It was a long time coming, but it's almost here. There's been a lot of talk about what this new Ubuntu LTS will bring, but the truth is that Xenial Xerus , the latest version of Ubuntu 16.04 , will be released on April 21st.
It will be a long-term supported release , and is expected to be continuously supported for at least 5 years. It will serve as a foundation for the development and implementation of new functions and features, which will be added over time.
Xenial Xerus , the unusual name given by Canonical to this new version, comes from Xenial, meaning " friendly ," while Xerus refers to a type of squirrel known for its " speed and friendliness ." This gives Ubuntu 16.04 the image of a fluid and user-friendly system.
Less than two weeks away, much is already known about what this LTS package will bring, and surely there will be much more information that we still do not know, however, with what we already know, we have enough to get excited about this new version.
Kernel 4.4 and Unity 7 and 8
Among the most striking features of the 16.04 package is its inclusion of the great 4.4 kernel , which was initially thought to be unavailable due to its recent release. However, Canonical managed to integrate Kernel 4.4, which is perfect because both Ubuntu and the kernel were released as Long Term Support (LTS), so users can count on long-term support for both their operating system and the kernel.
On the other hand, there was much discussion about which version of Unity this new release would use. Ultimately, the Ubuntu 16.04 desktop will be powered by Unity 7, with Unity 8 as an option . One of the major visual changes for this version, and one that responds to a long-standing request from users, is the ability to move the Unity Launcher , freeing it from its confinement on the left side of the desktop.
Snappy Packages and End of Ubuntu Software Center
Following this release, Canonical developers are betting on GNOME, so the Ubuntu Software Center is disappearing , giving way to its replacement: the GNOME Software Center. Applications that were previously installed by default, such as Empathy and Brasero, will no longer be included, while GNOME Calendar and the LibreOffice suite are now installed by default.
Ubuntu 16.04 will support Snappy packages , with the idea of preparing the operating system for Unity 8 and possible integration with mobile apps running Ubuntu, aiming for system convergence.
For now, Canonical has released daily beta versions of Ubuntu 16.04 leading up to its official release on April 21st. Final betas have also been released for the various "flavors" of this operating system included in this LTS release: Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu GNOME, Ubuntu Studio, Ubuntu Kylin, Mythbuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, and Kubuntu , which is included in this latest version, dispelling any speculation about its potential discontinuation.
If you can't wait for the official release of Ubuntu 16.04, you can start by trying out the betas of each distro, available on the Ubuntu portal.
