You may remember, when I last reviewed a Ubuntu Desktop Linux release, I declared it as predictable as an operating system can be…which is a good thing. The Ubuntu desktop has remained mostly the same for quite some time, which has allowed users to grow accustomed to how it works and how Canonical updates the OS. It’s slow and steady and it’s winning the race.
At a lobster’s pace.
With Lunar Lobster (23.04), Canonical solidifies the idea of bringing yet another magnificent desktop operating system to market. The biggest change to Ubuntu 23.04 comes by way of the installer but even that is mostly cosmetic (although it’s been totally rewritten in Flutter). The installer has finally been dragged into the more modern age of computer aesthetics and it’s as functional as it is beautiful .
Outside of the installer, a lot of the polish that has been applied to Ubuntu Lunar Lobster comes by way of GNOME’s amazing team of developer/designers and all the hard work they’ve put into GNOME 44.0.
Keep in mind, this is very early on in the release cycle and I’m using a daily build of Ubuntu 23.04. And although the release hasn’t even hit a feature freeze yet, it’s shaping up to be one of the best iterations of Ubuntu Desktop I’ve ever experienced.
I’m not going to go into the usual spiel of what’s in the new release as that’s far less exciting than the overall look and feel of Lunar Lobster. Besides, until the release hits a freeze, it’s hard to say what features and app updates will be included. I can say the version I’m working with has kernel 6.1.0-16, Firefox version 110.0.1, and LibreOffice 7.5.1.2. And although the new GNOME Text Editor is included, 23.04 seems to be (for now) sticking with the old GNOME Terminal.