7 reasons to upgrade to Ubuntu 23.04

Canonical released the final version of Ubuntu 23.04, called Lunar Lobster, in April 2023. This version of Ubuntu offers quite a few changes and updates that many will surely appreciate.

Compared to previous Ubuntu versions - 22.10 (Kinetic Kudu) and 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) - Ubuntu 23.04 has some changes that may interest some people to upgrade or at least try out the new release.

But Ubuntu 23.04 is only a temporary release with support until January 20, 2024, so should you still upgrade to this version of Ubuntu? Here are 7 reasons why.

1. Refined UI/UX

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Ubuntu's focus on beautiful and intuitive user interfaces has always been the main reason why many users choose it as their first Linux distribution. These qualities are even more evident as Ubuntu 23.04 makes smart use of the latest GNOME 44 features, the updated Nautilus file manager, and the new Flutter desktop installer.

Those upgrading from previous versions of Ubuntu will immediately notice a more refined GUI, quick settings and widget docks, new fonts and wallpapers, better accessibility features, and an overall enhanced user experience.

2. Security patches and bug fixes

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Ubuntu 23.04 is currently using Linux kernel 6.2, which offers better security, bug fixes, hardware support, and many performance optimizations. Upgrading your system to Lunar Lobster will mitigate Specter-type vulnerabilities such as Retbleed using Call Depth tracking, which has minimal impact on system performance.

In addition to effective Retbleed mitigation techniques, Linux 6.2 has another mitigation feature called FineIBT. This feature controls thread integrity schemes by imposing hash checks that help mitigate control flow hijacking attacks.

WireGuard VPN is also pre-installed and can be easily configured via the GUI via the Network settings menu.

And as usual, you can expect regular security patches and fixes to come with every new Ubuntu update.

3. Better support for gamers

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One of the biggest reasons many people shy away from using Linux for gaming is its limited graphics card support. Ubuntu 23.04 now comes with Mesa 23.0, which provides device drivers, libraries and utilities for many of the latest graphics card services you will find on the market.

Mesa 23.0 now offers better compatibility for RDNA3-based GPUs (Radeon RX 7900) and NVIDIA GA102-based GPUs (RTX 30).

For laptop users, discrete graphics cards from Intel's Arc Alchemist series and Meteor Lake iGPUs are also supported via the Iris OpenGL driver and the ANV Vulcan driver respectively.

Furthermore, Ubuntu's snap boost also makes it easier for gamers to run both old and new titles without the need to manage additional PPA's.

With Linux kernel 6.2, gamers can now use DualShock 4 gamepads that work on both USB and Bluetooth modes, and fully support features like rumble, accelerometer, gyroscope, lightbar and touchpad.

4. Productivity-enhancing features

People who already use Ubuntu for work will have a more productive time using Ubuntu 23.04. In this release, Ubuntu comes with new and updated productivity software as well as a general performance boost.

By upgrading to Lunar Lobster, you will automatically receive updated versions of Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, Shotwell, and Remmina. Other popular productivity software like Asana, Slack, and Notion are also easy to install through the Snap Store.

For GPU-intensive applications like video and photo editing, having the latest Mesa drivers allows you to use newer GPUs, whether they're from AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA.

Editors, writers and artists will also approve the updated Nautilus file manager as it now supports an expandable folder list view, medium file icons, image thumbnail mode, and the ability to copy images from your Internet browser and save them directly to the file manager as new image files.

Although it is yet to be released for Ubuntu's upcoming LTS, you can also install a new tile system, which allows you to tile multiple windows together for a better multitasking experience.

5. Faster Performance

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As discussed earlier, Linux kernel 6.2 uses a better solution of Retbleed mitigation. The rebleed mitigation techniques used in older Linux kernels are known to have significant performance penalties in 6th, 7th, and 8th generation Intel processors as well as AMD Zen 1 and Zen 2 processors.

This newer Retbleed mitigation system included in Ubuntu 23.04 uses significantly less resources, making all distributions using Linux kernel 6.2 faster.

The Linux kernel 6.2 also gives Lunar Lobster an updated zstd compression mode, which enables faster compression, resulting in fast boot times and better overall performance.

In regards to Ubuntu-specific performance upgrades, the problem of slow loading Snap apps is now fixed. You can now load Firefox and other Snap apps without delay.

6. Extended Hardware Support

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Those using Ubuntu on Raspberry Pi will also be happy to know that all official Raspberry Pi camera modules (except v3 modules) are now supported in this version of Ubuntu. Various graphical fixes related to hardware acceleration and compositing have also been made available to the Raspberry Pi.

With Linux 6.2 now providing mainstream support for the Apple M1 chip, you can now experience Ubuntu 23.04 on Apple Silicon whether it's on Apple's M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max or M1 Ultra chip.

7. Improved cross-platform development

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Ubuntu 23.04 now comes with updated QEMU 7.2, which provides better virtualization support for a number of different hardware architectures, including ARM, RISC-V, and S390X. So if you're having trouble running Ubuntu on these architectures, you might want to try again with Lunar Lobster.

This version of Ubuntu also improves programming toolchains and their runtimes by updating and providing better support for Python, Java, Go, C, C++, .NET and Rust. You can also expect improved container security with the latest Docker and containerd versions.

Samuel Daniel

Update 24 July 2023