Canonical is known to release frequent updates for its most popular Linux distribution, Ubuntu. After Jammy Jellyfish, Canonical released Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu as a short-term release.

Since Kinetic Kudu is available with only nine months of support, it will be released to the wider public on Oct 20, 2022. Here's what you can expect from the Ubuntu 22.10 release.

The Name’s Background

Since Ubuntu likes to follow a chronological order for its naming conventions, Canonical has named the latest release "Kinetic Kudu" after an African animal species.

To continue the legacy, all applications and repositories also have the Kinetic prefix.

Powered by Linux Kernel 5.19

Since Linux kernel 5.18 has reached its end of life, the newest Ubuntu release is powered by version 5.19 under the hood. However, with the recent changes, this new kernel has a lot to offer to the end-users.

For example, you can expect excellent support for the following:

  • AMD’s Secure Nested Paging
  • ZSTD-compressed firmware files
  • Loongson’s LoongArch RISC ISA CPU architecture
  • ARM Scalable Matrix Extension (SME)

This list is not exhaustive, for there are plenty of other features available with the kernel version 5.19. Even though this version will reach its end of life in October 2022, it will continue to function with the beta version.

Ubuntu doesn’t inform its users about the available beta versions; however, you can still upgrade to the latest beta version from your LTS installation in a few simple steps.

GNOME 43 Desktop Environment

You can expect GNOME 43 as the desktop environment in Kinetic Kudu and a default system compiler, GCC 12. You also get a high-resolution scroll wheel support channel, color support, improved animations, and an all-rounded performance.

Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Desktop

To enhance the desktop environment further, you can use the quick settings, giving you easy access to several essential items on the desktop.

PipeWire Replaces PulseAudio

Unlike some of its predecessors, the newest Ubuntu version uses the PipeWire sound server. Even though PulseAudio is still available, it is stored in an inactive state.

If you are an audio engineer or work with audio apps on Linux, you will find PipeWire a breath of fresh air.

Quick Toggles

The entire desktop shortcuts are redeveloped to make them more concise and functional. With the Quick Toggles option, you can enable/disable various functions from the toggle menu and enter the full-fledged settings from the same source.

Quick Toggles window on Ubuntu 22.10 desktop

Alternatively, the system tray gets a makeover, as everything is in its place. You can access the Quick Toggles options from the top right-hand side.

Additional Features in Kinetic Kudu

A few other features include:

  • WebP image format to support GNOME Files
  • Removal of the GNOME To-Do app
  • Thunderbird 102
  • Firefox 105
  • Quicker overview rendering
  • Mesa 22.2
  • UCI 17
  • Unicode 14 emojis

The Console app is not available in Kinetic Kudu. However, you can install it with the following command:

        sudo apt-get install kgx -y
    
Console window on Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu's GNOME 43 desktop

Wi-Fi Connection Drivers

As a last change, there are some new changes to the age-old wireless module. The iNet Wireless Daemon, designed and powered by Intel, is replacing the wpa_supplicant wireless module.

With the iNet Wireless Daemon in tow, you can bid adieu to sudden disconnections and revive your Wi-Fi easily after it enters standby mode.

ISO Download

Finally, you can download the latest build and install it on your PC or on a virtual machine to test out the latest features.

Download: Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu

Using Ubuntu 22.10 Kinetic Kudu Before Its Release

Ubuntu is known to release short-term and long-term updates for its distributions. Each Ubuntu release introduces some of the best features, and as always, the Ubuntu 22.10 release will also bring a smile to every user’s face.

If you are a Windows user migrating from Windows to Ubuntu, you are in for a treat. To make the transition seamless, you can create a checklist for yourself and follow each step to the tee to ensure you don’t end up compromising on your Windows experiences.