The company behind Ubuntu, Canonical, has announced its Ubuntu 21.04’s end of life for 20 January 2022. That means the Hirsute Hippo called version will no longer get any security updates which translates into high-security risk for its users. So the company advises its users to immediately update to the latest version of Ubuntu.
Came with kernel 5.11 with GNOME 3.38
The users will be at risk of security as the company retires Hirsute Hippo
Hirsute Hippo was released on 22 April 2021, almost 8 months ago. This version is the first release to switch to the next-gen Wayland display server by default. Under the hood, Linux kernel 5.11 is running while using GNOME 3.38 desktop environment. PipeWire support as well as the smart card authentication came with this 21.04 version of Ubuntu. As a short-term version, Hirsute Hippo was expected to be retired soon.
Ubuntu 20.04 is the current LTS version of Ubuntu. While Canonical’s release cycle goes on, the next long-term support Ubuntu version, 22.04 called Jammy Jellyfish will arrive on 21 April 2022. This version is meant to be supported for at least 5 years. The new version, Ubuntu 21.10 comes with Linux 5.13, a much newer kernel. It fully supports the GNOME 40 desktop environment series and supports the Nvidia graphics driver on the Wayland session. 21.10 is also a short-term version so the company is expected to ask its users to update once again.
FAQ
What is the latest version of Ubuntu?
The latest LTS version of Ubuntu is 22.04, also known as "Jammy Jellyfish" and it was released on 21 April 2022. Ubuntu 22.04 will be supported until 2027.
What are the system requirements for Ubuntu?
The latest version of Ubuntu's system requirements are:
- 2 GHz dual-core processor or better
- 4 GB system memory
- 25 GB of free hard drive space
- Internet access is helpful
- Either a DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Can Ubuntu run on older hardware?
If you have the above requirements, you can run Ubuntu. We do not recommend using the latest version of Ubuntu for older hardware, but you can try older versions of Ubuntu.
Can I run Ubuntu on a virtual machine?
Yes, you can install and use Ubuntu in virtual machines like VMWare or VirtualBox.
How do I enable Ubuntu on Windows 10?
To enable Ubuntu on Windows 10, you should be using at least Windows build 1709. Then you should enable Windows Subsystem for Linux from the Windows Features interface. Now you can download and install Ubuntu from Microsoft Store.
Can Ubuntu be installed on a virtual machine?
Yes, Ubuntu can be installed on a virtual machine. A virtual machine (VM) allows you to run an operating system within another operating system. This means that you can install Ubuntu on a virtual machine and run it on top of your current operating system, without the need to replace it or partition your hard drive. To install Ubuntu on VMWare, you can refer to our article: How to create VM and install a Linux distro on VMWare Workstation