The Ubuntu 19.04 release date is scheduled for April 18, 2019.
This date appears on the draft release schedule for Ubuntu 19.04 (named the ‘Disco Dingo’), which was recently added to the official Ubuntu Wiki.
Dates for the other milestones that typically take place during an Ubuntu development cycle are also pencilled in, including the following freeze points:
- Feature freeze: February 21, 2019
- UI freeze: March 14, 2019
- Kernel freeze: April 1, 2019
Once again there will be no alpha release during the “Disco Dingo” cycle but an official Ubuntu 19.04 beta release will be available to download and test in March:
- Ubuntu 19.04 beta release date: March 28, 2019
All going to plan the final, stable release of Ubuntu 19.04 will strut on to the dance floor in mid-April:
- Ubuntu 19.04 release date: April 18, 2019
At this early juncture it’s worth noting that all of these dates are subject to change. So, if you’re making a note of them, best jot them down in pencil rather than biro, eh?
Ubuntu 19.04 Features: What to Expect
Wondering what to expect in Ubuntu 19.04? You needn’t scratch your head too hard.
The ‘Disco Dingo’ will ship with the latest GNOME 3.32 release, offer Mesa 19.0, and make use of Linux Kernel 5.0.
A number of features initially planned for the Ubuntu 18.10 release, which postponed until the Disco Dingo development cycle, are, alas, passed over once again.
For instance, Ubuntu 19.04 was to include support for Android integration using GSConnect, a native JavaScript implementation of the KDE Connect protocol, out of the box. This lets users to connect an Android phone to Ubuntu wirelessly.
GSconnect won’t be default in Ubuntu 19.04 (but is available in the repo).
Also seeing little improvement is Ubuntu Software. The Ubuntu Software mockups we’ve written about before haven’t inched any closer to reality this cycle. Indeed, Ubuntu 19.04 ships with Software 3.30 and not the very latest release.
Other proposed plans that have made it include making the open-source Chromium web-browser available as a Snap app in the Snap store; offering to enable geo-clue location detection (useful when travelling) during set-up, and offering better integration of Canonical’s LivePatchservice.
Ubuntu 19.04 has fractional scaling support in the (optional) Wayland session. It also includes a hidden and highly-experimental option to enable experimental fractional scaling support on Xorg for HiDPI displays.
Performance patches feature heavily in this release. Memory and CPU optimisations mean the entire desktop feels more fluid and responsive.
The Nautilus file manager no longer supports desktop icons. To fill the gap Ubuntu devs ship the desktop icons extension by default. It’s a workable solution, but far from perfect.
Finally, and most noticeably, Ubuntu 19.04 sports some visual changes. There’s a new desktop wallpaper (see above), and the Yaru icon set has been revamped to look less uniform.
){kind=link}