Similar to Windows 10, Ubuntu receives two updates a year, one in the spring (in April specifically) and one in the fall (October). After the arrival of Ubuntu 20.04 6 months ago (LTS version that has 5 years of support), today Canonical plans to launch a new version of the best known Linux distro, the new Ubuntu 20.10 , also known as ” Groovy Gorilla ” .
This new version of Ubuntu arrives as a version with standard support, that is, it will have updates until next July 2021 . By then, Canonical will stop supporting the distro and will force users who want to be sure to upgrade to 21.04, or to flip and go back to an LTS. And taking into account the poor news that we find in this new version, it is better to stay in the last known LTS, 20.04.
What’s new in Ubuntu 20.10
Of course, the new Ubuntu 20.10 does not stand out for its novelties. And of course, none of these changes is something that could not have reached all users in the form of a package update. For example, the Kernel.
The new Ubuntu Groovy Gorilla brings Kernel 5.8 , a version with new drivers that improves performance, especially of AMD hardware. We do not know why Canonical has not included the latest version of this Kernel, 5.9, in this new distro, but it shows, as always, a sign of neglect and of little importance.
Another novelty that we find is the GNOME 3.38 desktop . This new version brings some changes in the usability of the system such as, for example, the possibility of rearranging the icons in the list of programs, being able to restart the distro from the main system menu or create Wi-Fi access points with a QR, among other minor changes.
The Ubuntu installer has a new icon when we load it in Live Mode, and it can work through Active Directory. Of course, the main programs and packages of the distro have been updated to their latest versions, and nothing else. Oh, and the background, something that, for a long time, also lacks totally originality.
Of course, none of the changes is a revolution for this distro, although (unfortunately) we are already getting used to it, as this is becoming a custom on Canonical’s part.
Download or update Groovy Gorilla
This new version of Linux will reach all users today, although it will do so throughout the afternoon. The new version will be distributed in ISO format from Canonical’s website . Thus, users who want to install Ubuntu from scratch on their PC, or in a virtual machine, can do it directly in this way.
If we already have the distro installed, we will be able to update Ubuntu to the latest version without losing data. This can be done both from a terminal window, and from the update manager of this distro itself.
If instead of this obsolete update model Canonical had adopted a new ” Rolling Release ” model, all these changes could have reached all users automatically. Or couldn’t the kernel and GNOME just come via apt-upgrade? But it’s not like that. Once again, Canonical has shown that it does not care about its users, nor does it care about the distribution that, years ago, was the best Linux we could install.
The decline of Ubuntu
Although it does not feel good to talk about it, and there are very toxic Linux communities that do nothing but disrespect those who tell the truth, for more than 4 years Ubuntu is no longer what it was . Canonical doesn’t care the least bit about this distro, hardly introduces any changes or new features, and continues to offer the embarrassing 9-month support for all Non-LTS versions instead of stopping to make the jump to a Rolling Release model.
For this reason, more and more Linux users are beginning to migrate to other alternative distros, based or not on Ubuntu, that offer them better support, better features and, above all, with which they feel comfortable and not like their developers they laugh at them, as Canonical does. MX Linux, Manjaro, and Linux Mint are gaining the trust of users the most.
Of course, the new version 20.10 “Groovy Gorilla” of Ubuntu is a version that, perfectly, could have been ignored. Its launch is, at best, offensive for those of us who have been using this distro for three decades, when you could even order Ubuntu CDs on the web and they sent them home for free.
