Red Hat updates with Fedora 12

Red Hat has released the latest version of its Fedora open source operating system and has added new video, virtualisation and networking support.

Fedora 12, codenamed "Constantine," contains a new package for video output called Theora 1.1, better virtual disk performance and storage discovery and an update the operating systems NetworkManager software that allows easier network configuration and mobile access as well as IPv6 support.

"Fedora always looks to include the latest cutting-edge features in its distribution and we believe that Fedora 12 stays true to this pattern, packing a lot of punch across its feature set," said Paul Frields, Fedora project leader at Red Hat.

"Our community of global contributors continues to expand, with about 25 percent growth in Fedora Accounts since the release of Fedora 11. We've also seen more than 2.3 million1 installations of Fedora 11 thus far, which is a 20 percent increase over the previous release."

Other changes include a new messaging client called Empathy that integrates chat, video, and audio and interoperates with AIM, Yahoo, Google Talk, Jabber, Live (MSN), MySpace.

Red Hat has also built in better support for netbooks and tablets using a touch interface, as well as an improved Bluetooth kernel.