Almost six months after its previous 24.04.1 LTS release, the Ubuntu team has announced the general availability of Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS (powered by Linux kernel 6.11), the second major update in the “Nomble Numbat” series, initially launched in April 2024.
A key priority for this version has been smoothing out the installation process and ensuring upgrades remain as seamless as possible. In this release:
- Installer Fixes: Updated installation media tackle hardware-specific installation bugs, reducing the odds of error messages for devices with unique configurations. For instance, changes in
livecd-rootfsadd support for new flavors and address packaging issues around home directories and AppArmor policies. - Upgrade Path Enhancements: The Ubuntu Release Upgrader now handles obsolete packages more gracefully, preventing accidental removals of critical components like kernel packages and enabling stable transitions for future releases. In many cases, system administrators should find it easier to upgrade servers and desktops without losing important configurations.
Desktop users will notice a raft of changes intended to polish the user interface and improve everyday productivity, with the main ones being:
- GNOME Updates: Crashes in GNOME Shell (for example, when locking the screen from the overview) have been resolved, while the Ubuntu Dock and other GNOME extensions have been fine-tuned to minimize glitches during normal use.
- GNOME Text Editor & GNOME Initial Setup: Crash fixes and user interface tweaks make for a smoother setup experience, including better translation support and clearer visual layouts in the onboarding screens—especially on the Ubuntu Pro registration pages.
- LibreOffice Refresh: New upstream releases for LibreOffice address several stability and feature issues.
- Multimedia & UI: PipeWire has seen improvements in handling audio routing better, while memory leaks have been patched in apps like Shotwell to prevent slowdowns or crashes during slideshows and photo editing sessions.
On top of that, Ubuntu 24.04.2’s servers and cloud images have also gotten a solid round of updates, with an emphasis on performance, stability, and security:
- Container Updates: New container runtimes and better handling of AppArmor profiles let containerized workloads benefit from advanced security measures without hampering performance.
- Cloud-Init Enhancements: Multiple upstream snapshots of
cloud-initfix known issues related to network hotplugging, alignment with systemd dependencies, and performance on major public cloud platforms. - Google Compute Engine & VMware: Updated agent packages (
google-guest-agent,google-osconfig-agent, etc.) ensure smoother operation on Google Cloud. Meanwhile, changes in the kernel code address certain boot issues on VMware ESX, enhancing virtualization stability.
However, perhaps this point release’s biggest highlights lie under the hood: improvements to Linux kernel modules and firmware that enable greater hardware compatibility and performance.
In light of this, firmware for Intel Lunar Lake, Arrow Lake, and next-generation ethernet adapters (including PRO/1000 I219) reduces potential system lockups and extends modern standby modes.
On the AMD side, broadened AMD GPU driver coverage, including the Instinct MI300 series, addresses missing device nodes and supports advanced offload targets for HPC and AI applications.
Additionally, new releases of NVIDIA drivers (e.g., 535 and 550 series) better handle hybrid graphics setups and resolve corner cases with Wayland sessions.
Regarding firmware, audio codecs such as Cirrus CS35L56 have been updated to fix persistent audio issues in some laptop designs. Plus, Mediatek’s scalar improvements and Bluetooth firmware solutions enhance device pairing and connectivity.
Lastly, as with every Ubuntu LTS update, this also rolls in all relevant security notices issued up to and including February 20, 2025, covering a variety of packages across the repository. Notably:
- Miscellaneous Utilities: Adjustments to
tmux(to prevent crashes with SIXEL graphics), corrections in zip to avoid buffer overflows, and a new upstream release of sosreport to improve system diagnostics. - PackageKit and PolicyKit: Important patches to ensure correct authentication handling, especially on Wayland sessions, safeguarding multi-user scenarios.
- Core Tools: Tools like OpenSSH and Rsync have fixes that reinforce safe remote connectivity and data transfers, sealing off potential vulnerabilities.
To transition to the new release, current 24.04 LTS users need only to execute the well-known sudo apt update & sudo apt upgrade command. For others opting for a fresh install, Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS installation ISO images are available for download here.
As always, all official Ubuntu flavors, including Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu MATE, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu Studio, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, and Ubuntu Cinnamon, have also been updated to version 24.04.2 and are now available for download.
To explore all changes in this release in detail, look here.
