Canonical
Historical past may contemplate crucial facet of Ubuntu 24.04 to be one thing that it does not have: vulnerabilities to the XZ backdoor that just about took over the worldwide Linux scene.
Betas, and the ultimate launch of Ubuntu 24.04, a long-term help (LTS) launch of the venerable Linux distribution, have been delayed, as backing agency Canonical labored in early April 2024 to rebuild each binary included within the launch. xz Utils, an nearly ubiquitous data-compression bundle on Unix-like methods, had been compromised by a long-term and elaborate supply-chain assault, found solely as a result of a Microsoft engineer famous some oddities with SSH efficiency on a Debian system. Ubuntu, together with nearly each different repeatedly updating software program platform, had a number of work to do that month.
Canonical’s Ubuntu 24.04 launch video, noting 20 years of Ubuntu releases. I at all times appreciated the brown.
What is definitely new in Ubuntu 24.04, or “Noble Numbat?” Fairly a bit, particularly in case you’re the kind who sticks to LTS releases. The massive new modifications are a really slick new installer, utilizing the identical Subiquity back-end because the Server releases, and redesigned with a complete new front-end in Flutter. ZFS encryption is again as a default set up choice, together with hardware-backed (i.e., TPM) full-disk encryption, plus extra steerage for folks trying to dual-boot with Home windows setups and BitLocker. Netplan 1.0 is the default community configuration instrument now. And the default set up is “Minimal,” as launched in 23.10.
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Raspberry Pi will get some consideration, too, with an version of 24.04 (64-bit solely) out there for the favored single-board laptop, together with the now-supported Raspberry Pi 5 mannequin. That version consists of energy provide utility Pemmican and permits 3D acceleration within the Firefox Snap. Ubuntu additionally tweaked the GNOME (model 46) desktop included on this launch, such that it ought to see higher efficiency on Raspberry Pi graphics drivers.
What else? A lot of little issues:
- Assist for autoinstall, i.e., YAML-based set up workflows
- A separate, much less background-memory-eating firmware updating instrument
- Further help for Group Coverage Objects (GPOs) in Energetic Listing environments
- Safety enhancements to Private Bundle Archives (PPA) software program setups
- Restrictions to unprivileged person namespace by apparmor, which might impression some third-party apps downloaded from the online
- A brand new Ubuntu App Middle, changing the Snap Retailer that defaults to Snaps however nonetheless gives conventional .deb installs (and quite a few angles of critique for Snap partisans)
- Firefox is a local Wayland utility, and Thunderbird is a Snap bundle solely
- Extra fingerprint reader help
- Improved Energy Profiles Supervisor, particularly for moveable AMD gadgets
- Assist for Apple’s most popular HEIF/HEIC recordsdata, with thumbnail previews
- Snapshot replaces Cheese, and GNOME video games has been eliminated
- Digital reminiscence mapping modifications that make many fashionable video games run higher by Proton, per OMG Ubuntu
- Linux kernel 6.8, which, amongst different issues, improves Intel Meteor Lake CPU efficiency and helps Nintendo Change On-line controllers.
The recommended system necessities for Ubuntu 24.04 are a 2 GHz dual-core processor, 4GB reminiscence, and 25GB free space for storing. There’s a devoted WSL version of 24.04 out for Home windows methods.
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