Ten years after running an advanced combination of Linux pre-installed on a commercial laptop Sputnik projectDell and Canonical announced it XPS 13 Plus is the first OEM PC certified For Ubuntu 22.04 Long Term Support (LTS). This makes it a simple way to have a working PC without having to worry about whether every component is ready to run Linux.
The Linux-powered Developer Edition models of the laptop were already on sale, with prices starting at Rs $1,289.00, but currently ships with the older 20.04 LTS firmware. Long-term support releases deliver what it says on the box with the end of standard support for this version It is planned in 2027 and will expire in 2032. Certified devices undergo laboratory tests to verify the compatibility of each component, which means that your device installs special drivers that will ensure that all its features work properly.
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Photo: Dell
This obviously applies to machines sold as Developer Editions with Linux, but it applies if you’re installing a new OS on a machine that originally came with Windows 11. Marketing specialist Barton George was one of the people behind the Project at Dell. Sputnik. in 2019 interview with Forbes, he explained that the Developer Edition branding is on purpose to keep people from accidentally buying a Linux laptop to save a few bucks and get an unexpected experience. These days, Dell ships Ubuntu on many other machines, including other flavors of the XPS line its redesigned XPS 13 standard bearer – so the approved list is unlikely to remain this short indefinitely.
The Ubuntu 22.04 LTS package was officially released on April 21 and has a long list of improvements that you can read about. hereincluding better power management, new touchpad gestures and improved support for Bluetooth audio devices.
According to Dell, if you want the XPS 13 Plus and its “capacitive touch feature array” built with a hardware-optimized version of 22.04, there are a few ways to make it happen. One order a new XPS 13 Plus laptop and expect shipping starting in August. Otherwise, if you’re in a hurry (and back everything up anyway), you can do a fresh install and you’re good to go. A final option is to wait until August 4th for the release of Ubuntu 22.04.1, as it will be on the upgrade path for all LTS users, so you can do as little as possible.
