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Ubuntu 18.04.2 refreshes this long-term support Linux distro

The latest long-term support of Ubuntu comes with a fresh new Linux kernel and hardware drivers.
Written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols, Senior Contributing Editor

Do you want the best compromise between the latest and greatest open-source software and the stability of an established Linux? If that's you, and you're an Ubuntu user, then you want Ubuntu 18.04.2.

This latest version of Ubuntu 18.04, the Long-Term Support (LTS) edition, will be supported until April 2028. If you're using Ubuntu in business, this is the one you want.

Why? For starters, Ubuntu 18.04.2 has upgraded its Linux kernel from 4.15 to the  4.18 Linux kernel. This kernel comes with Spectre and Meltdown security patches and improved hardware drivers.

In addition, Ubuntu 18.04.2 has its own improved hardware stack. This includes newer Xserver, Wayland, and Mesa graphics programs. It also comes with updated graphics drivers. The net effect is to provide support for the newest PC gear and better hardware support overall.

All these have already been battle-tested in Ubuntu 18.10. They're rock-solid stable.


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This update also comes with fixes to Ubuntu's default desktop interface GNOME. After installing it, you'll see major desktop performance improvements.

Ubuntu 18.04.2 also features newer versions of Firefox, LibreOffice, and Thunderbird. Finally, it includes various bug fixes to provide for an overall smoother experience.

If you've been updating Ubuntu 18.04 all along -- as you should have been -- you don't need to do anything. You've already got all the above and more. But, if you're the kind of person who never run the .0 version of anything, now's the time to try Ubuntu 18.04.

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