Hands up if you still have an official Ubuntu CD or DVD gathering dust in a drawer somewhere.
I know I have several!
At one time the arrival of the official release disc was as integral a milestone to the release cycle as wallpaper contests, feature freezes, and kernel deadlines.
Those days are, however, are long gone. And so are optical drives in many modern laptops and desktop PCs.
It’s (likely) for this reason that Canonical is not producing an official Ubuntu 16.04 LTS DVD that you can buy (and kiss, and cherish with the rest).
Nope, for Xenial, the Canonical Store sells Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on a bootable USB stick.
The branded thumb-drives come pre-flashed with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (64-bit). The store description advises those in need of 32-bit builds to ‘download a distribution or make your own bootable USB stick’.
I’ll Miss ‘Em, Even If No-One Else Will
Buying a pre-made Ubuntu disc got you more than a reliable installer — hey, I’ve made my own fair share of coasters over the years, too! The discs served as a keepsake, a memento, a tangible reminder of what the past six months of bugs, breakages, and breakdowns had all been building to.
Aside from saving you the hassle of download and burning you own, the DVDs, with their stylish artwork and packaging, were ideal for handing out at free software and computing events.
CDs, and later DVDs, were pressed for every Ubuntu release up until 12.10. Since 2012 they have only been sold for LTS releases.
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS USB Price
So how much will a shiny Ubuntu 16.04 LTS USB cost you? The Canonical shop says the following options are ‘Coming soon‘:
- £4.40 (~$6.30) for one USB stick
- £38.00 (~$55) for a pack of 10 USB sticks
All prices exclude postage and packaging/shipping.
Hit the link below for more information on the USB, or to purchase one for yourself (if/when they finally come in stock, anyway).