Ubuntu 24.10 is now available for download after six months of dedicated development.
The latest release offers plenty of changes and new features, including the latest GNOME 47 release, more preinstalled tools for developers, and better signalling of background snap app updates.
As a short-term release, Ubuntu 24.10 receives 9 months of supports. Users will need to upgrade again by July 2025 to keep getting updates. The next major update, Ubuntu 25.04, is released in April 2025.
I showcase the new features in Ubuntu 24.10 in a separate article, so if you want lashings of detail give that a read. Otherwise, a condensed overview of what’s new is below, along with what I think of this version, and how to download it or upgrade to it to try it yourself.
Ubuntu 24.10: What’s New?
No major new features have been added to the Ubuntu installer on Intel/AMD users, but the preinstalled Raspberry Pi desktop image now uses GNOME Initial Setup to provide a modern, streamlined first-run experience.
Ubuntu 24.10 uses the GNOME 47 desktop environment and many of its core apps. A wide range of improvements are offered in this update, including a number of significant changes to Nautilus, the default file manager:
- Redesigned, reorder-able sidebar
- Internal hard drives now shown in the sidebar
- Brand new Network view with improved remote connection flow
- Indication when searches are slower on non-indexed locations
- Other software can now use Nautilus as a file picker
Other changes in GNOME 47 include:
- New separated button style on dialogs, notifications
- Improved UI on low-resolution displays
- Hardware encoded screen recording
- Better GTK rendering on older hardware
- Persistent remote login sessions
- Expanded Microsoft 365 support in Settings > Online Accounts
- Activate windows on hover in Settings > Accessibility
- Keyboard layout previews in Settings > Keyboard
Plenty of smaller, lower-level changes too that ensure GNOME 47 runs well on modern systems, too many to mention here but the full GNOME 47 change-log covers references them so seek that out if you’re interested.
Ubuntu Dock shows a progress bar when snap apps update in the background, ensuring users are aware why an app can’t be opened. A new ‘details’ entry in the dock context menu for snap apps makes it easy to jump to the corresponding app listing in App Center.
App Center now displays an in-app notification if a pending update for the store needs to be applied; Snap apps can be uninstalled from the Manage section; and touch-screen support is improved.
As the 40th release since Ubuntu’s launch in 2004, Ubuntu 24.10 comes with several celebratory touches to honour Ubuntu 4.10 ‘Warty Warthog’: the original startup sound on login (listen to it here); a brown accent colour; and a remastered version of the first ever Ubuntu wallpaper.
The latest Linux 6.11 kernel powers Ubuntu 24.10, while graphics capabilities get a bump with Mesa 24.2.3 drivers and the option of NVIDIA drivers in the 550.x production and 560.x new feature branches are available.
Linux 6.11 improves hardware support for new and existing devices, including for ARM and RISC-V chipsets and graphics/drawing tablets. The EXT4 filesystem sees a big performance boost in certain tasks, while newer AMD systems are made more power efficient.
Ubuntu 24.10 defaults to Wayland on systems with NVIDIA graphics cards. Ubuntu developers consider the day-to-day experience to work well enough for most use cases. If it doesn’t, a Xorg session remains available at the login screen.
A new version of the APT package manager features in Ubuntu 24.10. APT 3.0 offers an improved UI that makes use of columns and colour to put more information is shown on screen in a clearer, cleaner, and more concise manner.
New apps and tools are also included in both minimal (default) and expanded installations:
- Security Center – lets users enable snap app prompting
- Sysprof – software debugging and performance profiling tool
- Kdump – kernel crash dump logging
Beyond all of that there are bug fixes, security tweaks, assorted performance buffs, and a wealth of updated apps and packages in the repo (and in the expanded install) including new versions of Thunderbird, LibreOffice,
Is Ubuntu 24.10 a Good Release?
If you don’t need the assurance or predictability that a long-term support release provides then upgrading to Ubuntu 24.10 – or doing a fresh install of it – is certainly worthwhile.
Don’t need the assurance of an LTS? Then Ubuntu 24.10 is worth upgrading to
GNOME 47 is a fantastic upgrade as a whole. Better performance, better adaptability to smaller screens, and better visuals thanks to changes in the libadwaita stylesheet (which Ubuntu’s Yaru theme sticks close to). Heck, the file manager tweaks alone are seriously enticing.
The anniversary touches are only going to be around for this release (at least, that’s what Ubuntu is saying) so if you do want to join in the 20th anniversary celebrations than this release is your chance to do that.
Of course, the ‘main draw’ for many will be Linux 6.11 and the updated graphics drivers. Thing is, you don’t need to upgrade to Ubuntu 24.10 to get those: they’ll be back ported to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS in the new HWE, scheduled for January.
Ubuntu 24.10 is available for download from the official Ubuntu website or from the official Ubuntu releases server (which is where the ‘download’ button on the website gets the ISO from).
Those running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS can upgrade to version 24.10 by opting in to non-LTS upgrades using the Software & Updates tool. Ubuntu upgrade notifications typically available in the days following the ISO release, but it can take a little longer.