Arriving alongside the main Ubuntu 24.04 LTS release are new versions of the official Ubuntu flavours, including Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Ubuntu Cinnamon.
What follows is a concise, top-level overview of the key new features and changes in some of the most popular Ubuntu flavours, plus the relevant downloads links to snag an ISO need should be tempted into trying a few flavors first-hand.
Unless otherwise noted, all flavours share the same foundational footprint as the main release, e.g., Linux kernel, graphics drivers, tooling, etc. But some fears, like the Flutter-based OS installer and the snap-centric App Center aren’t used in all flavours.
Additionally, and this is an important point for those who prefer long-term support (LTS) releases, Ubuntu flavors get 3 years of ongoing support rather than the 5 years the main edition receives. It’s a small difference but one that’s worth being aware of.
So what’s new? Well, a lot if you’re coming from the respecting 22.04 builds of some of these flavours. As with regular Ubuntu there’s a cumulative change-set spanning the 22.10, 23.04, and 23.10 releases for a number of these editions.
The KDE-based editions, Kubuntu 24.04 LTS and Ubuntu Studio 24.04 LTS, come kitted out with the KDE Plasma 5.27.11 desktop environment, applications and utilities in KDE Gear 23.08.5, and KDE Frameworks 5.114.
Education-orientated Edubuntu 24.04 LTS is equipped with GNOME 46 (and all the improvements that brings), intros a minimal install option, two new metapackages available in the Edubuntu Installer, and adds Gradebook to its default software set.
Lubuntu 24.04 LTS offers the LXQt 1.4.0 desktop environment and a clutch of new utilities, including a (rather neat) new snap monitor tool, SDDM (login screen) configuration editor, Lubuntu Update checker, and Redshift-Qt for melatonin-friendly blue light reduction.
Ubuntu Unity 24.04 LTS touts the Unity 7.7 desktop environment and, like Kubuntu has this cycle, now uses Calamares as its installer. As the newest Ubuntu flavour this release marks Ubuntu Unity’s first long-term support edition.
Ubuntu Cinnamon 24.04 LTS caries the recent Cinnamon 6.0.4 desktop environment bringing some of the coolest features found in Linux Mint 21.3 to fans of a more traditional *buntu base. This is the first long-term support release of Ubuntu Cinnamon.
Ubuntu Budgie 24.04 LTS comes with the latest Budgie 10.9.1 desktop release, Welcome app updates, and a variety of new and improved applets. Ubuntu Kylin 24.04 ships with a small set of tweaks to its custom Windows 7-esque UKUI desktop.
Elsewhere, Ubuntu MATE 24.04 LTS makes some strident software swaps, dropping its Welcome tool and replacing Software Boutique with Ubuntu’s Flutter-based App Center, but switches the Flutter-based Firmware Updater tool for GNOME Firmware.
Finally, Xubuntu 24.04 LTS — which I can’t lie: I do have a real soft spot for 😅.
The latest Xubuntu release offers (as you’d expect) the Xfce 4.18 desktop. It also swaps GNOME Software for the snap-based App Center and adds Gdebi (to allow outra-repo DEB installs) and the snap-based Firmware Updater to its default seed.
While Xubuntu 24.04 LTS uses Ubuntu’s Flutter-based installer it doesn’t default to a minimal install (though a minimal option is present). As such, a raft of software, including the new Thunderbird snap and LibreOffice 24.2 series, is available to use straight away.
Download links? Sure, bro:
Unlike regular Ubuntu (which I both use and track obsessively) I’m less familiar with the flavours which makes “spotting” (and thus covering) the changes between releases a little harder.
If you’re a fan of a flavour don’t be shy: share the love for the latest release (and namecheck any specific improvements you dig) down in the comments!