The beta launch of Ubuntu 24.04 was scheduled for April 4, but was delayed due to the problem with XZ. Once the trouble is over and with complete security, Noble Numbat can now be downloaded at a more mature point, although there were more problems to deal with than the security flaws. My Daily Build virtual machine crashed, and what I thought was my fault actually looked like a development version dependency issue.
What happened to me was the following: I got the message that there was a partial update, I applied it, but I kept seeing that there were things to update. As virtual machines are for that, I wanted to try to force the update... and it never started again. I downloaded the latest Daily Build, installed it and it did not enter the graphical environment in any way. In my case, the solution was to download the oldest image available and update from the application specially designed for this. But all this is already solved.
More recently, the installer did not allow you to configure the keyboard in a language other than English and it was not until last Monday the 8th that they fixed the problem with the broken dependencies. But hey, this is what developments are for, right?
News that you can now try in the Ubuntu 24.04 beta
The most notable novelty of Ubuntu 24.04, or at least the ones that all numbats share, is that it goes from Linux 6.5 to Linux 6.8. To add some news:
- Changes have been made to the disk subsystem, I/O, and file systems to block direct writing to mounted block devices, as well as new system calls to obtain detailed information about mounted file systems.
- In memory page, which improves performance by eliminating unnecessary locks.
- Regarding memory and system services, one of the most notable features is the improvement of the Zswap subsystem, since you can now force the download of rarely used memory pages, thus freeing RAM when necessary. Additionally, a new mode has been introduced that disables writing back to the swap partition if the write fails, preventing the download of pages that are already in the Zswap pool.
Updated packages in Ubuntu 24.04
As with every new release, it has been used to update packages to more recent versions, among which we find:
- Python 3.12.
- Firefox 124.0.1.
- Thunderbird 115.9.0.
- Libre Office 24.2.2.
- New versions of Mesa, GCC, glibc and other libraries.
GNOME 46
The other most notable novelty is on the desktop, or should I say “on the”. Almost all editions will be uploaded to a more updated desktop, and I don't say all because Kubuntu and Ubuntu Studio will remain in Plasma 5.27 for stability. The main edition will go up to GNOME 46, among whose new features we find:
- Many improvements to Files, also known as Nautilus. To mention a few, new new global search, clearer information about the actions of copying, moving, etc. or better grid view.
- New option dedicated to remote login. This allows you to connect remotely to a GNOME system that is not in use. Connecting in this way means that the system display can be configured from the remote side, resulting in a better experience for the remote user.
- The Settings app has received a complete update, with options reorganized to make them easier to navigate. A new System section has been created that contains preferences for region and language, date and time, users, remote desktop, Secure Shell and About.
- Touchpad settings improvements, with two new settings. The first is for secondary clicking, and the second allows you to disable the touchpad when typing.
- Various accessibility improvements.
- Learn more.
New Ubuntu 24.04 installer
Ubuntu 24.04 releases a new installer, or more specifically user interface. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I leave you the screenshots.
As comments, in screenshot number 2 we see that there is a new accessibility section to configure some parameters; in 5, which gives us the possibility of updating the installer before continuing, may not appear in the final version; The sixth is where we choose whether to test the system or install it. I think it's too late and we should be allowed to choose sooner, but it is what it is. The design has changed a lot without it ceasing to be intuitive.
Speaking of installers, Kubuntu will start using Calamares, thus joining Lubuntu. In fact, you used the Ubuntu version installer with LXQt desktop for a long time.
Ubuntu icon in the app launcher
It is a detail that some will appreciate. It's small, but tough: in the app drawer, it now doesn't show the nine grid boxes; now we see the Ubuntu logo.
As for icons, the one in the Application Center has also been updated.
Goodbye, Cheese. Hello, Camera.
Ubuntu 24.04 says goodbye to Cheese and now uses the Default Camera app. It is the official GNOME app, and it has decided to take a step forward as others like GNOME Text Editor.
Thunderbird as snap
Canonical continues with its firm step towards a world in which snaps have more prominence, and its last movement in this direction has been to add the Thunderbird snap version.
We can say little about this novelty that has not been said before about Firefox. Except that it is possible that Mozilla uploads its own version to its repository in the future. They haven't said anything yet, but I wouldn't be surprised.
New assistant
When starting the operating system, Noble Numbat includes a new wizard from which, among other things, it invites us to activate Ubuntu Pro and participate in system bug reports.
Ubuntu 24.04 Beta now available, stable version on the 25th
Ubuntu 24.04 Beta It is now available from the terminal, and tomorrow, April 12, the images can be downloaded from this link or from the Ubuntu cdimage. The reason for the new delay in the images is that they are making last minute changes. Patience.
Taking into account that the number of official flavors already amounts to 11, the best I can do is recommend that you go to the last link if you want to download any official flavor. The betas are in operating-system-name/releases. On that same server we find discontinued flavors, such as Ubuntu GNOME or Mythbuntu.
The stable version will arrive on April 25 and we will publish several articles telling all the news that will arrive along with the official flavors.