How to update to Ubuntu 21.04?

Easy steps to update Ubuntu 21.04

A new Canonical version of Ubuntu has been released, meet the Hirsute Hippo (21.04). Here are the steps to update Ubuntu 21.04:

1. Ubuntu recommends to do a backup of your existing Ubuntu installation before you update your computer. If you are on Ubuntu 18.04 or later, click on the Show Applications icon in the bottom left of the desktop and search for Update Manager.
2. Navigate to the Update Manager’s Updates tab and ensure the Notify me of a new Ubuntu version option is enabled. You may be asked for your password to make this change.
3. Restart Update Manager and it will show up a message saying that a new distribution is available. Click Upgrade.
4. You should insert your password. Read the Release Notes and press Upgrade to begin the updating process of Ubuntu 21.04.

What is new in Ubuntu 21.04?

What is new in Ubuntu 21.04 for software developers? Ubuntu’s CEO of Canonical Mark Shuttleworth summarizes it very well: “For developers and innovators, Ubuntu 21.04 delivers Wayland and Flutter for smoother graphics and clean, beautiful, design-led cross-platform development.”

These are great news for the Flutter community, who has received these news with great appreciation. "Canonical has been a fantastic contributor to Flutter, enabling Linux desktop support in Flutter and opening up the opportunity to bring high-quality Flutter apps to Linux," Chris Sells mentioned in Flutter’s blog post.

Other key additions of the new Ubuntu 21.04 release are the Microsoft Active Directory and joint support for SQL Server with Microsoft. This is specially targeted for larger enterprises using Ubuntu OS.

If, like me, you enjoy your Ubuntu on a dark theme, here is some good news. Ubuntu 21.04 has released an improved dark theme named Yaro. It contains better navigation and new file icons. The Yaro theme is maintained by the user community and supported by the Canonical release.

Ubuntu Release Cycle: Types of Releases

As an ubuntu user you should be aware of the Ubuntu Release Cycle. Ubuntu is released by the private publisher Canonical which publishes new releases of Ubuntu regularly. Release dates of Ubuntu can be anticipated allowing you to plan your OS roadmap update.

Ubuntu’s version numbers follow the convention: YY.MM and they also get a development codename. For Ubuntu 21.04, the codename is HirsuteHippo and the release date was in April 2021.

There are two types of Ubuntu releases:

• LTS or ‘Long Term Support’ releases. They are published every two years in April and are the most common installations.
• Interim releases. Every six months between LTS versions, Canonical publishes an interim release of Ubuntu. They are production releases and are supported for 9 months.

Ubuntu 21.04 is an interim release. Next LTS release for Ubuntu is planned for April 2022: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

References

• https://ubuntu.com/blog/ubuntu-server-21-04
• https://ubuntu.com/blog/ubuntu-in-the-wild-07
• https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ubuntu-21-04-launches-with-support-for-active-directory-and-sql-server/
• https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases