In this second part of our Ubuntu 2012 in pictures we look at the notable news items from the latter half of the year.

For the first part of this feature, covering Ubuntu in 2012 from January through June, see this post.

July

Development on Ubuntu 12.10 Saw the Controversial ‘Simplified’ Nautilus Arrive (Outcry Meant That It Didn’t Stay Long!)
A New ‘Web Apps’ Feature Was Announced for Inclusion in Ubuntu 12.10
In A Speech at OSCAN 2012, Mark Shuttleworth Said He Didn’t Want Ubuntu to End Up A Hybrid Mess Like Windows 8

August

The ‘Ubuntu App Showdown’ Contest Drew Lots of Attention through the Summer. August saw the winners of the contest revealed.
Ubuntu’s default theme got a refresh ahead of Ubuntu 12.10
An Ubuntu GNOME Remix project was announced this month, delighting those longing for an Ubuntu + GNOME mashup.

September

THe first beta of Ubuntu 12.10 brought a host of new features. Amongst them were Unity’s slick new ‘Previews’
The online version of the Ubuntu One Music Store went live
The Ubuntu Live CD officially ended, as the image size was increased to accommodate newer changes
September saw the controversial addition of ‘shopping features’ to the Unity desktop

October

Ubuntu 12.10, with all its shiny new features, was officially released…
…While support for Ubuntu 11.04 came to an end
Canonical released an Ubuntu installer for the Google Nexus 7 Tablet
October wasn’t a great month for Canonical’s reputation. Criticism of the new ‘Shopping Lens’ feature intensified.

November

Steam for Linux launched its native Linux client in November as a limited beta
Canonical’s Chris Kenyon revealed that sales of Ubuntu PCs had skyrocketed over in 2011
Potentially icon changes for Ubuntu 13.04 were showcased

December

steam for Linux
Steam for Linux launched as an open beta, though only officially supporting Ubuntu at first
Development on Ubuntu 13.04 brought some minor cosmetic changes to Unity
Ubuntu One users were treated to a new ‘Photos’ feature, accessible from the service’s web dashboard

What were your defining moments in Ubuntu during 2012? Share them in the comments below, or tweet them to us @omgubuntu.

Editorial List
#best of 2012