iXsystems announced today the latest release of PC-BSD, Version
8.0, Hubble Edition. This fully functional open source desktop
operating system is built upon the new FreeBSD 8.0 release. FreeBSD is
one of the most widely used UNIX-based operating systems, providing
advanced performance and high levels of security and stability. The
Hubble Edition contains a number of improvements and additions that
make this release rock solid. The most notable features of PC-BSD 8.0
include a new system installer, integrated software manager, and a
ports jail.
The new system installer is highly scriptable and
contains many new features. Users may now upgrade from the previous
release or restore from a backup created with Life-Preserver. With a
single click, users can choose between the installation of PC-BSD or
the traditional FreeBSD operating system. In addition, the installer
provides support for ZFS on root partitions, Gmirroring of disks, and
allows Geli disk encryption. This installer is perfect for a user
installing on one machine or an Administrator installing on hundreds.
PC-BSD
Hubble also features the ports console, which allows users to build and
install ports in a jail environment without breaking the working
desktop setup. The integrated Software Manager enhances PC-BSD’s
general ease of use by allowing users to browse and install PBIs
without launching a browser. The software manager also keeps the
applications updated and allows users to recreate desktop icons at any
time.
"PC-BSD Hubble Edition greatly enhances the users’
overall desktop experience, while offering new features for power users
to take advantage of FreeBSD 8.0 improvements," says Kris Moore, PC-BSD
Software Development Manager, iXsystems.
Among the listed
notable features, PC-BSD 8.0 Hubble Edition will offer fixes and
enhancements to the desktop and system including:
* The addition of the FreeBSD 8.0 install option
* KDE 4.3.5 with a new desktop theme and visual improvements
* nVIDIA 195.22 drivers for both i386 & AMD64
* Installation logging and error reporting
* Improved USB device support
* nVIDIA drivers now support 3D acceleration and SLI(Scalable Link Interface) on AMD64
* Support for installing and running 32bit PBIs on 64bit Operating Systems, such as Wine
* Life-Preserver utility, allows backup of system to remote rsync+ssh server
"We
added a handful of appearance enhancements to PC-BSD Hubble," says
James T. Nixon III, PC-BSD Project Committer. "The new look includes an
iconset, Hubble Edition wallpaper pack, a dozen aesthetic changes, and
default settings for commonly used programs and effects."
Members of the PC-BSD community are praising the new edition of PC-BSD Hubble and its user-friendly functionality improvements.
"PC-BSD
8.0 is the fastest way to deploy a fully-functional modern KDE desktop
based on FreeBSD 8.0," says Michael Bybee, Senior Database Administor.
"PC-BSD 8.0 delivers a highly polished Live CD based on FreeBSD 8.0
with all the features I need.
