Download Ubuntu 20.04 and Explore New Features of the Latest Linux OS Ubuntu!

In this unusual year, almost all activities and events have been cancelled or postponed. In the meanwhile, there is something come in time. What is it? The latest version of Linux OS Ubuntu, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS(Focal Fossa)!

As a Long Term Support(LTS) release, the parent company of Ubuntu 20.04 will provide 3 years of support on Ubuntu(Desktop) and 5 years on Ubuntu Server. This means the Ubuntu 20.04 has free security and maintenance upgrades until April 2025. Ubuntu LTS has been defined as enterprise-focused, it means it targets to be installed in the server and multiple desktops. Unlike the other versions, LTS versions are usually conservative to new technologies.

Let’s see what’s new in Ubuntu 20.04！

What’s new in Ubuntu 20.04?

Storage Options During Installation

There are a few changes for Ubuntu 20.04 during installation:

• Graphical hard drive: This is used to check routine with a progress var and a percentage graph.
• Advanced Features: In the ‘Installation Type’ dialogue, you could click ‘Advanced Features’ to open a new dialogue with two choices:
  • Logical Volume Management (LVM): Allows you to combine physical drives into a single logical drive.
  • ZFS file system: ZFS is a combined file system and logical volume manager.  

GNOME 3.36

• Default theme: The default Yaru theme has changed a bit for Ubuntu 20.04 with new icons for apps as well as the look of the user interface.
• Dark and light theme: There is a new switch in the Appearance of the settings panel that allows you to switch the theme between light and dark with a simple click.

Lock screen and Login screen

• Lock screen: no longer uses a separate background but blurs the main background.
• Login screen: There is the eye icon in the password field allows your password to be visible. Please do not click it when you are in the public area, it only helps you when you are having trouble typing your password.

Notifications

• Do Not Disturb: Allows you to change to do not disturb mode.
• Lock screen notifications: You are free to choose to either turn on or turn off the notification for the lock screen.

Desktop

• Based on the feedback that the Ubuntu parent company received, most of the Ubuntu users dislike the Amazon app. In Ubuntu 20.04 Amazon web launcher is no longer in the sidebar. This means that Amazon app is not pre-installed in Ubuntu anymore.
• Fractional scaling: It allows you to choose the scale among 100%, 125%, 150%, 175% and 200%.

Linux Kernel 5.4

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS applies Kernel Self Protection measures which ensure control-flow integrity, as well as stack-clash protection for systemic forward-looking enterprise security.

Focal Fossa uses Linux Kernel 5.4, including Kernel lockdown, Wireguard VPN, AUFS5, exFAT support, etc.

Lockdown

Kernel 5.4 includes an exciting feature — lockdown feature. The lockdown feature avoids any modification of the kernel from processes launched by the root user or anyone with sudo privileges.

• Confidentiality mode: This mode is used to prevent user domain processes from extracting confidential information from the kernel.
• Integrity mode: This mode allows the kernel to shut down any function that allows user interface processes to modify the running kernel.

WireGuard®

The WireGuard included in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is a new, simplified VPN with modern cryptography defaults. This provides a great out-of-the-box secure tunnel for Ubuntu users.

Applications Menu

All applications have two types of menus. Similar to Mac OS, there is a menu at the top of the application, and there is another a menu on the top panel that allows you to open a new window, open a file, etc.

Python3

From January 1st, 2020, Python 2 is no longer support. Unlike the previous version of Ubuntu, Ubuntu 20.04 does not come with Python 2 instead Python 3 is pre-installed. Although Python 2 is not pre-installed, you can still install and use it.

Application Installation

Ubuntu 20.04 has a big change for software downloads. Instead of download a few packages, it is pretty straightforward using ubuntu software installer which has a graphic interface. Please note, you can still use apt-get or apt to install apps in the command line.

Security

Ubuntu 20.04 is a very professional and reliable operating system.

Secure Boot included in Ubuntu 20.04 can protect low-level attacks and rootkits. Also, it can limits attack proliferation with strict snap confinement of key exposed applications on the desktop and server, such as the local Kubernetes package MicroK8s.

In addition, Ubuntu 20.04 introduces Fast ID Online(FIDO) for universal multi-factor and passwordless authentication.

Ubuntu 20.04 supports AMD‘s Secure Encrypted Virtualization with accelerated memory encryption and high-performance extended AMD EPYC processors with 256 threads or more.

You can download Ubuntu 20.04 LTS from the Ubuntu website.

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Are you a big fan of Linux OS Ubuntu? Are you willing to migrate your ODYSSEY – X86J4105 from Windows system to Ubuntu Linux? Now, it’s your time to download the latest Ubuntu 20.04 and dig into it! As a comparison to Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04 has fixed numerous bugs and improved performances. With the use of Ubuntu 20.04, it can boost up the performance of ODYSSEY – X86J4105, especially for edge computing. Please refer to our wiki, Creating Bootable USB and Installing OS, to install the Linux OS(Ubuntu 20.04) onto the ODYSSEY – X86J4105.

We have tested Ubuntu 20.04 LTS with ODYSSEY – X86J4105, it works perfectly! I am now a big fan of Ubuntu 20.04. Get ODYSSEY – X86J4105864 from Seeed and explore Ubuntu 20.04 with me!

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