It’s live — Ubuntu 22.10 “Kinetic Kudu” is available to download.
Ubuntu 22.10 comes with a number of improvements to the user experience, a new sound server, new text editor app, and Linux kernel 5.19. It also boasts better-than-ever support for the Raspberry Pi single board computer.
As a short-term support release this version of Ubuntu comes with 9 months of app updates and support. It’s not long, but it take us well past the release of its successor, Ubuntu 23.04 which is due in April of next year.
If you stay on top of your Ubuntu news you should have a good idea about what is in Ubuntu 22.10, so feel free to skip straight to the download section to grab the .iso for yourself!
Otherwise, read on for a short overview of what’s new and notable, what we think of the release, and where you where to download it (or how to upgrade to it).
Ubuntu 22.10 ‘Kinetic Kudu’
The (relatively recent) GNOME 43 release delivers the bulk of the key changes in Ubuntu 22.10. After passing on shipping GTK 4/libadwaita ports in April, Ubuntu developers finally embrace them here, in the Kinetic Kudu.
By far the most striking change is the new Quick Settings menu. The grid-based pod-like layout draws inspiration from other desktop OSes, including those on mobile, to provide a more actionable area to interact with. The layout of the top row varies between desktop and laptops, with users of the latter seeing a battery level icon on the left.
This replacement for the old, masonry status menu offers all the same features but a new way to interact. With a single click you turn on/off wi-fi, networking, bluetooth, night light, VPN, etc, plus a new toggle to enable/disable a system wide dark mode (lacking the elegant transition effect upstream GNOME offers, mind).
But there’s also new functionality too. For instance, you can now change wi-fi network directly from the menu (previously a full-screen modal picker would appear), and it’s now possible to switch audio device from the volume slider itself (so no: you no longer need to install a GNOME extension to do this).
Many file manager improvements are on offer, including a new responsive design, improved list view (which supports rubber banding and file favouriting), and redesigned file and folder ‘properties’ dialogs. The latter not only gives users more info about their files but, thanks to integration with the Disks utility, more options too.
A new Ubuntu Desktop section in the (newly adaptive) Settings app groups together options for Ubuntu’s desktop icons extensions and the Ubuntu Dock. No new options are present — still no minimise-on-click, grr — but having these settings separate from wallpaper options is, to my mind, understandable.
There’s the usual array of updated software, including a speedier Mozilla Firefox Snap, a more capable LibreOffice productivity suite, and the latest version of terrific e-mail client Thunderbird. GNOME’s new libadwaita-based Text Editor app replaces the iconic Gedit (which is in the repos), and Ubuntu drops the ‘To Do’ app from default install.
PipeWire is Ubuntu’s default sound server in this release. PipeWire is a more modern audio handler that requires fewer system resources to run and boasts better compatibility with wireless Bluetooth speakers and headphones.
The Kinetic Kudu also comes kitted out with Linux Kernel 5.19, Mesa 22, and a host of other updated components and tooling. The recent release of Network Manager 1.40 is included, as is the BlueZ 5.65 release.
Worth installing? I think so…
In summary, Ubuntu 22.10 is an instant hit thanks to its adoption of PipeWire, and its inclusion of GNOME 43 and associated app updates. Still, this is not an LTS. Those who value stability and familiarity above all else will probably find little compelling reason to trade up. But for everyone else? Get in on it!
Want to be helpful? You can download the torrent file instead.
Don’t forget: you can upgrade to Ubuntu 22.10 too but this is NOT automatic (as LTS releases only upgrade to LTS releases by default).