Canonical released Ubuntu 21.10 today. This is the latest version of the popular operating system (Linux) for personal computers, servers and cloud computing.
It is called Ubuntu 21.10 "Impish Indri" and has been growing for the last six months. So today it was released as an upgrade of Ubuntu 21.04 "Hiruste Hippo", which will reach the end of support in January 2022. Ubuntu 21.10 will be supported for the next nine months, until July 2022.
The biggest new feature of Ubuntu 21.10 "Impish Indri" is the GNOME 40 interface. This is the first version of Ubuntu to be released with the full GNOME 40 desktop, as the version Ubuntu 21.04 offered only GNOME 40 applications on the GNOME 3.38 desktop.
Ubuntu 21.10 remains the same in appearance and feel when it was released in 2004 (Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal"), with the Ubuntu Dock on the left side of the screen and the menu at the top of the screen.
Speaking of looks and feel, Ubuntu 21.10 features an enhanced Yaru theme and removes the mixed Light and Dark theme from the Display panel in System Settings that existed in previous releases.
Another major change that Ubuntu 21.10 brings is the Firefox web browser as a Snap package by default. The advantage of Snap Firefox is that Ubuntu users will receive the new versions as soon as they are released. It also improves browser security, as the application is now sandboxed.
Ubuntu 21.10 uses the Linux 5.13 kernel, which also supports the new Apple M1 chips, Intel Alderlake S or AMD Adebaran, Microsoft Surface laptops and tablets, Kernel Electric Fence (KFENCE) support, and more.
