On today's episode I'll show off the newest revision of Red Hat's Linux distribution, version 9.

• Installation
  Before version 9 came along, I always installed Linux distros from scratch after wiping my drive, but this time I upgraded my existing installation. My machine is tailored to fit my needs, so I didn't want to re-create its environment. I'm happy to say the upgrade took only 45 minutes and went smoothly.
  
  
• User interface
  Red Hat continues to evolve its Bluecurve interface, which is easier to understand than are many competing interfaces. Some Linux users don't like Bluecurve, but I prefer Bluecurve's uniformity and accessibility. It's Linux, so if you don't like it, install your favorite windows manager or desktop metaphor instead. But new users are well served by Bluecurve, which gets better with every revision.
  
  
• Printing
  In Version 9, Red Hat jumps feet first into the new CUPS printing system. As a result, it's much easier to set up printers than it was with older versions of Linux.
  
  
• ACPI
  Also new to version 9 is a kernel with ACPI support. If you own a modern laptop without APM backward compatibility, you should see better battery life and more stable suspend/awake cycling.
  
  
• Kernel changes
  Each new revision of Red Hat comes with a new kernel. The new kernel in version 9 supports the Native Posix Threading Library, which provides a better interface for any program wanting to multithread different parts of itself. This is a perk mostly for servers, but it's a nice change.

What I said in my Red Hat 8.0 review applies to Red Hat 9 as well: This Linux distro is very easy to install and use. And, as usual, you can either download it for free or buy it from Red Hat. I also have some tips on where to find it online.

Chris DiBona is director of special projects for OSDN. He has posted a frequently asked questions list on the Web.