Following Canonical’s decision to delay the first point release of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS by about a week due to a bug affecting the ability to install Snap packages, today, the Ubuntu team has announced the Ubuntu 22.04.1.
This is the first point release for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish”, which was launched on April 21, 2022, featuring a range of new features and improvements.
However, for new Ubuntu users, the arrival of a new LTS version may be confusing. The main question they probably have is, “Do I need to reinstall everything?” The short answer is no; it does not!
All that is needed is that you have applied updates regularly using the Software Updater application or by running “apt get update & apt get upgrade.” Then, your current Ubuntu 22.04 system will be automatically upgraded to 22.04.1.
But even if you haven’t, you can now use one of the two methods outlined above to update your current Ubuntu 22.04 system to Ubuntu 22.04.1 with minimal effort.
This point release, as usual, includes numerous updates and security patches. Indeed, it’s a repackaging of previously released bug fixes, app updates, performance adjustments, and security patches.
At the same time, it maintains stability and compatibility with its parent distribution, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. In addition, it does not include any significant Linux kernel or hardware changes.
However, one novelty concerning the RISC-V architecture stands out in this first point release. Owners of Allwinner Nezha and VisionFive StarFive boards will now be able to enjoy Ubuntu since Ubuntu 22.04.1 includes support for them in the form of brand new installation-ready images.
Another key note is that users of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS will shortly be offered an automated upgrade to 22.04.1 LTS via Update Manager. Ubuntu’s policy is to wait until the first stable point release of the LTS version before making the upgrading option available via the Update Manager tool.
Of course, this implies only you haven’t already upgraded in one of the two ways listed below:
- How to Upgrade Ubuntu 20.04 LTS to 22.04 LTS: A Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Upgrade Ubuntu Server to 22.04 from 20.04 (Best Practices)
Aside from the flagship Ubuntu 22.04, all official Ubuntu flavors, including Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu MATE, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu Studio, and Xubuntu, have been updated to version 22.04.1 and are now available for download.
As you know, Ubuntu 22.04 is an LTS (Long Term Support) release, so that it will be fully supported until April 2027. But this applies only to the Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu Cloud, and Ubuntu Core versions.
Of course, if you have extended support (ESM) from Canonical, the End-of-Life extends by additional five years to 2032. However, the support period is three years if you use any Ubuntu 22.04 flavors listed above.
For a fresh installation from scratch, you can download the ISO image of Ubuntu 22.04.1 available on the official page.
Meanwhile, the development of the next Ubuntu version, 22.10 “Kinetic Kudu,” is underway. So if you want to give it a try, download the daily build from here.
