The latest iteration of the operating system, code-named Jaunty Jackalope, comes in three versions: desktop, server and netbook. Jaunty Jackalope is the first version of Ubuntu to come in a netbook-friendly version from its initial release.

The previous version of Ubuntu, Intrepid Ibex or version 8.10, was released by sponsor company Canonical in October last year. The new version improves upon its predecessor by updating the Gnome interface, the Linux kernel and the X.Org server, as well as starting faster and supporting ext4, an improved file system.

Jackalope also includes other enhancements, such as intelligent switching between Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, and an integrated notification system that can be used by various applications. A large selection of productivity software, such as Skype, OpenOffice 3.0 and Adobe Flash, is also included..

Jackalope's server version also includes a technology preview of the Elastic Utility Computing Architecture for Linking Your Programs To Useful Systems (Eucalyptus), which is an infrastructure for deploying applications into the cloud.

The next version of Ubuntu, Karmic Koala or version 9.10, will include more comprehensive cloud-computing functionality, allowing users to deploy applications into clouds built on companies' internal infrastructure. Jackalope's more limited cloud functionality is intended as a way to test such deployments, ahead of Koala's release in October.