Canonical has released Ubuntu 23.10, also known as Mantic Minotaur. This new version of the Linux distribution comes with a host of changes, including an upgrade to Linux kernel 6.5, the introduction of a new Ubuntu App Center, support for TMP-backed full-disk encryption, a standalone firmware updater, support for new hardware (including Raspberry Pi 6), and more.
If you are a desktop user, you can find the new version on the official Ubuntu website’s download page. Currently, only the legacy ISO is available as the maintainers are working on resolving a last-minute issue with the official Ubuntu Desktop 23.10 and Ubuntu Budgie 23.10 releases.
Upgrading to Ubuntu 23.10
Existing Ubuntu desktop users will receive prompts for the upgrade a few days after the official release announcement. However, if you want to speed up the process, you can manually check for updates. It is recommended to run the following commands in a terminal window to ensure that your software is up to date before installing the new Ubuntu version:
- sudo apt update
- sudo apt upgrade
Once you have completed the above commands, open the Software Updater from the application menu. In the Updates tab of the preferences, change the setting for “Notify me of a new Ubuntu version” to “For any new version” to receive prompts for interim releases (those ending with *.10).
Ubuntu 23.10 will be supported until July 2024.
Ubuntu 23.10: major changes
The new version of Ubuntu comes with Linux kernel 6.5, which brings several important changes. These include ACPI support on RISC-V, support for Intel’s Topology Aware Register and PM Capsule Interface for improved power management, and special memory permissions on ARM64.
AppArmor Profile
Ubuntu 23.10 introduces a number of security improvements, including support for AppArmor profile. This feature allows the use of unprivileged user namespaces, although it is disabled by default. Enabling AppArmor profile affects all unprivileged and unconfined applications on the system.
If you want to enable this security feature temporarily, you can test it for the current session by running the following command: echo 1 | sudo tee /proc/sys/kernel/apparmor_restrict_unprivileged_userns
For permanent use, create a new file /etc/sysctl.d/60-apparmor-namespace.conf and add the line kernel.apparmor_restrict_unprivileged_userns=1 to it. A system reboot is required to complete the process.
The release notes provide troubleshooting options for users who encounter issues after enabling the security feature.
Ubuntu 23.10 also supports TPM-backed full-disk encryption as an experimental feature. With this encryption, you no longer need to enter a passphrase manually during boot. The TPM chip handles this process, providing additional layers of security. However, users who prefer to enter the passphrase can continue to do so. More information about this change can be found on the Ubuntu blog.
Other Ubuntu 23.10 changes
Here are some other important changes in the new release:
- Ubuntu App Center replaces Snap Store.
- A standalone Firmware Updater application is now included.
- The Network Manager uses Netplan as the default settings-storage backend.
- The default installation type for Ubuntu Desktop installations is minimal.
- Support for ZFS guided installations has been reintroduced.
- ADSys Active Directory Certificates auto-enrollment is included to streamline connections to corporate Wi-Fi and VPN networks.
- GNOME has been updated to incorporate GNOME 45 features and fixes.
- The included apps (Firefox, LibreOffice, and Thunderbird) have been updated.
- The fonts-ubuntu-classic package can be installed to use the fonts from earlier Ubuntu versions.
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