Ubuntu 24.10 is available to download and install from the official website. It ships with the Linux 6.11 kernel and the latest GNOME 47 desktop enviroment. This version switches to Wayland by default for hardware with NVIDIA graphics, matching the previous Xorg transition for Intel and AMD graphics users, and uses the open-source NVIDIA 560 kernel modules by default on supported hardware. The kernel also has kdump-tools, which enables kernel crash dumps by default. This helps streamline troubleshooting by automatically capturing critical data after a crash.
Canonical also said in its blog post, “For gamers, significant improvements have also been made to the compatibility of the Steam snap, with an expanded permissions model and improved NVIDIA driver support. The Steam snap also bundles gaming-specific Mesa PPAs to deliver optimized performance out of the box when combined with the low latency settings enabled in the latest kernel.”
Updates are also visible in the Ubuntu Dock, which better handles Progressive Web Applications. The OpenJDK 21 and OpenJDK 17 packages in Ubuntu have also changed and are now TCK (Technology Compatibility Kit) certified on amd64, arm64, s390x, ppc64el, and armhf. Passing the TCK tests means the OpenJDK packages for version 17 and version 21 on Ubuntu are compliant with the Java SE specification for their corresponding versions.
Lol I tried to install it on a test machine (not a WM) and I couldn’t do it cuz of some snap failure. Though the latest Canonical’s attempts to add a permission control system for snaps are very interesting to me. Ik Flatseal and KDE’s implementation exist but having a really well made and integrated one can be a big deal for many users. If only it was for Flatpak…
Snaps have had a permission system for at least 5 years now.
Small is inherently slow though. That’s just due to the framework, so any extra work they put into securing it better is just going to make it slower. Flatpak works great, on the other hand.