Ubuntu is out with its first update point release for its  'Hardy Heron' (8.0.4) Linux distribution with the  8.0.4.1 release. The update comes just over two months after 8.0.4 was officially released.

As is typical with Linux distribution point updates, the 8.0.4.1 release is really just a roll-up of updates that everyday Ubuntu users have already received (that is if they update regularly which is the default configuration). All told there are over 200 updates to Ubuntu, so if you're a new user it's probably a whole lot easier to download the 8.0.4.1 release instead of downloading 8.0.4 and then updating (it'll take some time...).

The most obvious update in 8.0.4.1 from my point of view is the inclusion of the final Mozilla Firefox 3 web browser. The original 8.0.4 release included Firefox 3 Beta 5.  Ubuntu did provide Firefox 3 final as an update to users the day Mozilla made the release generally available last month.

The 8.0.4.x Hardy Heron release is a long term support (LTS) release from Ubuntu and will be supported until until April2011 on desktops and April 2013 on servers.2011 on desktops and April 2013 on servers.

The 8.0.4.1 release also marks the first time that users of Ubuntu 6.0.6 Dapper Drake, which came out in 2006, will get an update notification to be automatically upgraded.