Canonical has not yet made it official, but that is just a detail, a formality that is not very important and that will take place in the next few hours. The fact is that Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole is now available for download. It will be 100% official when they start advertising it through different media, and when they update the official website offering to download from there. But since the images are already uploaded to their server and are real, why wait?
Ubuntu 24.10 is the edition that celebrates the Ubuntu's 20th Anniversary. It's something that's clear even while the operating system is booting up, when you see the text "20 Years" above the name of the operating system. That text is also on the login screen. Another anniversary detail is that there are many wallpapers from past editions of the operating system. What comes next is the list with the most outstanding news that have arrived with Ubuntu 24.10.
Highlights of Ubuntu 24.10
Ubuntu 24.10 is a “provisional” release, meaning it is supported for only 9 months, until July 2025. Other new features include:
- Linux 6.11.
- GNOME 47 with new features such as improved experience on small screens, hardware encoding for screencast, performance and fluidity improvements, new windows in the dialogs, many improvements in Files — aka Nautilus — and other applications of the GNOME project
- “20 Years” text above the Ubuntu logo.
- Sound when entering the operating system.
- The Security Center application is installed by default. Right now it serves to provide more control over snap packages and their access to the file system.
- In Ubuntu 24.10, computers with NVIDIA graphics also use Wayland by default.
- Improved fingerprint support.
- Improvements in energy profiles.
- Applications updated to new versions, including but not limited to:
- Libre Office 24.8.2.
- Shotwell 32.7.
- Transmission 4.06.
- Rhythmbox 3.4.7.
- Remmina 4.35.
- Calendar 47.
- Totem 43.
- Snapshot 47.
- There are changes in the images for Rasbperry Pi 4 and 5, and that is that Oracular Oriole shows all the initial GNOME configuration when starting for the first time.
The software store is back to being the App Center. Unknown What happened, but the return of the old Snap Store must have been a glitch or for some reason that has not yet been published.
Sound on entry and backgrounds from past editions
Two of the changes with which Canonical celebrates this 20th anniversary are very characteristic. The first is that A short melody plays when entering the operating system — available at the link in the list above –. Short or long, depending on how you look at it. In its early days, Ubuntu played a drum roll, but if my memory serves me right, it was when displaying the login screen. 24.10 plays when entering the operating system, and the short drum roll of the old days has been replaced by a sound effect that lasts about 11 seconds. You may like it more or less, but there it is.
In my opinion, the sound is a bit long, as 11 seconds is quite long and it is possible that we start doing something, such as updating the operating system from its application, and the melody continues playing. If we do nothing, it is not so bad, always in my opinion.
Also to celebrate the date, Canonical has including a bunch of wallpapers from past editions, re-created for today's screens and resolutions. 20 years ago, 1920x1080 was the maximum, and it was considered outrageous. Now there are so many 4K monitors out there, that they had to re-create the wallpapers, which are essentially the same.
OS updates coming soon
At this time, the Ubuntu 24.10 image is available at this link, or the button below these lines if you are looking for the x86_64 version. Updates from the operating system will be activated in the next few hours, when Canonical officially announces the release.
From here, all that remains is to wish Ubuntu a happy anniversary and many more to come.