Kubuntu is a KDE Plasma-equipped Ubuntu flavor that many users pick due to its set of applications and a user interface. While some users do get confused as to which is the better choice between Ubuntu and Kubuntu, the latter usually feels just at home for those switching from Windows.
Now, Kubuntu 24.04 LTS just landed, based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS improving things on offer. It does not feature a lot of exciting changes, but something is better than nothing, right?
Let me give you the highlights of the release.
Kubuntu 24.04 LTS: What's New?
Powered by Linux kernel 6.8, Kubuntu 24.04 LTS is an important release supported until April 2027, that brings about some interesting changes.
The key highlights of this release include:
- Installer Changes
- Upgraded KDE Software
- New Wallpapers
Installer Changes
Similar to what the developers of Lubuntu did, Kubuntu 24.04 LTS has switched to the Calamares installer by default. By doing so, they have skipped using Ubuntu's Flutter-based installer.
However, they have embraced installation modes. There are three install modes, the first is “Full Installation”, which will install a few additional applications alongside the operating system, the second is “Normal Installation”, which is the default one with useful apps/utilities.
And, the final one is “Minimal Installation”, which only installs the desktop environment, with no pre-installed apps or tools being included.
Upgraded KDE Software
On the KDE front, Kubuntu 24.04 LTS ships with an older KDE Plasma 5.27.11 for handling the desktop environment duties, skipping the recent Plasma 6 release, which is set to be offered with the upcoming non-LTS Kubuntu 24.10 release.
So, yes, it is a bummer for Kubuntu 24.04 LTS to miss out on KDE Plasma 6.
This release also features KDE Frameworks 5.115.0, with various bug fixes and improvements.
New Wallpapers
Kubuntu 24.04 LTS comes loaded with many new wallpapers too!
These were selected from the wallpaper contest that the Kubuntu team ran. As you can see above, the first seven wallpapers are from the winners, Gregorio, Dilip, and Jack Sharp.
They have also updated their branding with the winner of the Kubuntu Brand Graphic Design contest, Fabio Maricato's work. But, sadly, when I was checking out the beta build of Kubuntu 24.04 LTS, it didn't feature it.
You can check out the new wallpapers, and Kubuntu's updated branding on its GitHub repo.
The stable build of Kubuntu 24.04 LTS also features the rebranding, do let me know in the comments if you liked it or not. 💬
Other Improvements
To wrap this up, this Kubuntu release features the Firefox 117 release as a snap package, offers LibreOffice 24.2 as the office suite, uses Qt 5.15.12, and has PipeWire to serve as the default audio backend.
As for the Wayland question, there's no solid answer as to when Kubuntu will switch to a Wayland by default approach. For further reading, you can also refer to the official release notes.
📥 Getting Kubuntu 24.04 LTS
This LTS release of Kubuntu is available on the official website and in the Ubuntu repository, both are viable options.
For upgrade help, you can refer to the Kubuntu forum.
Suggested Read 📖
Ankush Das
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