Mantic is the 39th release of Ubuntu.
The Ubuntu release sequence is to have three interim releases, then aLong Term Support release.
LTS releases are supported for five years.
We installed the Ubuntu 23.10 beta to find out.
That said, lets grab the bull by the horns, and check it out.
Installing Ubuntu 23.10
The size of the Ubuntu ISO has been growing steadily over the years.
On the face of it, it isnt completely without merit.
Arch Linux takes this approach, and then some.
AnArch installisnt just stripped back, its positively austere.
It means your fresh operating system has no bloat at all.
However,Arch and Ubuntu have very different target audiences.
Theres still a difference though.
The installation program defaults to installing the streamlined, lightweight version.
To load the fully-loaded version, youll need to snag the Expanded Installation option.
In previous releases, the options were Normal Installation and Minimal Installation, with Normal Installation selected by default.
Both of these are experimental and shouldnt be used on important systems.
Theyre there for the testers and the curious.
Laptops using the AMDRyzenCPU will enjoy slightly faster resume times from the suspended state.
The Ryzen 7000 series CPUs benefit from changes to the amd64_edac error detection and correction driver.
File systemshave seen some work too.
The NTFS files system can use an alternate boot mode if it encounters corrupt primary boot records.
The EXT4 file system gains throughput improvements in certain data-writing situations.
As usual, Ubuntu includes its own tweaks to Standard GNOME.
The trick is to make yourcursorhit the desktop edge as youre dragging the window.
It is installed by default in Ubuntu 23.10.
If you resize a window, the other windows swell or shrink to accommodate it.
This isnt something that will fit into everyones workflow, but it’s a nice addition.
Updated App Center
Mantic has an updated App Center.
Its now Flutter-based, with a new layout and a modern, uncluttered feel.
Ive heard it called the App Store, the Software Center, and the App Center.
The tooltip in the dock says App Center.
But, interestingly, the tooltip in the Activities Overview reads Snap-Store.
Of course,Ubuntu prefers Snapsand promotes them in preference to traditionalDEB files.
At first, I thought DEB functionality had been removed completely.
It seemed to be a choice of a Snap or nothing.
But I was wrong.
Installing from DEB files is still there, if you poke around.
They show up in search results under the rather opaque title Debian Packages.
One nice touch is the Manage screen.
This lets you check for updates, apply updates, and to search and review your installed Snap packages.
The Minotaurs new wardrobe sticks with the expected purple color pallet.
Theres only one image thats a photograph, the others are graphic art.
One is a retro 8-bit graphic rendering of our Minotaur mascot.
These are the versions in our beta build.
Is Ubuntu 23.10 Worth the Upgrade?
If I were still using Ubuntu, Id upgrade.
GNOME 45 is worth the upgrade in itself.
If youre doing aclean installation, just confirm you grab the version that suits your needs.
To get your ISO, check out theUbuntu 23.10 downloads page.
