Ubuntu 16.04 release changes & info

Ubuntu 16.04, code-named “Xenial Xerus“, is here and its amazing! many new changes, many new additions and some removals of old outdated software/functionality. Unity has been polished and streamlined along with the much maligned ads have been removed! so lets get into the details.

Snap Packages

Ubuntu 16.04 LTS introduces a new application format, the ‘snap’, which can be installed alongside traditional deb packages. These two packaging formats live comfortably next to one another and enable Ubuntu to maintain its existing processes for development and updates. In short you can now install third party apps or who desktop environments without having to worry about polluting your OS! Everything stays confined away from the rest of the system in a nice little self contained environment yet still allows access to the rest of the system. So you have

• Apps can install with their own specific set of libraries and dependencies without issues with other existing apps or ones you may install in the future.
• Safety & security are bolstered across the board.

Packages

As with any ubuntu upgrade there are many package upgrades and software changes.

• Ubuntu now defaults to kernel 4.4+
• python2 is out and python 3.5 is now the base. you can still install python 2 but python 3 is the new norm. Vim by default now uses python 3.
• Golang is now using th 1.6 toolchain.
• With the recent discoveries in vulnerable crypto settings in openssh, the new base OpenSSH 7.2p2 disables many to bolster security.
• the GNU toolchain is now updated to latest version of many tools.

ZFS

“Controversy ahoy Cap’n!” ZFS is now included with ubuntu and how happy are we all to see it so. ZFS is a pretty cool piece of tech that is a mix of a volume manager and a filesystem. So think of LVM and EXT4 having a nerdy baby! lots of distros have supported ZFs before but not usually out of the box, almost all required installed software/libraries or using fuse, which comes with its own overhead. Find out more about Ubuntu 16.04 support for ZFS here.

Unity

Many of us are waiting for Unity 8 which brings with it a slew of changes such as Convergance which allows unity to handle both desktop and mobile environments and interfaces. However that day is not yet here. We are getting a polished, cleaned up unity 7.4 which comes with many changes.

• The online search ads based on your search results are gone! dead! goodbye!
• the launcher can be moved to the bottom of the screen.
• Ubuntu software center is gone! replaced by Gnome software center
• Empathy IM is gone.
• Improved launcher integration with file manager and devices
• Support for formatting removable devices from quicklist
• Improved support for gtk applications using headerbars
• Improvements to the switcher and spread backends
• App spread shortcut is now Super+Ctrl+W
• Unity control center option to always show menus
• Improvements to GNOME key grabbing
• New dash overlay scrollbars
• Better Dash theming support
• Improved Support for HiDPI environments
• Show icons launching state in launcher when apps launched elsewhere

All in all Ubuntu 16.04 Xenial Xerus is a must have version of Ubuntu. Check below to download it.

Click here to download directly as ISO via HTTP from Canonical : [button link=”http://releases.ubuntu.com/16.04/” color=”orange” newwindow=”yes”] Click to download Xenial Xerus[/button]