While users who want a properly stable base to game with should probably stick to Ubuntu 20.04 which is the long-term support release, the Ubuntu 20.10 'Groovy Gorilla' update is out today.

For a while there has been a few special Ubuntu flavours that have offered images to install on the Raspberry Pi like Ubuntu MATE, however, that's now becoming official directly within Ubuntu as of the 20.10 release. This is actually awesome, as Ubuntu is one of the easiest Linux distributions to get going with.

From the press release:

“In this release, we celebrate the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s commitment to put open computing in the hands of people all over the world,” said Mark Shuttleworth, CEO at Canonical. “We are honoured to support that initiative by optimising Ubuntu on the Raspberry Pi, whether for personal use, educational purposes or as a foundation for their next business venture.”

“From the classic Raspberry Pi board to the industrial grade Compute Module, this first step to an Ubuntu LTS on Raspberry Pi with long term support and security updates matches our commitment to widen access to the very best computing and open source capabilities” said Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi Trading.

If you do want to learn more about it, Martin Wimpress the Desktop Engineering Director and Rhys Davies, Raspberry Pi Product Manager will be live in a YouTube video. You can watch it here below on October 23rd, 5PM BST / 4PM UTC:

Watch video on YouTube.com

As for the rest of the Ubuntu 20.10 release, we're of course most interested in the normal desktop Linux variety. The Ubuntu 20.10 release comes with GNOME 3.38 from September and all then advancements that came with that like an improved applications grid, better multi-monitor support, QR codes to give other devices access to your WiFI easily, battery percentage display toggle has been exposed in power settings and more. It's quite a big refresh that continues seeing GNOME get smoother each release.

On top of that, Ubuntu 20.10 will also be certified on more devices overall. Canonical stated that more Ubuntu workstations now receive biometric identification support out of the box, 2-in-1 devices with on-screen keyboards are now fully supported enabling an improved Ubuntu experience on devices including the Dell XPS 2-in-1 and Lenovo Yoga.

You can download from Ubuntu.com . The special Ubuntu version for the RPi will be available here .

Lenovo announced the ThinkPad X1 Nano, a new premium laptop offering which like the Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition is one of the first to get Intel EVO branding - meaning it's really top stuff.

It's the lightest ThinkPad ever , according to their own tests based on their previous hardware starting at starting at 907g/1.99lbs (depends on the config).

It's sleek too measuring 292.8 x 207.7 x 13.87 mm (11.5 x 8.15 x 0.55 inches). Considering the size, with Intel's latest 11th Gen processors backed up by their new Xe graphics - it's another laptop that's going to double up as a reasonable gaming machine.

Thankfully, Lenovo continue to push Linux with more of their products and this is another. Ubuntu is going to sit along side Windows 10 Pro as a worldwide option when ordering. Some specs they provided:

Note: it also features a "Match on Chip Fingerprint Reader" and an "IR camera with human presence detection" but according to our friend Jason over on Forbes those will not be directly supported with the Ubuntu option.

Really does sound like it's going to be a good unit. Plenty of power, with a good screen and some great speakers to go with it so you can really get immersed.

And their official teaser video to drool over:

Watch video on YouTube.com

Just like Dell with the XPS 13, they're also boasting long battery life which is part of the Intel EVO branding. With a 48Whr battery Lenovo said you can get up to "17.3 hours" ,which will reduce a lot based on how far you push it. Expect far less if gaming constantly for example.

When does this beauty arrive? The ThinkPad X1 Nano should be available to order later in Q4 this year, with pricing expected to be starting from $1,399. Not cheap but this is a premium laptop. They also announced the ThinkPad X1 Fold, which sounds lovely but they're not supporting Linux with it at this time. Full press release here .

Dell is a company we don't often cover here, however we're now on their press lists and they sent over something quite interesting today with their new XPS 13 laptop models which come with the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processors.

This is the model that since 2012, Canonical maker of Ubuntu has teamed up with Dell with for their "Developer Edition" what was originally called "Project Sputnik". With this latest generation, Dell take the crown for being the first to officially do Linux + Intel Tiger Lake.

Not only does this mean some will come with Intel's surprisingly powerful Xe graphics, you're also getting access to Thunderbolt 4, a RAM boost from 3733MHz to 4267MHz LPDDR4x and something else a little special. Dell have said, that based on "input from our developer community" they will offer "added functionality" to allow Windows users to switch over to Ubuntu 20.04 even if their original XPS 13 model was not one ordered with Ubuntu (or dual-boot).

So even if you go for a Windows-model initially for some reason (different specs perhaps across the models), Dell won't mind at all if you end up with Ubuntu on it. We're waiting to hear back on some specifics of how this operating system moving will work. Either through a Dell-provided app that sets it all up for you, or just not getting in your way support / warranty wise if you do it manually. Once they clear that up we will update the article.

It's good to see more vendors be supportive of Ubuntu on more models. We need more like this and hopefully in future Dell will go even further.

Interested? Here's some specs for you of what will be on offer with the different choices:

This is going to be an Intel "Evo" certified laptop too, which is Intel's way of showing a verified top-tier model that offers up fast response times, like waking when you open the lid to a long battery life of no less than 9 hours.

Here's where it gets real interesting though, as Dell said in their facts sheet that with the integrated 52WHr battery they're targeting "up to 18 hours and 49 minutes of battery life on FHD+" which is an insane amount of work and play time. That will obviously vary greatly depending on what you're doing though. If you get one with Xe graphics, that's going to be a great little unit for a little gaming while waiting on those emails coming through.

There's going to be a few different models including 2-in-1 and some colour variations including platinum silver with black carbon fiber and a frost machined aluminium with arctic white woven glass palm rest.

When will they be available? They're rolling out in the USA and Canada starting September 30 for the platinum silver model, with certain European countries getting it across the next few weeks. The frost aluminium with arctic white woven glass palm rest is due at a later date.

No price confirmed yet. Once more details come in about pricing and a wider launch, we will aim to let you know. Keep an eye on their XPS 13 Developer Edition page for when the new one lands.

Are you in the market for new Linux hardware? Lenovo are expanding their selection, with an announcement today of more Linux-ready ThinkPad and ThinkStation PCs.

They're pushing hard on this too, with around 30 Ubuntu-loaded devices available for purchase on the official Lenovo store which include 13 ThinkStation™ and ThinkPad™ P Series Workstations and an additional 14 ThinkPad T, X, X1 and L series laptops. Most of which come ready with the latest version of Ubuntu with the 20.04 long-term support release, however they L series is currently sticking with Ubuntu 18.04.

"Lenovo’s vision of enabling smarter technology for all really does mean 'for all'.  Our announcement of device certification in June was a step in the right direction to enable customers to more easily install Linux on their own. Our goal is to remove the complexity and provide the Linux community with the premium experience that our customers know us for. This is why we have taken this next step to offer Linux-ready devices right out of the box," said Igor Bergman, Vice President of PCSD Software & Cloud at Lenovo.

Quite an exciting step for wider Linux hardware availability, following on from their small initial Ubuntu push followed by their Fedora Linux rollout back in August. I've long said that the key barrier for Linux is having more stores not only having Linux available - but actually advertised. Historically, a few well-known vendors have stocked some Linux hardware but it's often been buried in their stores.

Installing Linux onto existing machines is still a barrier for some, so another wall broken down at another hardware vendor is always fantastic to see. As for availability, while it's going to be global don't expect everything to be live right away, Lenovo said it starting now and rolling out in phases through 2021.

"Lenovo’s expansion of Ubuntu certified devices shows great commitment to open source and the Linux community. With data scientists and developers increasingly needing Linux for emerging workloads, this collaboration enables enterprises to equip their employees with the assurance of long-term stability, added security and simplified IT management," said Dean Henrichsmeyer, VP of Engineering at Canonical.

Interested? Check out the dedicated Linux page on Lenovo .

Enlarge / No, that's not a pink panther—that catlike critter is a fossa, and it's both mascot and default wallpaper of Ubuntu 20.04, preloaded on this Thinkpad P920. (credit: Lenovo )

Beginning today, Lenovo is offering a greatly expanded selection of OEM Linux PCs to the general public. Earlier this year, Lenovo began offering Fedora Linux preinstalled on laptop systems including Thinkpad P1 Gen 2, Thinkpad P54, and Thinkpad X1 Gen 8. Today's announcement makes Ubuntu Linux available on a considerably broader swath of both desktop and laptop PCs.

ThinkPad T14 (AMD and Intel)	ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 5	ThinkPad P1 Gen 3
ThinkPad T14s (AMD and Intel)	ThinkPad L14	ThinkStation P340
ThinkPad T15p	ThinkPad L15	ThinkStation P340 Tiny
ThinkPad T15	ThinkPad P15s	ThinkStation P520c
ThinkPad X13 (AMD and Intel)	ThinkPad P15v	ThinkStation P520
ThinkPad X13 Yoga	ThinkPad P15	ThinkStation P620
ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3	ThinkPad P17	ThinkStation P720
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8	ThinkPad P14s	ThinkStation P920

The devices themselves—and their Ubuntu certifications—aren't new, but the public accessibility is. Previously, these systems were only available to enterprise customers via custom bid, but the 27 new models—mostly featuring Ubuntu 20.04, except for the L series laptops featuring Ubuntu 18.04—will now be available for retail purchase through Lenovo.com. Just beware of the footnote warning that some models may be limited to specific markets.

Although it's been simple for individual customers "in the know" about enterprise-only model certifications to buy those machines with Windows and install Ubuntu themselves, the new OEM program removes roadblocks in both knowing which systems to buy and getting factory support on them once installed.

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Are you an Ubuntu Linux user on either Ubuntu 20.10 (Groovy - unreleased, in testing) or 20.04 LTS (Focal - the current release)? The Ubuntu Foundations Team needs feedback on some possible major WiFi changes.

They're looking at replacing the currently widely used wpa_supplicant for iwd (iNet Wireless Daemon) a more modern upcoming solution which was written by Intel. According to Lukas Märdian, a software engineer for the Ubuntu Foundations Team it would give these benefits:

• Simplification of network management
• Faster network discovery
• Fast and reliable roaming
• Using less system resources
• Using features offered by the Linux kernel
• Support for enterprise security methods like EAP
• Support for kernel asymmetric key rings and trusted platform modules (TPM)
• Support for multiple clients

In the most recent updates to iwd it's apparently reaching feature parity with wpa_supplicant but it needs more testing. Something as major as messing with WiFI can have a lot of unintended side-effects, so getting plenty of testing done on a possible switch over is a good idea. From watching your favourite streaming services, to downloading and playing games online which is obviously important to us here.

Want to help? Find out how to test it from this linked post .

Enlarge / WireGuard will be in tree for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (pictured), as well as the upcoming 5.6 kernel. (credit: WireGuard)

We've been anticipating WireGuard's inclusion into the mainline Linux kernel for quite some time—but as of Sunday afternoon, it's official. Linus Torvalds released the Linux 5.6 kernel, which includes (among other things) an in-tree WireGuard. Phoronix has a great short list of the most interesting new features in the 5.6 kernel, as well as a longer "everything list" for those who want to make sure they don't miss anything.

If this is the first time you're hearing about WireGuard, the TL;DR is that it's a relatively new VPN (Virtual Private Network) application that offers a leaner codebase, easier configuration, faster connect times, and the latest and most thoroughly peer-reviewed and approved encryption algorithms. You can find a more detailed introduction in our initial August 2018 coverage.

Can I use this on Windows? Mac? BSD? Android? IOS?

Although WireGuard is now version 1.0.0 in the Linux world, its Windows package is still 0.1.0—early alpha stages. We've used the Windows package a fair amount now, and most users will find it very usable—but it is not yet guaranteed free of platform-specific "security quirks" or other minor issues not present in the more heavily tested Linux side of things.

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