Canonical released Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole, which brings notable advancements, including an updated kernel, new toolchains, and the GNOME 47 desktop environment, along with significant enhancements in software security.
“Oracular Oriole sets a new pace for delivering the latest upstream kernel and toolchains,” said Mark Shuttleworth, CEO of Canonical, “Experimental new security features demonstrate our commitment to continually elevate the Linux desktop experience in conversation with the community for the next 20 years and beyond.”
Enhanced security controls
Permissions prompting is a feature for privacy- and security-conscious users, offering greater control, management, and transparency over how applications behave on their systems.
Ubuntu Desktop 24.10 introduces this as an experimental feature, allowing users to finely control snap application permissions. Leveraging Ubuntu’s AppArmor, prompting enforces sandboxing and regulates access at the system call level, ensuring that every action is closely monitored and requires user approval, even for applications that are unaware of this mediation.
This feature can be activated through the new Security Center in Ubuntu Desktop 24.10. It initially covers home directory permissions at launch. Over time, the Security Center will expand to include additional prompting options and tools for managing firewalls and encryption.
Expanded toolchain support with versioned Rust and Java TCK Certification
Ubuntu 24.10 brings expanded toolchain support, featuring the latest versions of Python, Java, Go, C, C++, Rust, and .Net, with .Net support now extended to the ppc64el architecture.
The introduction of versioned Rust packages caters to both distro component and enterprise application developers, allowing them to select specific Rust versions to suit their needs. By default, Ubuntu 24.10 includes Cargo and Rust 1.80, with previous versions available in the archives for more tailored development requirements.
Additionally, the OpenJDK 21 and OpenJDK 17 packages are now TCK (Technology Compatibility Kit) certified across amd64, arm64, s390x, ppc64el, and armhf architectures. The Java TCK is a comprehensive test suite that ensures compliance with the Java SE specification, covering language features, libraries, and APIs. With TCK certification, Ubuntu’s OpenJDK 17 and 21 packages are verified to meet Java SE standards, ensuring both interoperability and conformance across supported versions.
Valkey
Ubuntu 24.10 now integrates Valkey, a high-performance, open-source (BSD) key/value data store designed to handle a range of workloads, including caching, message queues, and leaderboards. Valkey can operate as a standalone server or in a cluster, offering replication features for high availability and data redundancy. It has also been backported to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, ensuring long-term support and accessibility for Ubuntu users. Moving forward, Valkey will be included in future Ubuntu releases, streamlining access to this versatile data store across the ecosystem.
“We are excited that Valkey will be included in Ubuntu 24.10 and future releases. This milestone is a testament to the collaborative, community-driven nature of Valkey’s development. With its open-source foundation and compatibility with widely adopted platforms, users can now deploy Valkey on Ubuntu, benefiting from a fully supported, high-performance, and reliable environment for their data needs. Ubuntu’s extensive reach and support make it an ideal platform for Valkey’s continued growth and innovation,” said Ping Xie, Valkey Technical Steering Committee and Software Engineer, GCP Memorystore.
GNOME 47
Ubuntu Desktop 24.10 features the latest GNOME 47, offering a host of user experience improvements along with enhanced performance and stability. This release also makes Wayland the default display server for systems with NVIDIA graphics, using the open-source NVIDIA 560 kernel modules by default on supported hardware.
Snap updates are now more transparent, with installation and update progress clearly visible in the App Center. Additionally, updates are now reflected in the Ubuntu Dock, which also offers improved support for Progressive Web Applications, enhancing overall usability.
For greater detail you can read the release notes.
Ubuntu 24.10 Oracular Oriole is available for download here.