Release notes for the first beta version of Mandriva Linux 2007.1 (Mandriva Linux 2007 Spring).

You can see the technical details at Distro Changelog.

Availability

This beta version is available in several format:

• you can download installation ISOs on the public FTP and HTTP sites mirroring the Mandriva Linux repository. Check the list of current development mirrors on CookerMirrors. The ISOs are available in the /MandrivaLinux/devel/iso/2007.1 subdirectory.
• you can also download live ISOs on the same FTP/HTTP mirrors. *This is the recommended way to test* Mandriva Linux. Live CDs are quick to download and you can also install them to your hard drive.

Installation

For instructions on writing the ISO files to CD or DVD discs, see Writing CD and DVD images. For installation instructions, see Installing Mandriva Linux.

Known issues

Known issues are collated on the Spring Errata page. Please check there.

Main changes

New since 2007.0

• GNOME 2.17
• KDE 3.5.6
• Firefox 2.0, with support for dictionaries
• Xorg 7.2 with Mesa 6.5.2

New since the last alpha 1

Basesystem

Note: kernel and basesystem releases are synchronized with the 2007.0 foundation, according to our lifecycle; ie same software versions during one year, but updated

• Many new drivers and improvements ported to our stable 2.6.17 basesystem; 2.6.17.14 based

regularly to support new hardware

• glibc with DT_GNU_HASH support for better performances
• Unicode 5.0
• KVM support

Note: new qemu + kqemu is available in the repository

• Marvell IDE driver support
• Jmicron driver
• Preliminary ICH9 support

Note: RT61 & RT73 driver support is only in -10mdv in the cooker repository

• New suspend/hibernate infrastructure (with bootsplash support)
• Documentation is included on live systems

Installer & tools

• installer enhancements :

 o move from /mnt to /media for cdroms
 o when a pkg install fail, allow skipping all packages from the same medium
 o auto_inst
   o do postInstall and postInstallNonRooted at beginning of step exitInstall
     so that it's done before umounting /tmp/image
   o create postInstallBeforeReboot which is alike postInstall but is done just
     before rebooting
 o modules are now in stage1, mdkinst.sqfs is not independent of the exact
   kernel
 o can be built using "rpm -bb"

• bootloader switched to grub with gfxboot by default
• tons of urpmi refactoring and some improvements (like, when using --distrib, add noauto media with flag ignore so that someone can more easily use them). See http://svn.mandriva.com/cgi-bin/viewvc.cgi/soft/rpm/urpmi/trunk/NEWS?view=co for further details)

• New DNS servers framework (using resolvconf to handle DNS servers from multiple interfaces, and sort them by interface priority)

Desktop environments

• KDE-3.5.6 release, with improved compiz support (kicker, konversation, etc.), kmail supports mail templates

Note: KDE4 is now also present on cooker for the even more adventurous souls. It can be installed and used even while keeping with a kde-3.5.x installed

• OpenOffice 2.1/2.0.4
• Blender 2.43-(0.RC3)
• improved packaging for the printing sub-system & HPLIP 1.2.12

Server/LAMP environment

• Apache-2.2.4 plus an experimental ITK MPM (apache-mpm-itk)
• php-5.2.1 with suhosin enabled

Note: not all packages mentionned here are on the ISOs, but they are available in the related cooker snapshot.

Testing wanted

You are encouraged to test and comment on this beta release. Feedback should be posted in the form of bug reports to Bugzilla, or if it is not a type of feedback that can be expressed as a bug report, to the Cooker mailing list or to the Mandriva Club forums (which are open to posts from anyone with a my.mandriva.com account, not just Club members).

• Check that all your hardware is supported. Note that some of these ISO files only include free software, you may need to check with your hardware manufacturer for the appropriate drivers or firmware (especially for ATI and NVidia video cards, Intel Centrino wireless ipw2100/2200 WiFi adapters, Hsf modems...)
• Report any missing or unwanted software

To report bugs, consult our general guidelines on Development/Howto/Bugzilla.

Some known issues are identified on the Spring Errata page. Please check there to see if a special problem has a work-around or has been fixed.

Misc

The live version ("Mandriva One") contain translations only for a limited set of languages. This is a feature.