Ubuntu Budgie For Linux

Ubuntu Budgie is one of the many official Ubuntu flavors, and it's safe to say that its user base is looking for something a bit different than those of other distributions.

You're an Ubuntu Budgie user because you trust the Ubuntu core of the OS, and you like simplicity above all else, meaning you like the Budgie desktop.

Ubuntu Budgie 22.10, also codenamed Kinetic Kudu, is an interim (short-term release), and it's set to receive updates for 9 months only, until July 2023.

Even though Ubuntu Budgie is powered by the Budgie Desktop (now at version 10.6.4) which brings a series of unique core tweaks, Ubuntu 22.10 is still its base. This means that you also get the Linux Kernel 5.19 (with support for run-time Average Power Limiting (RAPL), and support for Intel's Raptor and Alder Lake processor, as well as a great deal of ARM-related updates in the mainline kernel).

Firefox is now updated to version 106, Thunderbird to 102.3.2, and LibreOffice to 7.4.2.3. More importantly, WebP is now supported by default, and Pipewire is replacing PulseAudio.

Probably the most visible change is the Budgie Control Center. It now gets up-to-date protocols for screen sharing (RDP and VNC), better fractional scaling, reworked color profiles support for monitors, and a lot of little refinements.

The Budgie desktop settings menu gets ta global option that allows you to control applets spacing. Ubuntu Budgie's splash screen now  allows you to configure various desktop options,

For those of you who are new to Ubuntu Budgie, it's important to know that the project was heavily tied to the Linux Solus distribution. This means that earlier versions of Ubuntu Budgie (until recently, meaning 22.04 and prior) shipped with the full collection of GNOME desktop libraries.

Ubuntu Budgie 22.10 fundamentally changes its approach, and it's the first version that focuses more on native and alternative MATE apps, moving away from GNOME. Since then, GNOME has fully embraced libadwaita and GTK4, which leaves the Ubuntu Budgie Desktop in a sort of delicate position.

In short, Budgie's desktop is now a bit of a "mess" since all the remaining GNOME apps have rounded corners (and a totally different design philosophy), and others are perfectly squared.

Still, the developers have made great strides and the move away from GNOME is quite visible. GNOME Calculator has been replaced by MATE Calc, GNOME Calendar and Maps have both been dropped from the installer, GNOME System Monitor is replaced with MATE System Monitor, Atril takes the place of Evince, Parole replaces Celluloid, and the Lollypop, Goodvibes, and gpodder replace Rhythmbox, just to name a few.

If you're a fan of stripped-down desktop environments, Ubuntu Budgie will always be a good choice. However, as it stands, this 22.10 version has a lot of weight on its shoulders, since it's the version that starts the revolution of moving away from GNOME.

Obviously, changes like these take time, and we can say for certain that the next version 23.04 will be an interesting one.