'Intrepid Ibex' Ubuntu to focus on mobile web access

Canonical chief executive Mark Shuttleworth has revealed the name of the version of Ubuntu, due in October: "Intrepid Ibex".

Open-source operating system Ubuntu is developed by Canonical and a community of programmers. Version 8.10 of Ubuntu, Intrepid Ibex, will focus on user accessibility, wrote Shuttleworth in an email announcement.

"During the 8.10 cycle, we will be venturing into interesting new territory and we'll need the rugged adventurousness of a mountain goat to navigate tricky terrain," wrote Shuttleworth. "A particular focus for us will be pervasive internet access, the ability to tap into bandwidth whenever and wherever you happen to be. We want you to be able to move from the office, to the train and home, staying connected all the way."

Intrepid Ibex developers will also concentrate on user interaction in the release, to offer the same user experience on both desktops and UMPCs, according to Shuttleworth.

"Our desktop offering will once again be a focal point as we re-engineer the user-interaction model so that Ubuntu works as well on a high-end workstation as it does on a feisty little sub-notebook," wrote Shuttleworth.

Canonical's next Ubuntu release, Hardy Heron, is due in April. Also known as Version 8.04, Hardy Heron will receive long-term support (LTS). Ubuntu releases are normally supported for 18 months, but Ubuntu LTS releases are supported for three years on the desktop and five years on the server, according to the Ubuntu releases wiki.

Canonical has a history of giving alliterative animal names to Ubuntu operating systems. Ubuntu 4.10, Warty Warthog, was followed by Hoary Hedgehog, Breezy Badger, Dapper Drake, Edgy Eft, Feisty Fawn and Gutsy Gibbon. An eft is a juvenile newt, according to ScienceWeek.

CNET News.com's Stephen Shankland contributed to this article.