Ubuntu 18.04 LTS: Bionic Beaver

[suicidalfranco]

 

First let say that I’m sorry for the late news, been wanting to write this since Friday but couldn’t cause was too busy all weekend. Said that let’s jump straight to the main topic!

 

Canonical have finally given the gold status to their next LTS release, Ubuntu 18.04. For those who still don’t know what LTS means: it stands for Long Term Support, LTS releases are supported with security updates for 5 years by Canonical, which means that you can install 18.04 now and not have to worry about it until 2023.

What’s new in Ubuntu 18.04:

• Ubuntu 18.04 will only be available in 64-bit
• The installer gives you the option to choose a “minimal installation” which means I twill only come with the browser and basic utilities
• Just like 17.10, the default DE remains Gnome 3.28 slightly tweaked to give a similar layout to Unity

Quote

As well as the shell 18.04 is based on GNOME 3.28 – a big overhaul from GNOME 3.18 which was available in the 16.04 archives.

You get access to a heap of neat features, including:

• ‘Night Light’ – warms your display after sunset to promote natural sleep patterns
• New on-screen keyboard – an OSK that looks and works better than Onboard
• Thunderbolt 3 support – you can connect and authorise Thunderbolt 3 devices
• Media player controls in the message tray – supports Rhythmbox, Spotify, etc
• Wacom Graphics Improvements – it’s now easier to use input devices with GNOME

 

• Live patch, gone are the days of requiring to reboot your machine to apply kernel updates
• Ubuntu software now include Snap apps
• Linux Kernel 14.15

Quote

As you’d expect this brings a raft of new and improved hardware support to the Bionic Beaver. This helps the latest peripherals, keyboards, graphics cards and USB devices work “out of the box”, and improves the handling and performance of other devices.

The Linux 4.15 based Ubuntu Linux kernel also features secure memory encryption support on AMD hardware, improved power management for systems with SATA Link Power Management, Linux security module stacking support — and a whole heap more.

1

• Updated pre-installed apps

Quote

App versions in summary:

• Firefox 59.0.2
• Thunderbird 52
• Nautilus (aka ‘Files’) 3.26
• LibreOffice 6.0.3
• Totem (aka ‘Videos’) 3.28
• Rhythmbox 3.4.2
• Remmina 1.2.0
• Shotwell 0.28

 

• Xorg is back as the default window manager and Wayland becomes optional
• Changes for laptop users include libinput as the default touchpad driver instead of synaptics, touchpads without buttons can now right-click with two finger taps, and battery saver mode now suspends the machine after 20 minutes of inactivity

And that should be the gist of it.

You can find Ubuntu in the usual flavors:

Kubuntu

Xubuntu

Ubuntu Budgie

Ubuntu Kylin

Ubuntu Mate

 

 

just to name a few.

 

And that should be all. Jump over Ubuntu's index and pick your poison if you are interested by this new release.

 

source: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/04/ubuntu-18-04-download-release-features

[meenmeen1103]

I feel like I'm going to struggle getting used to not having unity

[jagdtigger]

3 minutes ago, meenmeen1103 said:

I feel like I'm going to struggle getting used to not having unity

Unity was a struggle with kb and mice to begin with...

 

I already prepped my apt-mirror so i can get the upgrade done in a short time.

Edited April 30, 2018 by jagdtigger

[WereCatf]

I only care about the newer kernel-version and live-patching anyways.

[meenmeen1103]

2 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Unity was a szruggle with kb and mice to begin with...

 

I already prepped my apt-mirror so i can get the upgrade done in a short time.

I'm still on 16.04 but have already popped in a different drive (upgrade either way) and have downloaded and made an 18.04 installer just haven't gotten around to it

[Sniperfox47]

26 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

I only care about the newer kernel-version and live-patching anyways.

How do you benefit from live-patching? I'm rocking Fedora Server and have yet to see any benefit to switching to a distro with it available, when I'd wind up with just as much downtime anyways if I want to keep up with kernel releases.

[suicidalfranco]

On 30/4/2018 at 11:22 AM, meenmeen1103 said:

I feel like I'm going to struggle getting used to not having unity

same, though the folks at MATE are working on their own version of Unity: MUTINY

(yes the same team that created MATE because they didn't like the way canonical was going and to keep the old gnome 2 based desktop. How time flies)

Everything is working fine, global menu works, HUD works, indicators works, dash... need some work. Hopefully by 2021 they'll get there

[Linus_torvalds]

On 4/30/2018 at 1:27 PM, WereCatf said:

I only care about the newer kernel-version and live-patching anyways.

Then you should use manjaro linux if you want user friendly distro. Or arch linux if you are advanced user. I am on 4.16.6 kernel version on my arch installation from which i post this comment right now.

[WereCatf]

6 hours ago, mate_mate91 said:

Or arch linux if you are advanced user.

Because of.... what, exactly? I have tried Arch Linux in the past and saw no good reason to switch, the "all the cool kids use Arch" - bandwagon ain't enough.

[Granular]

The server iso threw me for a couple of loops.

Cloud-init now sets the hostname, so changing it the old fashioned way doesn't persist between reboots until you remove cloud-init packages and libvirt's dnsmasq will give a cloned machine the same address as the original because - despite having different MAC addresses- they have the same /etc/machine-id

But hey, it comes with LXD 4.0, that has native clustering support, which is something I've wanted ever since I gave up on trying to make docker do what I need.

[Humbug]

A bit of a tangent but we have definitely got to the point now that a user friendly and stable modern Linux distro is better for an average computer user than windows 10.

 

My grandma uses her computer only for word processing, internet banking, printing and scanning documents,  watching videos on YouTube, browsing  and video calling. As a completely non-tech savvy person obviously she relied on me for every issue.

 

I converted her from windows 10 to Linux mint. She is very happy with the PC and doesn't even realize what OS she is using because she has her start menu, still has chrome for internet, Skype for video calls, vlc for videos etc.

 

But for me life is better now and headache free, less support burden. Things don't randomly break now because of system updates etc and she is not getting random malware, her system is very fast without a virus guard. And life is easier for me, things have just been working since I set it up.

 

I installed teamviewer also on her PC so once in a while when she has a question I just log in remotely and help out.

 

We need more laptops and desktops for general average consumers shipping with Linux. Not the hardcore stuff like arch etc but the easy to use ones for beginners like Linux Mint, Ubuntu which come setup with everything a general PC user needs. It's just easier than windows.

 

 

[Linus_torvalds]

1 hour ago, WereCatf said:

Because of.... what, exactly? I have tried Arch Linux in the past and saw no good reason to switch, the "all the cool kids use Arch" - bandwagon ain't enough.

I did not suggest you arch so that you can be cool. If you  are advanced linux user and want to learn more about linux, how things work you should use arch linux. Before arch i used to use many other debian based distros but after i installed arch i have learned much more about linux. It feels great when you discover something in linux, how is it made to work the way it does. It'f fun. And when you get used to arch you'll be just as if not more productive then on ubuntu or debian based distros.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

Just now, mate_mate91 said:

If you are advanced linux user and want to learn more about linux, how things work you should use Gentoo.

FTFY

[WereCatf]

3 minutes ago, mate_mate91 said:

And when you get used to arch you'll be just as if not more productive then on ubuntu or debian based distros.

I cannot agree with that claim. I've used Red Hat and SuSe already back in the 90's, I used Gentoo for five years or so and I've fiddled with a whole bunch of other distros over the years and overall I find that they're all more-or-less the same -- with the exception of Gentoo and similar source-based distros. Arch ain't any more productive than any other distro.

[Master Disaster]

41 minutes ago, Humbug said:

A bit of a tangent but we have definitely got to the point now that a user friendly and stable modern Linux distro is better for an average computer user than windows 10.

 

My grandma uses her computer only for word processing, internet banking, printing and scanning documents,  watching videos on YouTube, browsing  and video calling. As a completely non-tech savvy person obviously she relied on me for every issue.

 

I converted her from windows 10 to Linux mint. She is very happy with the PC and doesn't even realize what OS she is using because she has her start menu, still has chrome for internet, Skype for video calls, vlc for videos etc.

 

But for me life is better now and headache free, less support burden. Things don't randomly break now because of system updates etc and she is not getting random malware, her system is very fast without a virus guard. And life is easier for me, things have just been working since I set it up.

 

I installed teamviewer also on her PC so once in a while when she has a question I just log in remotely and help out.

 

We need more laptops and desktops for general average consumers shipping with Linux. Not the hardcore stuff like arch etc but the easy to use ones for beginners like Linux Mint, Ubuntu which come setup with everything a general PC user needs. It's just easier than windows.

 

 

Tell that to anybody who wants to watch Netflix on their laptop.

 

Btw not a dig at Linux, I realise it's down to MS & Netflix but still, alone it's a huuuuuge issue for many people.

[Humbug]

19 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Tell that to anybody who wants to watch Netflix on their laptop.

Netflix works on Linux . On Chrome and Firefox...

 

What browser did you try?

[Master Disaster]

1 hour ago, Humbug said:

Netflix works on Linux . On Chrome and Firefox...

 

What browser did you try?

Only basic mode Netflix though, if you want the full experience then you must use Windows. It's pretty shitty imo.

 

My mum pays £20 a month iirc and the only thing she can use it on properly is her laptop, her firestick only does basic mode stuff too. I keep trying to get her to downgrade to the middle tier as IMO she's paying for stuff she rarely (if ever) uses but she's adamant she wants the full package.

[Orangeator]

47 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Only basic mode Netflix though, if you want the full experience then you must use Windows. It's pretty shitty imo.

 

My mum pays £20 a month iirc and the only thing she can use it on properly is her laptop, her firestick only does basic mode stuff too. I keep trying to get her to downgrade to the middle tier as IMO she's paying for stuff she rarely (if ever) uses but she's adamant she wants the full package.

What do you mean by basic mode Netflix? Do you mean no 4k support?

[jagdtigger]

22 minutes ago, Orangeator said:

What do you mean by basic mode Netflix? Do you mean no 4k support?

Any non ms browser is 720p only, i just canceled my sub after they banned my phone for being rooted....

 

/EDIT

And even if you use ms browser its buggy AF....

[Orangeator]

1 hour ago, jagdtigger said:

Any non ms browser is 720p only, i just canceled my sub after they banned my phone for being rooted....

 

/EDIT

And even if you use ms browser its buggy AF....

Damn, really? I never knew this.

[KrumpetPirate]

14 hours ago, suicidalfranco said:

same, though the folks at MATE are working on their own version of Unity: MUTINY

(yes the same team that created MATE because they didn't like the way canonical was going and to keep the old gnome 2 based desktop. How time flies)

Everything is working fine, global menu works, HUD works, indicators works, dash... need some work. Hopefully by 2021 they'll get there

To be fair, it's only a panel layout not an actual DE.

[KrumpetPirate]

5 hours ago, WereCatf said:

I cannot agree with that claim. I've used Red Hat and SuSe already back in the 90's, I used Gentoo for five years or so and I've fiddled with a whole bunch of other distros over the years and overall I find that they're all more-or-less the same -- with the exception of Gentoo and similar source-based distros. Arch ain't any more productive than any other distro.

But that sweet sweet AUR

[KrumpetPirate]

3 hours ago, Master Disaster said:

Only basic mode Netflix though, if you want the full experience then you must use Windows. It's pretty shitty imo.

 

My mum pays £20 a month iirc and the only thing she can use it on properly is her laptop, her firestick only does basic mode stuff too. I keep trying to get her to downgrade to the middle tier as IMO she's paying for stuff she rarely (if ever) uses but she's adamant she wants the full package.

For the targeted 'Grandparent' user, this isn't really an issue. I've had my grandparents on Ubuntu for three years now and they watch Netflix on it all the time, thing is that their internet in rural America isn't all that great anyways, so 1080p/4k would never work regardless of this. Totally worth me not having to fix their old windows machine all the time.

[Sauron]

Gnome theming is horrendous to be honest, I wish they'd have gone for kde... but alas.

5 hours ago, WereCatf said:

I cannot agree with that claim. I've used Red Hat and SuSe already back in the 90's, I used Gentoo for five years or so and I've fiddled with a whole bunch of other distros over the years and overall I find that they're all more-or-less the same -- with the exception of Gentoo and similar source-based distros. Arch ain't any more productive than any other distro.

Yeah, Arch just makes it a little simpler to get your environment set up as you want it without having to remove a bunch of stuff. If you're fine with the default desktop experience in something like ubuntu there's little difference other than small advantages and disadvantages.

[Humbug]

3 hours ago, jagdtigger said:

Any non ms browser is 720p only, i just canceled my sub after they banned my phone for being rooted....

 

/EDIT

And even if you use ms browser its buggy AF....

Damn

 

So all the mac users are stuck at 720p?