Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS: Noble Numbat

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

LTS, Support Lifetime, and Stability

  • Several commenters value Ubuntu’s LTS promise as a signal of long‑term stability and support.
  • Confusion over 24.04’s “10‑year support” is clarified as including Extended Security Maintenance, free only up to a small machine count and non‑commercially.
  • Some feel Ubuntu quality or direction worsened after 18.04, but others report smooth multi‑year daily use with only occasional manual fixes.

Desktop Experience, Snaps, and Flavors

  • Older users who liked pre‑Unity / pre‑GNOME‑3 Ubuntu often dislike the modern default desktop, citing usability issues and Snap friction (performance, config paths, version lag).
  • Some switch to alternative desktops (Xfce, KDE, i3) or other distros (Pop!_OS, Debian, Mint); others are happy after customizing Ubuntu heavily.
  • Ubuntu flavors like Xubuntu are praised for lightness, but their LTS support window is shorter than “main” Ubuntu.

Bluetooth, Audio, and Wayland

  • Bluetooth headset use remains a pain point. Many describe low‑quality mic+audio behavior as a fundamental Bluetooth profile limitation, not Ubuntu‑specific.
  • Workarounds include using the laptop mic while keeping headphones in high‑quality A2DP mode, or relying on headsets with dual endpoints.
  • Experiences vary widely: some report flawless Bluetooth on Linux, others can’t even get basic audio reliably working.
  • Blurry apps on scaled Wayland desktops are tied to Xwayland; apps need native Wayland support to look sharp.

Installers, Image Size, and Automation

  • Noted ISO size growth from CD‑scale to ~5.7 GB; some attribute a large chunk to bundled NVIDIA binaries.
  • Several miss tiny “netinstall” ISOs; others point out Ubuntu still offers a small netboot option.
  • Autoinstall and remote config are discussed as ways to approximate MDM‑like enrollment; long‑term management may require tools like Landscape or custom scripts.

Hardware Support and New Devices

  • Hardware support on new laptops, especially with proprietary or poorly documented components, is still seen as hit‑or‑miss.
  • Some argue this is a vendor issue; others note that, regardless of blame, the practical outcome is more friction than on Windows.
  • ARM server images exist and can be turned into desktops; Apple Silicon desktop support status is asked but not answered.

Containers and Enterprise Manageability

  • 24.04 container images now include a non‑root “ubuntu” user (UID 1000), which can break assumptions in existing tooling.
  • New AD/Group Policy integration and privilege management features are seen as a potential step toward wider corporate desktop adoption.