Canonical is pushing hard for IoT development with 22.10, but will businesses want an OS that’s only supported for nine months?
Canonical has announced the release of Ubuntu 22.10, codenamed “Kinetic Kudu”. The new version includes some desktop and performance tweaks, as well as a focus on developing the Internet of Things.
New Features in Ubuntu 22.10
Canonical announced the release of Ubuntu 22.10 in a blog post.
“This release also brings new features to our business management story,” said Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth.
The most visible changes for desktop users are to the default GNOME desktop. Ubuntu 22.10 uses Gnome 43, which was released in September 2022. The latest version includes a revamped Quick Settings menu that makes it easier to adjust settings like dark mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and power settings. It also uses GTK4 toolkit for improved look and feel.
Canonical has promised that Ubuntu 22.10 will be available from its download page later in the day on October 20, 2022.
Ubuntu 22.10 under the hood improvements
Along with the new desktop tweaks, there are a number of under the hood enhancements to improve performance. The system comes with a Linux 5.19 kernel. Power management on Intel chips has been improved.
The new release also comes with changes that will appeal to enterprise customers, especially those working with Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
The SSH server will now only activate when it receives an incoming connection for remote management. This means Ubuntu will use less memory in embedded deployments.
The landscape management tool also now supports multiple architectures, including ARM. The new version adds support for RISC-V processors. Non-Intel processors are widely used in embedded and IoT devices.
What happens to Ubuntu 22.10 now?
Ubuntu 22.10 is an interim release that will get support for nine months, until July 2023, while the next planned release, 23.04, will arrive in spring 2022.
Canonical is boosting Ubuntu 22.10’s appeal to enterprise customers, but many enterprise customers are likely to prefer the long-term support (LTS) releases of Ubuntu, including the latest, Ubuntu 22.04 “Jammy Jellyfish”, was released earlier in 2022. These types of builds are offered for those who want more up-to-date software. It’s a happy medium between the stable version of LTS and more advanced distributions like Arch.
Ubuntu 22.10 is poised to remain a developer favorite
Ubuntu 22.10’s improvements mean it’s likely to remain popular with developers, especially those working with IoT devices. Ubuntu has earned a place in the hearts of developers of all persuasions due to its large community and commitment to hardware support.
