Ubuntu 24.10, codenamed “Oracular Oriole,” has been released, bringing a variety of significant updates and features. This version is powered by the Linux 6.11 kernel, providing improved hardware support and performance. Canonical has shifted to a more aggressive kernel selection policy, ensuring that users have access to the latest features at the time of release. This approach benefits both end-users and hardware vendors by offering better planning for hardware enablement.
Ubuntu 24.10 also introduces GNOME 47, enhancing performance, stability, and touchscreen support. In addition, the system defaults to Wayland for devices with Nvidia graphics, utilizing the open-source Nvidia 560 drivers. A notable feature in this release is the new experimental permissions prompting system, enabled through the Security Center, which enhances user control over privacy and security.
For developers, Ubuntu 24.10 includes updated toolchains for GCC, LLVM, Rust, Golang, and .Net, alongside TCK-certified OpenJDK 21 and 17 packages. It also introduces kdump-tools for kernel crash dumps and sysprof for workload profiling, which further streamline system debugging and optimization processes.
Gaming enthusiasts will find improved support for Steam, including expanded permissions and better Nvidia driver integration, delivering smoother gaming experiences. The Steam snap now includes gaming-specific Mesa PPAs, optimized for low-latency gaming on Linux 6.11.
This release is available for download now, and users of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS can upgrade easily if they’ve opted for notifications of all releases. Maintenance updates for Ubuntu 24.10 will be available for nine months