Ubuntu 20.10 is ready for download for the users who want to try all Groovy Gorilla‘s new features. Ubuntu 20.10 ‘Groovy Gorilla’ is a short-term release. It comes with 9 months of support, which includes security updates, critical fixes, and select software updates from Canonical, developers of Ubuntu. Ubuntu 20.10 is the first version of Ubuntu that offers desktop support for Raspberry Pi 4.
New features in Ubuntu 20.10
Ubuntu 20.10 comes with GNOME 3.38, the latest stable version of the popular desktop environment, GNOME. GNOME 3.38 allows users to rearrange app icons in the Applications grid by manually using the drag and drop feature. It also brings paging to app folders and a new restart option in the main system menu.
Users can turn a laptop into a Wi-Fi hotspot shareable via a QR code. GNOME 3.38 enables battery percentage from the Settings app without using a tweak tool. It also shows upcoming calendar events in the message tray, beneath the calendar widget, which seems very user-friendly.
Ubuntu 20.10 is based on the latest Linux 5.8 kernel. Among many improvements, Linux 5.8 provides a better AMD Renoir support, adds connectivity for Thunderbolt 5 on ARM devices, ships with new exFAT drivers, and better power management.
Updated packages
Ubuntu 20.10 has updated versions of core open-source software like LibreOffice 7.0.2, Thunderbird 78, and Mozilla Firefox 81, which has now a high-precision scrolling on Linux. The updated built-in screenshot tool is simplified.
Python, Ruby, Perl, and PHP packages are also updated to the latest stable versions. The developers made improvements on security, nftables is now the default backend for the firewall.
The new release includes images from the Ubuntu Desktop, Server, and Cloud editions as well as Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, UbuntuKylin, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio, and Xubuntu flavors. The release notes for the official flavors can be found at the following links:
- Kubuntu Release Notes
- Lubuntu Release Notes
- Ubuntu Budgie Release Notes
- Ubuntu Kylin Release Notes
- Ubuntu MATE Release Notes
- Ubuntu Studio Release Notes
- Xubuntu Release Notes
New features at a glance
- Linux kernel 5.8
- Active Directory support in the installer
- LibreOffice 7.0.2 with a new icon set
- High precision scrolling in Firefox
- Rearrangeable app grid
- Paginated app folders
- Share Wi-Fi hotspots by Qr code
- Indicator alert when a microphone in use but muted
- Calendar event is shown below the calendar widget
- Option to ‘show battery percentage’ in the top bar
- Visible ‘Restart’ option in Status Menu
- New wallpapers