We're a few weeks away from the final release of Ubuntu 21.10, but today we have the first and final beta.
Yes, Ubuntu 21.10 Impish Indri beta is available for download to test before the firm release scheduled for October 14, 2021.
Those who install Ubuntu 21.10 beta will be able to upgrade to the final version (when released) by simply installing all the updates.
The new Ubuntu 21.10 comes with GNOME 40 and wears the Yaru Light theme by default. The old "mixed" version is no longer available. Theme changes are reflected in the display settings panel, which now offers only two options: light or dark.
Other visuals include a new default wallpaper, community-selected photo wallpapers, and some updated application icons.
Of course, basic software updates are included, such as Mozilla Firefox 93, Thunderbird 91, and the latest version of LibreOffice 7.2.1.
What may surprise some is that Firefox now comes as a Snap application. Although the pre-beta version had the browser repo version installed, Canonical will use the Snap version of Firefox as the only default next month.
As for Snaps, Software Snap (a fork of GNOME software) has been ported to version 40.
George is still wondering what he is doing here….
