A major desktop Linux upgrade is set to be released on October 18. Michael Dell is expected to personally use it. And the PC giant will pre-load it on selected desktops and notebooks. Buzz about this next Linux release — dubbed Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon — is growing across the web. But what exactly does Gutsy Gibbon (aka Ubuntu 7.10) offer to desktop customers and solutions providers? Here’s a look.

Canonical (the company that develops Ubuntu) has outlined a long-term road map for the operating system. During the UbuntuLive conference back in July, Canonical CTO Matt Zimmerman said Ubuntu 7.10 would feature several core enhancements for desktop and server users.

On the desktop, 7.10 will support:

• a 3D interface out of the box
• multi-monitor configuration
• laptop power profiling
• more details still to come

On the server, 7.10 will offer:

• Turn-key web administration
• One-step server recipes
• Proactive security with AppArmor, an increasingly popular open source security option
• “desktop” type simplicity