Orange SputnikOrange Sputnik

  • Home
  • Services
  • Flexibility
  • About us
  • Case Studies
  • Blog
Contact Us
Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa
Friday, 24 April 2020 / Published in Blog

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS quick review

Ubuntu is the world’s most popular open-source desktop operating system. 23 April 2020 Ubuntu 20.04 LTS was released. Its codename is Focal Fossa. Let’s have a quick look at this enterprise-grade, secure, cost-effective operating system for organizations and home users.

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Appearance Settings Window

The codename… Following own tradition Ubuntu keep having names of animals. This version is not an exclusion. Full codename is Focal Fossa. “Focal” means central and important as per Cambridge dictinary. And word “Fossa” can have, I would say, double meaning. Fossa is a cat-like, carnivorous mammal endemic to Madagascar in animal world. And also it has “FOSS” at the beginning, which can have a meaning of “Free and Open-Source Software”. Smart move, guys!

In desktop versions, following the latest trends in operating systems Ubuntu gaining a dark theme. And so, in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS we have 2 options of the standard Yaru theme:

  • Light
  • Standard
  • Dark

Meanwhile, the refreshed Yaru theme also extends the installer slideshow and boot-splash. Now Yaru theme has an animated spinner during the boot time. If you enable full-disk encryption, then the passphrase input boxes during boot perfectly match the desktop theme.

Major updates

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS based on a new long-term Linux kernel – 5.4. This is crucial for the latest hardware support and security updates and has improved support for IPv6 on Microsoft Azure. Also, highly threaded Linux software running under CFS Quotas gets a big performance fix. Next to this driver that allows working with temperature and voltage sensors of the Ryzen processors line has been added.

Linux Lockdown Kernel

The Lockdown function increases the security of the Linux kernel by restricting access to functions that can allow arbitrary code to run through code provided by user processes.

So, basically, even the rooted account cannot change the kernel code. This can reduce the damage from potential attacks, even when the root account has been compromised. Thus, the overall security of the operating system is increased.

Better bootloader

Since we noticed about spinner during the boot, and even more important to tell about the bootloader.

Earlier Ubuntu installer versions allowed to write the bootloader to a single disk only. As a result, the bootloader was a single point of failure in systems with multiple disks attached. The current installer version allows writing the bootloader to multiple disks, ensuring the resiliency of Ubuntu starting at the bootloader level.

Long-lasting support

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS comes from up to ten years of support provided under the UA-I subscription. By default, LTS release comes with five years of support. However, the ESM service extends the support for an additional five years. In scope of Ubuntu Server, it makes it a super stable platform for both infrastructure and application deployment which optimized for enterprise needs.

VPN as a module in kernel space

Yes, we are talking about WireGuard. It’s an innovative VPN technology with modern cryptography defaults and streamlined usability. It provides performance advantages and a high level of security since running as a module in the kernel space. WireGuard is included in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and backported to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Because of this it gives big advantage for the cloud solutions with Ubuntu right now.

WireGuard® is an extremely simple yet fast and modern VPN that utilizes state-of-the-art cryptography. It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than IPsec, while avoiding the massive headache. It intends to be considerably more performant than OpenVPN. WireGuard is designed as a general purpose VPN for running on embedded interfaces and super computers alike, fit for many different circumstances. Initially released for the Linux kernel, it is now cross-platform (Windows, macOS, BSD, iOS, Android) and widely deployable. It is currently under heavy development, but already it might be regarded as the most secure, easiest to use, and simplest VPN solution in the industry.

GNOME 3.36

<strong>Ubuntu 20.04 LTS</strong> quick review

It becomes a good tradition to have performance improvement with smoother animations and lower CPU usage. It should be especially noticeable for those who are in need to run an Ubuntu-based virtual machine. It became even better in performance for window and overview animations, JavaScript execution, mouse movement, and window movement with lower latency now.

The new “do not disturb” toggle will be an awesome addition when you plan to focus on work. The new login and lock screens have simple and clean UI. It is worth to mention a suspend option has now appeared in the one-click status menu.

Big productivity apps

Ubuntu Desktop gives you all featured ready to use the operating system right after installation.

It integrates with Google G Suite or Microsoft Exchange and also supports open standards that allow users to avoid vendor lock-in.

By default, it shipped with Firefox as the default web browser and Thunderbird as an email application.

LibreOffice is a free and powerful office suite that enables you to create and edit office-related documents. It has a clean interface and feature-rich tools to unleash your creativity and enhance your productivity.

More secure SSH access

SSH becomes now with two-factor authentication. Historically, SSH used to use single-factor authentication and the actual authentication mechanism based on passwords or SSH-keys. In case of sensitive information leakage, and if the system was compromised, this can become a security issue. Starting with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, SSH supports hardware-based two-factor authentication. That’s a great addition to the operating system’s security.

lz4 compression

Engineers from Canonical tested various compression algorithms for the kernel and the initial initramfs boot image while trying to find a compromise between the best compression and decompression time. The lossless compression algorithm lz4 showed the most noticeable results and was added in the previous Ubuntu 19.10. This reduced operating system boot time compared to previous releases (Ubuntu 18.04 and 19.04). In Ubuntu 20.04 LTS remains the same lz4.

exFAT

The Microsoft FAT file system is not capable to keep files larger than 4 GB since it’s 32-bit. To overcome this limitation, Microsoft created the exFAT file system. Now you can format, for example, a USB drive into exFAT using Linux the kernel built-in exFAT file system support.

SNAP usage

Canonical continues to promote the universal package format – snap. This is even more obvious in Ubuntu 20.04. If you try to run a program that is not installed, then, first of all, it will be offered to install using snap command. As a professional user of Linux based operating systems, it does not make a big sense for me. And for the regular user, it makes sense since you don’t need to deal with app dependencies which is comfy. On the other hand, if you install apps via terminal, to what degree you’re still regular user?

ZFS and zsys

In Ubuntu 19.10, experimental support for installing the desktop onto a ZFS was added. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ships with a newer ZFS which features native, hardware-enabled encryption, device removal, pool trim, and improved performance. While it is still experimental, means not recommended for Server version, this feature built with the addition of zsys, own integration tool between ZFS and Ubuntu.

ZFS is quite convenient and reliable for home data storage, as well as server storage at work, and “out of the box” can do more than the same LVM. ZFS supports partitions up to 256 Zettabytes and can process files up to 16 Exabytes.

ZFS performs data integrity control. The writing function ensures that the data used is not being overwritten. Instead, new information is written to a new block, and file system metadata is updated to point to it.

When users install software or update their system, zsys will take an automatic snapshot, enabling users to roll back, should an update go bad. These snapshots are presented in the GRUB boot menu.

Farewell, Python2

Say goodbye to Python2.

Python 3 was introduced in 2008 but looks like even 12 years is not enough to adapt Python 2 projects to the newer version. In Ubuntu 15.10, an attempt took place to deprecate Python 2, but they have continued its support. And now, on April 20, 2020, Python 2.7.18 was released, which is the last release of the Python 2 branch. No more updates for Python 2.

Ubuntu 20.04 no longer supports Python 2 and uses Python 3.8 as the default version of Python. Unfortunately, there are a lot of projects working with Python 2 left in the world, and for them, the migration to Ubuntu 20.04 can be painful. Luckily you can still install the latest Python 2 with apt:

apt install python2.7

32-bit, bye-bye!

In the last couple of years, Ubuntu does not provide ISO 32-bit images. Now existing users of 32-bit versions of Ubuntu can upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04. And this is the last 32-bit version of the operating system available for an upgrade. So, if you are currently running 32-bit Ubuntu 18.04, you can stay with it until April 2023. That’s the end of an era of 32-bits.

Accelerated compute and gaming

Launch on GPU context menu

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are a new class of data engineering, and adoption in the enterprise is exploding. Ubuntu Desktop accelerates data science, on computers, by providing the latest possible tools, drivers, and libraries. Data scientists can develop their AI models on high-end Ubuntu workstations using Kubeflow before training on racks of bare-metal Kubernetes and public clouds with hardware acceleration.

GameMode, Feral Interactive’s performance tool is installed by default in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. This daemon allows games to request a set of optimizations to be applied temporarily to the host OS or a game process. Currently, GameMode provides optimizations for CPU governor, I/O priority, process niceness, kernel scheduler, screensaver inhibiting, GPU performance mode (NVIDIA and AMD), GPU over-clocking (NVIDIA) and custom scripts.

And if you have a hybrid graphics, then you can now launch applications using the discrete GPU right from GNOME Shell, via the “Launch on Discrete GPU” context menu item. It works both for NVIDIA and AMD GPUs.

Don’t miss the best articles!
Subscribe to Blog Digest
loader

Thank you, you have successfully registered !

Tagged under: Ubuntu

What you can read next

Ubuntu Server optimization
Ubuntu Server optimization
How is screen-sharing used in telesales, and why is it underestimated?
How is screen-sharing used in telesales, and why is it underestimated?
Myrkur Games -Transforming an idea into a prospective startup
Myrkur Games -Transforming an impressive idea into a prospective startup

Tags

3D 3D printing AI API APX Bioink Birdhouse Business cloud COVID-19 Cryptocurrency Dashboards data-driven developer development e-commerce Games Go Grow hiring Investors IoT KBC Marketing Medical mobile application Mobility MVP Notes Optimization Remote Team Reykjavik Robotic security server Social Media Startup Startup Accelerator Subscription TechFounders Ubuntu VR

Recent Posts

  • The State Of Pre-seed And Seed Valuations 22Q4

    The State of Pre-seed & Seed Valuations in 22Q4

    Today I would love to share a very useful repor...
  • 100 Ways To Win

    100 ways to win

    If there is a gap, something will fill it. Ther...
  • What Founders Want What VCs Give

    Atomico Survey 2022: What Founders Want And What VCs Give

    As you probably know Atomico released their Sta...
  • Right Time For Search Of Investments

    When is the right time to search for investments?

    Yesterday, one founder bragged he hired more de...
  • Profit is back in fashion

    Profit is back in fashion

    In 2015, the correlation between startup profit...
  • Find 10 Differences Game

    Find Your 10 Differences

    To achieve something specific, first, you need ...
  • Subscription. Reloaded.

    Subscription. Reloaded.

    The subscription model is the wet dream of any ...
  • Where is the value

    Where is the value?

    So where is the value? A couple of weeks ago, I...
  • Accelerator review. What do startups think about the Techstars accelerator? Part 1

    Accelerator review. What do startups think about the Techstars accelerator? Part 1

    Orange Sputnik continues to review the best sta...
  • Bizzcoo - a next-generation business platform for consulting companies

    Bizzcoo – a next-generation business platform for consulting companies

    The digital evolution of the consulting industr...
  • SweepMe! - multi-tool software for test & measurement

    SweepMe! startup – multi-tool software for test & measurement

    The impact of digital technology on the test an...
  • Greengineers - a consultancy startup in the sustainable construction sector

    Greengineers – a consultancy startup in the sustainable construction sector

    The need for innovations and sustainability in ...
  • How adopting digital technology can help SMEs and investors to have better interconnectivity?

    Eucaps startup – we give you Europe!

    How adopting digital technology can help SMEs a...
  • Foodetective - a unified API for the Food and Beverage industry

    Foodetective – an unified API for the F&B industry

    Innovative transformation of the RestaurantTech...
  • Elevator Startup Labs accelerator review from Modash - Part 2.

    Elevator Startup Labs accelerator review from Modash – Part 2.

    We continue to discuss the most notable acceler...
  • Elevator Startup Labs accelerator review from Styleshark - Part 1.

    Elevator Startup Labs accelerator review from Styleshark – Part 1.

    Many startup programs offer not only training, ...
  • Cerebriu startup technology personalized radiology automate MRI

    Cerebriu startup – a technology for faster-personalized radiology to automate MRI

    AI and the future of radiology and diagnostic i...
  • Hystrix Medical - a B2B platform for contracting medical products

    Hystrix Medical – a B2B platform for contracting medical products

    The adoption of SaaS and PaaS in the healthcare...
  • Multiscription - integrated membership service

    Multiscription – integrated membership service

    The growing interest in the subscription busine...
  • Cowboy startup - e-bike mobility solution for urban riders

    Cowboy startup – e-bike mobility solution for urban riders

    E-bikes at the forefront of future urban mobili...

Contact us

We build dedicated teams for enterprise software development and startups. The result of our work is to bring the Project Outsourcing Strategy to a new level.

USA: +1 (347) 344 5669
EU: +420 (234) 290 677
Orange Sputnik Offices Map

Get a FREE Quote

Get FREE recomendations on how to reduce
the cost of a development team.

Get FREE recomendations on how to reduce the cost of a development team.

More INFOFREE Quote
TOP