Canonical has announced the release of a new Long Term Support (LTS) version of Ubuntu. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, also codenamed as Noble Numbat, introduces several new features that will be appealing for developers.

“20 years in the making. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS brings together the latest advancements from the Linux ecosystem into a release that is built to empower open source developers and deliver innovation for the next 12 years,” Oliver Smith, senior product manager for Ubuntu at Canonical, wrote in a blog post. 

This release makes installing Ubuntu easier by unifying the desktop installer to utilize the same backend as the server, adding a new front end built in Flutter that improves user experience and accessibility, and offering autoinstall support in the graphical installer. 

Canonical also used Flutter to redesign the App Center, which now categorizes apps in clearer buckets and introduces new ways to manage applications. 

Ubuntu 24.04 also ships with GNOME 46, which includes new features like file manager search improvements, expandable notifications, and consolidated settings options. 

The programming languages that it adds support for include Python 3.12, Ruby 3.2, PHP 8.3, Go 1.22, and .NET 8. “Microsoft and Canonical have a close engineering relationship spanning everything from update infrastructure in Azure to developer tooling, notably .NET 8 which is part of the Noble Numbat release from day one,” said Jeremy Winter, corporate vice president of Azure Cloud Native. “We look forward to continuing our strong collaboration with Canonical to enhance developer productivity and provide a robust experience for Ubuntu on Azure.”

This release adds support for Netplan 1.0, which has been the default tool for configuring networking since Ubuntu 23.10. The 1.0 release adds new features related to wireless compatibility and usability. 

Ubuntu 24.04 also includes a number of security enhancements, including a change to how Personal Package Archives (PPAs) are distributed, restrictions on unprivileged user namespaces, and a lower default apt priority for proposed updates in the proposed pocket area. 

“Combined with the enhanced security coverage provided by Ubuntu Pro and Legacy Support, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS provides a secure foundation on which to develop and deploy your applications and services in an increasingly risky environments,” Alex Murray, tech lead for Ubuntu Security at Canonical, wrote in a blog post. 

A full list of what’s new in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS can be found in Canonical’s release blog.