The Alpha 1 Release of Ubuntu 11.04, also known as "Natty Narwhal," is intended as a "developer snapshot" of the next major Ubuntu version, which is due in April. That version has already generated considerable interest and controversy in recent weeks, most notably because of Canonical's announced decision to use the 3D-enabled interface in the desktop version of the software as well as the graphics system.

Natty Narwhal Alpha 1 can be downloaded from the project's , though it's a very early release and not intended for production systems. Users currently running Ubuntu 10.10 on a desktop system can upgrade by pressing Alt+F2 and typing "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box.

Two more alpha releases of Ubuntu 11.04 are planned for after this one, followed by a beta version due roughly a month before Natty Narwhal's scheduled official release on April 28.

Under the Hood

Unity is indeed the default desktop interface in this new Ubuntu version, but it's only partially implemented so far. Currently, the Unity Launcher is available for launching applications that are pinned to the launcher and for switching among running applications.