In this Issue

  • Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin) Beta released
  • Introducing the Ubuntu Communications Council
  • Welcome New Members and Developers
  • Ubuntu Stats
  • Hot in Support
  • LXD: Weekly news #388
  • Other Meeting Reports
  • Upcoming Meetings and Events
  • Ubuntu Nepal Partners with Annapurna Media Network for UbuCon Asia 2025
  • LoCo Events
  • Call for testing: ubuntu-frame, mir-test-tools (Mir 2.20.1 update)
  • Ubuntu Desktop collaboration
  • Understanding AppArmor User Namespace Restriction
  • Other Community News
  • Ubuntu Cloud News
  • Canonical News
  • In the Blogosphere
  • Other Articles of Interest
  • Featured Audio and Video
  • Updates and Security for Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, 24.04, and 24.10
  • And much more!

General Community News

Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin) Beta released

Paride Legovini, on behalf of the Ubuntu Release Team, announces the release of the Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin) Beta release. Along with some details of the release, we’re reminded it includes Ubuntu flavors. Whilst “reasonably free of showstopper” bugs, it’s still a beta and reported bugs will help improve the upcoming release.

https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-announce/2025-March/000309.html

Interested in the flavors? Release announcements as follows:

Media attention to the release:

Introducing the Ubuntu Communications Council

Merlijn Sebrechts announces the Ubuntu Communications Council, which oversees communications venues: Matrix, IRC, Discourse, and the Wiki. We’re reminded why the council was formed, given a link so we can see who is on the council, and given clues on the current focus of the council. Links to Ubuntu Communications Council docs are provided should we need more information.

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/introducing-the-ubuntu-communications-council/57843

Welcome New Members and Developers

Congratulations to this contributor!


Ubuntu Stats

Bug Stats

  • Open: 142874 (+170)
  • Critical: 331 (+1)
  • Unconfirmed: 72702 (-4)

As always, the Bug Squad needs more help. If you want to get started, please see: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

Translations

  • German: 86.94% (45862/162)
  • Ukrainian: 86.37% (47850/1382)
  • French: 85.03% (52546/6430)
  • Swedish: 80.73% (67665/754)
  • Spanish: 77.45% (79166/4583)

Hot in Support

Ubuntu Community Discourse Trending Top 5 Threads

Find more support at: https://discourse.ubuntu.com/c/support-and-help/306

Ask Ubuntu Top 5 Questions

Ask (and answer!) questions at: https://askubuntu.com/


Meeting Reports

LXD: Weekly news #388

This past week, LXD received several bug fixes, primarily improving networking and storage handling.

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/weekly-news-388/57780


Other Meeting Reports


Upcoming Meetings and Events

Times shown are UTC unless otherwise specified. For more details and farther dates please visit: https://fridge.ubuntu.com/calendars/ | https://discourse.ubuntu.com/upcoming-events


LoCo News

Ubuntu Nepal Partners with Annapurna Media Network for UbuCon Asia 2025

Sailesh Singh announces “a strategic partnership between Ubuntu Nepal and Annapurna Media Network (AMN), officially making AMN the media partner for UbuCon Asia 2025!”. Sailesh details the benefits of the relationship to both parties; helping promote Ubuntu not only in Ubucon Asia but also to the wider community.

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-nepal-partners-with-annapurna-media-network-for-ubucon-asia-2025/58115/


LoCo Events

The following LoCo team events are currently scheduled in the next two weeks:

Looking beyond the next two weeks? Visit the respective LoCo Team calendar to browse upcoming events.

Please see:


The Hub

Call for testing: ubuntu-frame, mir-test-tools (Mir 2.20.1 update)

Michał Sawicz tells us of snap updates to mir-test-tools and ubuntu-frame, due to the latest Mir release (2.20.1). We’re invited to test and report results, prior to promotion to “24/stable in a week”.

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/call-for-testing-ubuntu-frame-mir-test-tools-mir-2-20-1-update/58060

Ubuntu Desktop collaboration

Graham Morrison firstly reminds us of Ubuntu Desktop’s major place in the Linux space. We’re told that Ubuntu Desktop documentation is showing it’s ‘age’, thus Canonical is in the “early stages of prototyping a new platform” for Ubuntu Desktop documentation. Then we’re given some additional details, and also told it’s an “excellent opportunity to get involved at the beginning”, for those seeking to contribute to Ubuntu. A link to Canonical’s Open-Documentation-Academy GitHub is provided to help us get started on writing documentation.

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-desktop-collaboration/58068

Understanding AppArmor User Namespace Restriction

Maxime Bélair (mbelair) reminds us “Ubuntu 23.10 and 24.04 LTS introduced new AppArmor-based features to reduce the attack surface presented by unprivileged user namespaces in the Linux kernel”. We’re told why this is an important advancement for security. We’re given examples from Qualys where attackers can bypass security, which the Ubuntu Security team addressed as these aren’t inherent problems within Ubuntu’s AppArmor protections. This article explains how AppArmor user namespace restrictions can further harden our systems; giving direction for those who may be affected.

https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/understanding-apparmor-user-namespace-restriction/58007


Other Community News

A Roadmap for a modern Plasma Login Manager

David Edmundson writes a ‘Roadmap for a modern Plasma Login Manager’. This covers how the current system works basically, before moving to what is wanted. We are reminded of the retiring of KDM and using SDDM, and the problems that exist in SDDM. Details of the plan to move forward is discussed briefly; where the working prototype is presented. Merge requests and discussion are welcome to assist the development of Plasma Login Manager, a continuation of SDDM, and Plasma Login.

https://blog.davidedmundson.co.uk/blog/a-roadmap-for-a-modern-plasma-login-manager/


Ubuntu Cloud News


Canonical News


In the Blogosphere

Linux Kernel 6.14 Released with Boost for Linux Gaming

Joey Sneddon tells us what we’ll find in the Linux 6.14 Kernel. We’re told it’s one of the “smallest kernel updates in terms of commits”, and it is the kernel we’ll have in Ubuntu 25.04. We’re given a quote from Linus Torvald’s release, then told of the new features in this kernel, with a focus on where we’ll find performance boosts. This is a rather detailed post, with some details on how to get it now, and reminded Ubuntu 24.04 LTS users will get it with the .3 HWE updates.

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/03/linux-kernel-6-14-released-delivers-big-boosts-to-linux-gaming

Libinput 1.28 Released With Three-Finger Drag

Michael Larabel tells us of the Libinput 1.28 ‘debut’ by Red Hat’s Petter Hutterer, and gives us details of the three-finger drag support for touchpads. Mention is made of some of the devices that will benefit from this, along with a quote from the official release announcement (with link).

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Libinput-1.28-Released

Ubuntu Provides More Insight Into Their Decision Not To “-O3” Optimize All Packages

Michael Larabel updates us on Canonical’s compiler optimization investigations, reminding us they decided they wouldn’t be used for all packages, with this update relating to “engineering insight into their reasoning”. More details are given with a link and quote to the original news on Ubuntu’s Discourse.

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-Details-No-O3-Everywhere

Ubuntu Fixes Wi-Fi Connection Fail at Login Screen

Joey Sneddon alerts us to a fix for users of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Ubuntu 24.10 trying to access a wireless network at the GDM login screen. Providing a quote from Canonical engineer Bartosz Woronicz, we’re told the solution was accepted upstream and is now shipped with GNOME 48. The fix in GNOME 48 has been back-ported, with package versions containing the fix in 24.04 & 24.10 provided.

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/03/ubuntu-fix-wifi-connecting-login-screen


Other Articles of Interest


Featured Audio and Video

Ubuntu OnAir: Mir Office Hours 20th March 2025

"Agenda:

  1. Mir 2.20 release
  2. Mirror Hall introduction
  3. Miriway 25.02 release
  4. miracle-wm 0.5 release
  5. 25.10 Roadmap asks
    • protocol extensions
    • global shortcuts
    • visual Alt+Tab switcher
  6. Simon’s update on Lubuntu
  7. Alfred’s update on Lomiri"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23E6zzzUDoc

Ubuntu OnAir: ODH-038 - An engineering manager’s approach

“In this recording, we are joined by Simon Fels, an engineering manager at Canonical, sharing how his experience developing and leading Anbox Cloud helped shape his approach to documentation.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLP6JJ1Yut8 | https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/odh-038-an-engineering-managers-approach/57876

LINUX Unplugged: Ubuntu’s Rusty Roadmap

“Canonical’s VP of Engineering for Ubuntu reveals why they’re swapping coreutils for Rust-built tools. Then we break down the GNOME 48 release, and why this one is special.”

https://linuxunplugged.com/607

Ubuntu Portugal Podcast: Episode 341 - Microgramas de Ubuntu Pó

“O Miguel passou a semana a ensebar um Magalhões com as suas mãos gordurosas num teclado peganhento; o Diogo não se lembra de nada do que fez e acordou numa banheira com gelo e um rim a menos. Falámos de compostos orgânicos voláteis, lançamento da Beta do Plucky Puffin, bonitos papéis de parede; os eventos da comunidade no Porto, Aveiro, Sintra e Lisboa; piadas foleiras com Rust, actualidades da Ubports, clientes de Matrix para Ubuntu Touch, bloqueio de navegadores alternativos fora dos grandes monopólios e modas de bigode foleiro.”

https://podcastubuntuportugal.org/e341/


Updates and Security for Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, 24.04, and 24.10

Security Updates

Ubuntu 20.04 Updates

End of Standard Support: April 2025

Ubuntu 22.04 Updates

End of Standard Support: April 2027

Ubuntu 24.04 Updates

End of standard support: April 2029

Ubuntu 24.10 Updates

End of Life: July 2025


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Further News

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Conclusion

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Credits

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Glossary of Terms

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