Ubuntu 23.04 “Lunar Lobster” Release Highlights: Kernel, systemd, Toolchain, Security, and Desktop Updates
Ubuntu 23.04 “Lunar Lobster”, the latest short‑term support release, brings the Linux 6.2 kernel with Rust module support, systemd v252.5, upgraded toolchains (OpenJDK 17, .Net 7, Go 1.20, Rust 1.67, Python 3.11), security enhancements, Netplan improvements, and a refreshed desktop installer with GNOME 44 and updated applications.
Ubuntu 23.04 “Lunar Lobster” is the newest short‑term support (STS) release of the Ubuntu operating system, receiving updates for nine months until January 2024; users needing long‑term support are advised to use Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
Linux Kernel
Ubuntu 23.04 ships with the new Linux 6.2 kernel.
Notable Ubuntu kernel features:
Support for building and running out‑of‑tree Rust modules with generic and low‑latency kernels.
Updated LSM stack and AppArmor patches.
Notable upstream kernel features:
Call Depth Tracking improves performance on older Intel Skylake CPUs.
Support for Intel Arc DG2/Alchemist GPUs.
New Intel TDX driver.
Support for Sony DualShock 4 gamepad.
Updated zstd compression code.
BPF improvements.
Various new hardware support, performance, and security enhancements.
systemd v252.5
Init system upgraded to systemd v252.5.
Toolchain Upgrades
OpenJDK: Default Java runtime and JDK updated to OpenJDK v17 (latest LTS).
.Net: Added .Net v7 (7.0.105) runtime and packages; .Net v6 updated to 6.0.116.
Go: Compiler updated to Go v1.20.
Rust: rustc upgraded to v1.67; cargo to 0.68.
Python: Updated to v3.11.
debuginfod service: Significant improvements – now indexes many packages and provides source code automatically, supports private‑PPA debug artifacts (currently only ESM PPA), and speeds up indexing of new ddebs and source files.
Ruby: Updated from v3.0 to v3.1.
Security Improvements
ca‑certificates package upgraded to Mozilla CA bundle 2.60.
Base System
Netplan v0.106 changes:
Matching behavior for match.macaddress now prefers PermanentMACAddress= over MACAddress= , which may affect containers or VMs.
New netplan status sub‑command to query current network status.
Ubuntu Desktop
New installer: Default desktop installer is now a Flutter‑based snap powered by subiquity.
Minimized installation is faster than full installation.
Security updates are applied during installation.
Traditional installer remains available if the new one fails.
GNOME updated to version 44 with new features and fixes.
Ubuntu fonts refreshed.
Application updates include: Firefox 111 LibreOffice 7.5.2 (now available on RISC‑V) Thunderbird 102.10
Enjoy the new features and improvements in Ubuntu 23.04!
Laravel Tech Community
Specializing in Laravel development, we continuously publish fresh content and grow alongside the elegant, stable Laravel framework.
How this landed with the community
Was this worth your time?
0 Comments
Thoughtful readers leave field notes, pushback, and hard-won operational detail here.