[GAP Forum] 2nd beta release of GAP 4.8

[Alexander Konovalov]

Dear package authors, GAP users and developers,

This is to announce GAP 4.8.1 (the 2nd beta release of GAP 4.8), which may be 
downloaded from ftp://ftp.gap-system.org/pub/gap/gap48/beta/ in the archives

* http://www.gap-system.org/pub/gap/gap48/beta/gap4r8p1_2015_12_23-23_30.tar.gz

for Linux and OS X, and

* http://www.gap-system.org/pub/gap/gap48/beta/gap4r8p1_2015_12_23-23_30-win.zip

* http://www.gap-system.org/pub/gap/gap48/beta/gap4r8p1_2015_12_23-23_30-noreadline-win.zip

for Windows (with GAP binaries compiled with and without readline support respectively).

There is also an archive of the core GAP 4.8.1 system without packages:

* http://www.gap-system.org/pub/gap/gap48/beta/gap4r8p1_core2015_12_23-23_30.zip

The overview of the major differences between GAP 4.8.1 and GAP 4.7.9 is contained
in the Changes manual, which is included in GAP 4.8.1 distribution. It is also 
available on this Wiki page:

  https://github.com/gap-system/gap/wiki/Changes-between-GAP-4.7-and-GAP-4.8

We invite users and developers to test this beta release and report any problems
using one of the following channels:

* the GAP issue tracker: https://github.com/gap-system/gap/issues

* Open GAP Development mailing list: http://mail.gap-system.org/mailman/listinfo/gap

* GAP Support: http://www.gap-system.org/Contacts/People/supportgroup.html

Package authors are recommended to test and update their packages for GAP 4.8.
We are asking for all updates to be made available by February 1st, 2016, and will 
be planning the first public release shortly after that.

Best wishes,
Alexander