Want to know the official codename of Ubuntu 24.10?
Although Ubuntu 24.04 LTS has only just been released the pace of development marches ever on.
Ubuntu developers are already beginning to bootstrap the base on which the next short-term release of the popular Linux distribution will be built. Ubuntu 24.10 will be released in October, 2024 and, upon release, receive 9 months of updates.
Of course, as we all know: every new Ubuntu release gets its own alliterative codename made up of an adjective and an animal (real or mythological).
For Ubuntu 24.10 they’ve settled on “Oracular Oriole”.
Cute, but what does it mean?
- Oracular – Adjective relating of/to an oracle 🔮
- Oriole – A bird 🐦⬛
In contexts I’ve seen it used, oracular acts as an arcane-sounding synonym for words like prophetic, divinatory, sibylline, augural, etc., as well as a way to infer that a statement is intentionally ambiguous or intended to be mysterious, etc.
As for birbs, orioles are known for vivid, colourful plumage that lend a dramatic presence amongst the muted, earthy tones of the trees and bushes they live in. Orioles are also famed for melodious song (and if this were 2020 I’d 100% make a Twitter/tweets joke).
In popular culture it’s ‘new world’ orioles that people generally think of/mean when talking about orioles. It’s birds from this genus, related to blackbirds, which serve as inspiration for the names of famous sports teams, like Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
But why “Oracular Oriole” for Ubuntu 24.10?
Perhaps ‘oracular’ foreshadows the arrival of innovative features and insightful solutions that will, like the ‘oriole’, captivate and impress all those who see it. Just my interpretation; for now the real reasoning behind the codename is a mystery.
What’s your observation on the new codename: overt, original, obscure? Is there a specific adjective and animal combo you’d have opted for? Offer your opinion down in the comments.