Edubuntu For Linux

2023 is turning up to be a very good year for Linux, and Ubuntu in particular. We have a lot of exciting Ubuntu flavors, and for the first time since 2014, we also got Edubuntu back.

Not only that, but the release of Edubuntu 23.04 also marked a new addition to Ubuntu's official flavor offerings. 23.04 was, by all means, a success.

Six months later, and we're blessed with the second release of Edubuntu, namely Edubuntu 23.10, code-named Mantic Minotaur. It packs most of the underlying changes, improvements, and base software found in Ubuntu 23.10, but it also adds a few things of its own.

As expected, 23.10 is a interim release (will only receive support until July 2024), hence, the changes are "evolutionary, not revolutionary," to quote the official release statement.

In terms of new apps, we get a new Startup Disk Creator, GNOME Videos, GNOME Music, Backup, Basic256 (BASIC programming language learner), Extension Manager, OpenBoard, Mnemosyne (flashcard app), and Covertall (powerful unit converter).

There are some bug fixes, but the most important one is to Edubuntu's Menu Administrator (which is a really nice app) and it now allows users wto hide snaps. The KDE/Qt apps have also been fixed to respect the dark/light settings of the system.

Before anything, let me just point out that 2023 is the first year since 2014 in which we got a new Edubuntu OS. That alone is quite amazing, and it's only natural that the dev team behind the OS are still figuring out what apps and what features work best in the ecosystem.

Some things that are most likely to be improved/repaired in the next 24.04 release are the Ubiquity installer (which only provides a minimal install option for now), improved search for GNOME Notes in the Activities Overview, and general small fixes and optimizations for Edutuntu specific apps.

Edubuntu 23.10 is and does exactly what it is suppose to - it slowly re-establishes Edubuntu's reputation as a solid education-based OS. It's true that people are not particularly excited about interim releases, which also why I'm super excited to see the future 24.04 LTS.