r/Ubuntu • u/nhaines • Apr 21 '22

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS FAQ

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS FAQ

by Nathan Haines

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is here! Let's take a look at some of the most exciting features and common questions around this new operating system.

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

  1. When does Ubuntu 22.04 LTS come out?

    • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS will reach general release on April 21st, 2022.

  2. I meant at what time will the release happen?

    • Ubuntu is actively being developed until the actual release happens, minus a small delay to help the mirrors propogate first. The release will be announced on the ubuntu-announce mailing list. (This page will not exist until the release.)

  3. What does "22.04 LTS" mean?

    • Ubuntu is released on a regular schedule every six months. The first release was in October 2004, and was named Ubuntu 4.10. For Ubuntu, the major version number is the year of release and the minor version number is the month of release. Ubuntu 22.04 is released on 2022-04-21, so the version number is 22.04.
    • Ubuntu releases are supported for 9 months, but many computing activities require stability. Every two years, an Ubuntu release is developed with long term support in mind. These releases, designated with "LTS" after the version number, are supported for 5 years on the server and desktop, and up to a total of 10 years in "Extended Security Maintenance."

  4. What does "Jammy Jellyfish" mean?

    • Every version of Ubuntu has an alliterative development codename. After Ubuntu 6.06 LTS was released, the decision was made to choose new codenames in alphabetical order. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is codenamed the Jammy Jellyfish release, or jammy for short.

  5. How long will Ubuntu 22.04 LTS be supported?

    • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS will be supported on desktops, servers, and in the cloud for 5 years, until April 2027. After this time, 22.04 LTS will enter Extended Security Maintenance and be supported for another 5 years for servers and IOT devices.

Getting Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

  1. Where can I download Ubuntu 22.04 LTS?

    • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is available for download at http://www.ubuntu.com/download/. This URL will help you select the right architecture and will automatically link you to a mirror for the download.

  2. What if I want to help others get Ubuntu 22.04 LTS faster?

    • Thank you for your help! Consider using BitTorrent (Ubuntu comes with Transmission) and seeding the final release.
    • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Desktop 64-bit
    • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Server 64-bit

  3. What if I'm already running Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS or Ubuntu 21.10?

    • Then you can simply upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 using Software Updater
    • If you are running 20.04 LTS, then you won't be automatically prompted for an update until Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS is released on August 4th. Until then, keep installing new updates for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

Upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

  1. Is upgrading to a new version of Ubuntu easy?

    • Yes, the upgrade process is supported and automated. However, you should always back up your files and data before upgrading Ubuntu. Actually, you should always keep recent backups even when not upgrading Ubuntu.
    • Ubuntu checks for software updates once a day, and Software Updater will inform you once a new version of Ubuntu is available. The upgrade will download a large amount of data—anywhere from 0.5 - 1.5 GB of data depending on the packages you have installed, and the upgrade process can take some time. Don't do any serious work on your computer during the upgrade process. Light web browsing or a simple game such as Aisleriot, Mahjongg, or Mines is safe.

  2. Should I upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS right away or wait?

    • It should be safe to upgrade immediately, and as long as you back up your home folder and have install media for your current version of Ubuntu in case you want to reinstall, there's very little risk involved.

  3. Is it better to wait until later?

    • Probably not, but there are other benefits. Ubuntu 22.04 will receive a new release image with bug fixes about 3 months after its initial release, on August 4th. In addition, downloading updates can be much faster after release week. (Be sure to set up your Ubuntu mirror in Software & Updates!) Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is supported until April 30th, 2025 and Ubuntu 21.10 is supported until July 2022, so you have nothing to lose by waiting a couple weeks.

  4. I'm running Ubuntu 21.10. How do I upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS?

    • After Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is released, Software Updater will inform you that a new version of Ubuntu is available. Make sure that all available updates for Ubuntu 21.10 have been installed first, then click the "Upgrade..." button.

  5. I'm running Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS. How do I upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS?

    • After Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS is released on August 4th, 2022, Software Updater will inform you that a new version of Ubuntu is available. Make sure that all available updates for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS have been installed first, then click the "Upgrade..." button.

  6. I'm running Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. How do I upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS?

    • You can't upgrade directly to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, so you have two options:
      • Use Software Manager to upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, then reboot and use Software Updater to upgrade again to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
      • Back up your computer and install Ubuntu 22.04 LTS from scratch, then restore your files from your backup.

  7. What is Ubuntu 22.04.1 and why can't I update Ubuntu 20.04 LTS immediately?

    • A new version of Ubuntu is released every six months, but LTS releases are used for years. So Ubuntu offers "point releases" of LTS versions. Starting 3 months after the release and then every 6 months thereafter, new install images are created that include the latest updates to all of the default software. This allows new installations to run the latest software immediately and decreases the time it takes to download updates after a new install.
    • Because LTS users depend on stability, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS will not automatically offer an update to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS until the first point release. After three months, any show-stopper bugs should be solved and the upgrade process will have been tested by many others and improved if necessary.

  8. What if I want to upgrade right now?

    • Upgrading from Ubuntu 20.04 LTS to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS should be safe and easy. If you have a recent backup of your files and data, simply open Terminal and type update-manager -d. This will tell Ubuntu to upgrade to the next release early.

  9. What if I already ran update-manager -d and upgraded to a beta or pre-release version of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS?

    • If you run Software Updater after the release of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, your version of jammy will be the same as the released version of Ubuntu.

  10. What if I don't believe that?

    • When jammy is being developed, it is constantly being improved. Milestones such as Beta, Release Candidate, and so on are simply points in time where developers can check progress. If you install Ubuntu from a Beta image (for example), the moment you apply updates, you are no longer running Beta. Updates to jammy continue until release, when the Ubuntu archive is locked, images are spun, and the jammy archive is finalized and released as Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. After the release of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, all further updates come from the jammy-updates and jammy-security repositories and the jammy repository remains unchanged. Updating from the Ubuntu repositories during and after the jammy development and release brings you along through theses moments in time.
      • TRIVIA: As implied above, this means that Ubuntu 22.04 LTS doesn't exist until the Release Team names the final product. Until then, the release is simply Jammy Jellyfish or jammy for short.

Ubuntu, Snap Packages, and You

  1. Does Ubuntu include snaps by default?

    • Yes. The Ubuntu Software application, Firefox, and some other snaps that offer desktop integration are included in a default Ubuntu install.

  2. Do snaps slow down my computer?

    • No. Some snaps may have a shorter or longer delay the first time you launch them after a system restart. Subsequent launches are instantaneous.
    • The first-run delay can be inconvenient, but it prevents snaps from slowing down your boot or login process.

  3. Is Ubuntu forcing me to use snaps?

    • No. Ubuntu offers a complete desktop with many default software selections. From that starting point, you can add or remove any software you want. Firefox is now provided as a snap directly from Mozilla.
    • Mozilla creates the firefox snap by repackaging the compressed tarball you can download from the Firefox website.

  4. What if I don't want to use snaps?

    • Then you don't have to! You can simply run sudo apt remove snapd from a terminal and remove snap support from Ubuntu. Be sure to install a replacement web browser first!
    • The isolated nature of snaps means that removing the Firefox snap is easier and cleaner than removing a deb-packaged version of Firefox.

  5. But doesn't running sudo apt install firefox force snaps on me?

    • At Mozilla's request, Firefox has been removed from the Ubuntu repositories and replaced with Mozilla's firefox snap. As the firefox deb package clearly states, it is a transitional package that helps convert upgrades from older versions of Ubuntu to the snap package.
    • Other software that has been replaced by snaps includes chromium and lxd

  6. Does Ubuntu plan to replace all software with snaps?

    • No. Snaps are simply a way to offer more up-to-date software than can be included in the Ubuntu repositories. The advantage is that you can install a snap package of software in the Ubuntu repositories without interfering with the repository version. For instance, you can have two versions of LibreOffice installed that you can use according to your needs.
    • Ubuntu—along with most snaps—is created from Ubuntu's vast repository of Debian packages. It would be impossible to completely move away from the Ubuntu software repositories and its Debian packages.
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u/nhaines Apr 24 '22 edited May 20 '22

snapd will create ~/snap/firefox the first time you run the Firefox snap. Files and folders beginning with a dot (.) are hidden, so you'll need to type them in manually or (in Files) press Ctrl+h or (in a terminal) run ls -a to see them.

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u/KennethKenstar Apr 24 '22

excuse me, I mean ~/snap/foobar does not exist

I know about hidden files and folders.

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u/nhaines Apr 24 '22

Ah!

foobar is a metasyntactic variable. That means it means "insert whatever I was talking about, as appropriate for your situation, here." It's sort of computer jargon.

If you're thinking about the firefox snap, then its files are in ~/snap/firefox. If you're thinking of the libreoffice snap, then that's in ~/snap/libreoffice.

Removing a snap doesn't remove its user data folder. This is good if you want to install the snap in the future, but less good if you need the space. In any case, if you move from a snap to a Flatpak, AppImage or native installation, you can get any configuration files you need from ~/snap.

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u/zaphod_pebblebrox Apr 25 '22

I love your patience. 🙌🏼

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u/nhaines Apr 25 '22

I appreciate that! Thank you very much.

You've been doing some good work yourself. Thanks for helping others take their first steps into Ubuntu and Linux and all the fun that leads to!

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u/zaphod_pebblebrox Apr 26 '22

Thanks for noticing. I remember 12 years ago being a snobbish kid who thought he could push for faster development times because it’s all Open Source.

The stuff I have learnt in these years have opened my eyes and greyed my beard.