We reported on the beta and the major new features for Ubuntu Linux 12.04 all the way back in November of last year, however Canonical has finally released the finished product for immediate download.
Ubuntu is one of, if not the most popular distribution of Linux and is a strong, free alternative to operating system's such as Microsoft's Windows and Apple's Mac OS. Ubuntu 12.04 is what's known as an LTS or Long Term Support release, which Canonical agrees to fully support for at least five years, the first LTS release since Ubuntu 10.04 back in 2010. For this reason, LTS releases hold some significance, as unlike previous releases, where some firms had chosen to keep their software support at 10.04, it's expected that the entire Ubuntu community will eventually move to support 12.04 over the coming months.
The focus of Ubuntu 12.04 has been on speed, stability, power consumption for portables and improved enterprise support, with initial reports claiming that the OS does indeed deliver what it has promised, with significant improvements to the operating system's Unity front-end. Naturally, all software components have been updated to the latest versions, with the Linux Kernel sitting at version 3.2.14.
Head on over to Ubuntu's website to grab yourself a copy if you're intrigued by the new OS, or perhaps take a tour or see just what new features are on offer.
