"For those unfamiliar with the operating system, Ubuntu Linux, based on the popular Debian distro, is probably the most popular consumer desktop Linux around right now. Each new version gets an unusual animal name, sequenced alphabetically; after Karmic Koala comes Lucid Lynx, due out next spring. Version numbers are based on the year and month of release (hence 9.10, released in 2009, month 10).
"Let's have a look at what's new with the critter.
"For starters, the installation image is on a Live CD – you just need to boot from it to experience the operating system, with no installation required, but the download is a relatively tiny 690 MB. This allows the unsure to dabble their toes in Karmic Koala (KK) waters, regardless of the OS actually installed on their system, without committing to it. If you do decide to bite the bullet, the installation is straightforward, even in a virtual machine (it runs quite happily under VMware, in a VM with 8 GB disk and 512 MB RAM)."
