Ubuntu 8.04 alpha 4 was officially released today and is now available for testing. This alpha offers an early look at some of the features that will be included in the final 8.04 release, which is scheduled for April. Codenamed Hardy Heron, Ubuntu 8.04 will be the second long-term support (LTS) release, which means that it will be supported on the desktop for three years and on the server for five years.

With the release of Ubuntu Hardy Heron now behind us, most eyes are turned to October when Intrepid Ibex, or Ubuntu Linux 8.10, will make its debut. While Hardy Heron was designed to be stable enough to be a long-term support release, Intrepid Ibex promises to be packed with more exciting features, something that Ubuntu fans always enjoy.

"I am delighted to have the pleasure of announcing the Hardy Heron (Ubuntu 8.04), the next version of Ubuntu that will succeed Gutsy Gibbon (Ubuntu 7.10, due for release in October 2007). [This] release will proudly wear the badge of Long Term Support (LTS)..."

Every two years, Canonical prepares an LTS (Long Term Support) release of one of the best desktop Linux distributions available today... This article is here to inform Ubuntu veterans, people that have discovered Ubuntu recently and future Ubuntu users, about the things that they should expect from Hardy Heron, in April 2008!

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Long-Term Support) on desktop and server. Codenamed "Hardy Heron", 8.04 LTS continues Ubuntu's proud tradition of integrating thelatest and greatest open source technologies into a high-quality,easy-to-use Linux distribution.

I've put together my opinion on the top ten usability issues that exist now in Hardy's Alpha and will most certainly be in the final long-term release. I also try to suggest a solution, if there is one.

The completely new theme for Ubuntu 8.04 has been deferred to the following release. The original plan was to have a fresh theme for every long-term-support release, starting with Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron. Now it has been decided to put off the redesign until Ubuntu 8.10.

Canonical releases a new ubuntu every 6 months and time to time it does a LTS (long term support) release which is suppose to be most stable. And are they really that stable

Is Ubuntu's Hardy Heron resting on its laurels? Ubuntu 8.04LTS - for Long Term Support - was widely expected to continue the platform's long, steady march towards impeccable reliability and usability. But instead of a shot on goal, it's looking more like a foul each day.