Just a month after the release of Ubuntu 8.10, the first alpha of Ubuntu 9.04 has become available. The next distro version should boot more quickly, require less power, integrate more web services and include a backup solution.

Ubuntu Privacy Remix (UPR), based on Ubuntu 8.04 (LTS), is a live, read-only CD that seals off your private data from the outside world. It does this using encryption and isolation methods.

The Mozilla Foundation has published its audited financial statements and tax form for 2007. Chairperson Mitchell Baker uses the event to review Mozilla's performance and despite the current financial turmoil, sees good prospects for the future.

End of last week ARM Ltd and Canonical Ltd announced that they would port Linux to the ARMv7 processor architecture. If all goes well, the two collaborating firms should provide further hardware manufacturers with the basis to develop new, energy-efficient mobile devices, especially for the popular netbooks and so-called hybrid computers.

The first community-driven version of OpenSolaris burst onto the distribution scene. In other news, Linux is now available on a modular system the vendors describe as an open hardware platform.

Split-ups, disputes, and flame wars repeatedly ripple through the open source community. So far, forks have benefitted the community, as illustrated by the reunion of Compiz and Beryl in the Compiz Fusion project.

Californian Ben Kevan, server administrator for Linux and VMware, ponders the future of YaST in his blog.