Best Features in Ubuntu 23.04 "Lunar Lobster"
Ubuntu 23.04, codenamed Lunar Lobster, is the latest version of the popular open-source operating system to be released on 20th April. It comes with a host of new features and upgrades designed to enhance the user experience and improve the system’s overall performance.
In this article, we will highlight the best features of Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster.
What’s new in Ubuntu 23.04 “Lunar Lobster”
Updated Packages
One of the most significant improvements in Ubuntu 23.04 is the updated packages, including the Linux kernel. The new 6.2 kernel brings in many new features, drivers, improvements, and fixes that enhance the system’s overall performance. The init system has also been updated to systemd v252.5, which comes with many new features.
Toolchain Upgrades
The debuginfod service has undergone a significant overhaul during this release cycle. It now indexes and serves source code for many packages and the service can now index and debug artifacts from private PPAs. Ultimately, this means that users will no longer need to download package source code manually, fiddle with GDB’s dir, or set substitute-path commands.
Ruby has also been updated from v3.0 to v3.1, bringing new features and improvements.
Security Improvements
Ubuntu 23.04 has several security improvements, though the release notes don’t mention any specific changes yet.
Base System
The netplan package has been updated to version 0.106, bringing in slight changes in behavior when matching a physical interface using the match.macaddress stanza. The new release also implements a new netplan status subcommand that queries the system’s current networking state.
Ubuntu Desktop
The default Ubuntu Desktop installer has been upgraded to a Flutter app backed by subiquity and packaged as a snap. The new installer installs all available updates during the installation process which makes the minimal installation faster than the full installation, something that was not true with the old installer.
The legacy installer is still available for those who experience issues with the new installer.
GNOME has also been updated to include new features and fixes from the latest GNOME release, GNOME 44. The Ubuntu font has been updated, and LibreOffice is now available on RISC-V.
Updated Applications
Ubuntu 23.04 has updated versions of several applications, including Firefox, LibreOffice, and Thunderbird. Firefox has been updated to version 111, while LibreOffice has been updated to version 7.5.2. Thunderbird has also been updated to version 102.9.
Updated Subsystems
Several subsystems have also been updated, including BlueZ, cups-filters, NetworkManager, Pipewire, Poppler, and xdg-desktop-portal.
New Active Directory Features
Active Directory (AD) integration is one of the most popular Ubuntu Desktop enterprise features, and Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 LTS brought Active Directory integration to the next level through ADsys.
In Ubuntu 23.04, support for enterprise proxy, app confinement, and network shares has been added to further expand its functionality before backporting them to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and Ubuntu 20.04 LTS later this year.
Conclusion
Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster comes with several improvements and upgrades that enhance the user experience and improve the system’s overall performance. The updated packages, toolchain upgrades, and security improvements are significant highlights of this release.
The new Active Directory features, updated subsystems, and GNOME upgrades make this release an exciting update for Ubuntu users. While only the beta version has been released so far, the stable version is set to be released on 20th April 2023, so users can look forward to these new features and upgrades.