One of the most famous Linux distributions has just received a major update to version 24.04. On the menu, many new features, great improvements and extended maintenance for 10 years.
The release of a new major version of Ubuntu is always a small event in the Linux world. Developed and maintained by the Canonical company, Ubuntu is a GNU/Linux type operating system, often considered one of the most accessible to beginners, and it is undoubtedly one of the best known to the general public. Easy to install and get started, equipped with a user-friendly graphical interface and offering good performance, Ubuntu natively embeds several proprietary drivers and codecs, which allows it to be ready-to-use for most uses. upon installation.
Ubuntu 24.04: updates for 10 years
Like any operating system, Ubuntu evolves regularly and is subject to more or less important updates. But unlike what happens in the Windows world in particular, the update schedule is quite clear and follows a well-established periodicity. A major and stable version, called LTS for Long Term Support (long-term support, in French) is published every two years in April and identified by a number corresponding to the year of its release. In this case, it is therefore version 24.04 (for April 2024) which has just been published and which succeeds the previous LTS version, numbered 22.04. And like each LTS version, Ubuntu 24.04 will benefit from 10 years of maintenance, during which it will receive security, stability and performance updates, a very appreciable guarantee of longevity.
Between two major iterations, intermediate versions are published every six months and numbered following the same logic. Between April 2022 and today, Canonical has therefore distributed three versions (22.10, 23.04 and 23.10) which each benefited from six months of maintenance. The goal of interim releases is to add new features and test new software components with a view to integrating them into the next LTS release. They are therefore aimed at informed users who favor innovation and new technologies over stability, and it is rather recommended to stay on the LTS versions for computers dedicated to work, production or creation. The arrival of Ubuntu 24.04 is therefore excellent news, because it will bring two years of improvements, optimizations and new features to users of the previous LTS version at once.
Ubuntu 24.04: lots of improvements under the hood
From the point of view of the internal components of the system, the first and most important novelty is the arrival of the Linux 6.8 kernel in Ubuntu 24.04. As a reminder, the kernel is the software component that communicates with the hardware elements of a computer (processor, graphics card, WiFi card, etc.), so it is an essential part of any operating system. Kernel 6.8 is currently the most recent stable version released by the Linux Foundation, the organization that oversees the development of Linux, and its addition in Ubuntu 24.04 will therefore provide support for many additional components and peripherals, such as somewhat modern processors and graphics cards, or somewhat exotic game controllers for example. Each new version of the kernel also brings gains in performance and security, which is always appreciable.
In terms of performance and stability, Ubuntu 24.04 includes the graphics stack Table 24, an open source implementation of graphics APIs such as Open GL and Vulkan, which should offer notable gains in 3D applications like modeling or video games. In terms of sound, PipeWire becomes the new default audio server in Ubuntu 24.04, replacing the venerable but aging PulseAudio, which will greatly facilitate configuration and improve the performance of applications related to sound processing, such as sound stations. digital audio work. And for developers, the entire toolchain and programming language has been updated to more recent versions, including Python 3.12, Rust 1.75 and Go 1.22.
Ubuntu 24.04: ever more user-friendly use
In terms of ergonomics, Canonical continues on the path of ease of use by introducing a brand new installer for Ubuntu 24.04. This is presented as an installation wizard broken down into around ten steps, each benefiting from its own window with simple choices to make. Good point, vision or hearing accessibility options are now presented at the start of the process, allowing you to enlarge the text size, choose a high contrast mode or activate a screen reader voice. These options already existed before but were not offered as explicitly to the user, which could make installation difficult for people with disabilities.
In addition to the classic choice of language and keyboard layout, it is now possible to choose between two types of installation for Ubuntu, a default installation which only includes the bare minimum (Internet browser and basic utilities) and a full installation that adds a few extra tools, like the LibreOffice office suite. A very good practice which leaves the choice to the user to install a lightweight system and which we would like Microsoft to take inspiration from for Windows.
In its classic version, Ubuntu 24.04 moves to the GNOME 46 desktop environment which brings some visual and functional changes, with the disappearance of the “Activities” button replaced by the dynamic view of workspaces in the form of points and lines, to left of the top panel, and the addition of new controls accessible via the status icons at the top right, such as selecting an audio output or Bluetooth device on the fly. Canonical’s in-house additions are still there, with the left-docked vertical dock that can be repositioned or selecting an accent color from a preset palette.
Finally, the applications integrated by default in the complete installation have been updated, with Firefox in version 124, LibreOffice 24.2 and Thunderbird 115. For the latter, note that, as Canonical indicates in Ubuntu 24.04 release note, the email client is now only offered in Snap format and no longer .deb. This is perhaps one of the sticking points that will make some people cringe: on Ubuntu 24.04, the historic package format of Linux distributions based on Debian, of which Ubuntu is a part, is no longer supported natively.
Software installed through the local application store, titled Application Center, are primarily in the Snap version, Canonical’s in-house package format which is not unanimously accepted. To install software in .deb format found on the Web, you will first need to install the gdebi utility. A way for Canonical to push (or impose depending on your point of view) its Snap format, in a movement closer to Apple or Microsoft than to the spirit of the open source community. Fortunately, this choice is not very restrictive: for novices, the format of the installed software is not an existential question, and for experienced users, it is very easy to use a third-party tool to install .deb packages .
Ubuntu 24.04: a good vintage
Ultimately, Ubuntu 24.04 is a good vintage of this free and open source operating system. If you are a beginner and curious to discover the Linux world, or have an older PC that will not be able to upgrade to Windows 11, the release of an LTS version of Ubuntu is undoubtedly ideal. Perfect opportunity to try out this system. The ten-year extended maintenance will guarantee long-term stability for your machine, and as this version benefits from some of the most recent software components upon release, you will benefit from the latest developments in terms of functionality and ergonomics. To get Ubuntu 24.04, just go to the official operating system page and download its disk image (.iso file).
And good news, you can very easily try Ubuntu 24.04 without installing it on your computer, or install it alongside Windows without losing your data. To do this, simply create a Bootable Ubuntu USB key with a free utility like Rufus, start your computer on this USB key and then follow the instructions. Ubuntu 24.04 will then offer you the option to try it without installing it, for as long as you wish, or to install it on a new partition of your disk, keeping Windows alongside. Don’t worry, the process is much simpler than we often imagine and the installation wizard will guide you throughout, and in French!