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This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
Debian-based Ubuntu is the jumping-off point for many other distributions, including Linux Mint and Zorin OS. The Desktop edition is available in at least two builds: the so-called LTS (Long Term Support) build, which receives support for a minimum of five years from release, and the bleeding-edge release, which comes with nine months of security and maintenance updates. In each case, the build number – 23.10 in the case of this review – denotes the year and month of release, so 23.10 will enjoy support until July 2024, and 22.04 LTS until April 2027. New releases appear every six months for the cutting-edge build, and every other year for the LTS edition.
Both 23.10 and 22.04.3 LTS require 4GB of memory, 25GB of drive space and a 2GHz dual-core processor, despite running on different kernels (6.5 versus 5.17) and desktop environments (Gnome 45 versus Gnome 41/42). Build 23.10 is also running more up-to-date versions of its default applications, Firefox, LibreOffice and Thunderbird. Of these, perhaps the most significant is Thunderbird, which sits at 91 in the LTS release and at 115.2 in 23.10. Thunderbird 115 introduced significant interface improvements and, even if you install the LTS release, we’d recommend updating Thunderbird to at least 115 yourself.
As well as the desktop edition, there are builds for server and IoT platforms, with the latter including Raspberry Pi. The Pi edition is available directly through the Raspberry Pi Imager. There’s also an immutable build, in which the core system files are protected against tampering.
None of the installer’s questions is too taxing. You don’t need to know what kind of security your network uses, as you do for openSUSE, and we didn’t need to play around with the partitioning of our drive to complete the process successfully.
Once up and running, you’re presented with a largely vanilla workspace. Although Ubuntu has its own style, it remains fairly faithful to Gnome’s default look and feel, rather than making a significant departure as Zorin does (or as Nitrux does from KDE Plasma). If you don’t like Gnome, you’ll find alternative builds with a little searching. Kubuntu (kubuntu. org) switches it out for KDE, while Ubuntu Budgie (ubuntubudgie.org) and Ubuntu Cinnamon (ubuntucinnamon.org) naturally use Budgie and Cinnamon respectively. Lubuntu (lubuntu.me), using Qt, and Xubuntu (xubuntu.org), using Xfce, are both Ubuntu-recognized ports for lower powered computers.
Apps can be installed using the built-in App Center or via the Terminal using apt. The App Center, which gives access to both Debian and Snap packages, has been upgraded in 23.10, and certainly feels more engaging than the installer it replaced. There’s a handy “Jump start your desktop” at the top of the homepage that gives direct access to the most commonly installed apps, rather like the recommended software section in Raspberry Pi OS. Other named sections, including a Productivity section, make it easy to find essentials such as alternative browsers, Bitwarden and Slack. Neither Inkscape nor GIMP are preinstalled, but the versions available through App Center match the latest-edition version numbers available from their respective sites.
More good news? On first boot, both of the wireless printers on our network were successfully recognized and set up.
For many newcomers, Ubuntu may well be a byword for Linux, and it’s easy to see why. Installation is a breeze and, once complete, it just works. The new features in this latest release, including the updated App Center and Gnome 45, are subtle but welcome improvements over their predecessors, and the default interface is unflashy and provides few distractions.
Ubuntu was our Labs Winner last time around, and nothing changes here – so long as you’re happy running Gnome. If you aren’t, take a look at KDE-based openSUSE Tumbleweed or Cinnamon-based Linux Mint.
It’s not difficult to find an Ubuntu-based distribution running KDE, Budgie and several other desktop managers, although, as they’re not directly controlled by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu itself, it’s fairer to consider them different products.
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