing image management and enhancement features.
12Ubuntu One File Services Discontinued in New Release
In past Ubuntu releases, the Ubuntu One account and file sharing service enabled users to save files in a cloud service. Starting with Ubuntu 14.04, file storage services are being discontinued.
13Linux 3.13 Kernel Powers the Trusty Tahr
At the core of every Linux distribution is a Linux kernel. For Ubuntu 14.04, that kernel is the Linux 3.13 release that debuted in January.
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