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Major update now released for the popular Linux based operating system
The next major version of Linux based Ubuntu operating system is releasing today, as Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, nicknamed “Focal Fossa”, is now available to download and install. LTS stands for “Long term support”, where canonical, the organization behind Ubuntu, pledges to offer “long term” support for this release for this particular release. “Long term” in this context means 5 years. This is considered to be a reliable stable release that should be recommended for most users, and unless there are any particular features in the more frequent updates that you need, or you have a particular interest in toying with experimental features, you should stick with the LTS releases.
This is the first LTS release since the April 2018 release and adds a whole host of refinements and new features. Some of the new features include:
Linux Kernel updated to 5.4, which adds support for hardware like Intel’s Comet Lake and Tiger Lake CPUs, AMD Navi 12, and 14 GPUs, Qualcomm Snapdragon’s 835 & 855 SoCs, and other hardware. It also adds support for exFAT filesystems, WireGuard VPN, improved support for USB 3.2 and USB-C connectivity. There’s also improved support for Raspberry Pi hardware.
Toolchain Upgrades, integrating newer versions of tools including glibc, OpenJDK, rustc, GCC, Python, ruby, php, perl and golang.
Revamped Ubuntu Desktop, integrating version 3.36 of the GNOME desktop system, adding a new Dark Mode, and shipping with new versions of Firefox, Thunderbird and LibreOffice.
Overhauled Network configuration, the network backend netplan.io has been updated to add support for configuring SR-IOV network devices, Support for GSM modems, and WiFi flags for bssid/band/channel settings.
Storage/File Systems improvements, with new features like Native Encryption, device removal, Pool TRIM, and Sequential scrub and resilver.
GameMode, GameMode by Feral Interactive now included by default, with a host of optimizations and features to improve the gaming experience.
To see all the changes, head over to read the full release notes, published on the official Ubuntu wiki, which has the full selection of download options posted there too.
Users on either Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or Ubuntu 19.10 can upgrade directly to this new release from the package manager, and for anyone else you can install this new release via disc install or USB install.
This latest version of Ubuntu, as with all versions of Unbuntu, are completely free for end-users, and it’s completely open-source in case you’re interested in poking around behind the curtain.
This is widely regarded as one of the most user-friendly and accessible Linux distributions, and it probably a great starting point for anyone interested in migrating from Linux. With all these new features, bug fixes, and other enhancements, there’s never been a better time to give it a try.
Are you an Ubuntu user? Have you been waiting for this update? What kind of changes would you want to see before you considered using Ubuntu?