Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak - new significant core features

Ubuntu
Ubuntu
 1, Nov 2016 3 minutes

Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak has been released and available for the end user through its various flavors. Importantly we should also note that this is not an LTS version and will have a support only for next 9 months till July 2017.

Why this release called as Yakkety Yak?

Ubuntu is known to have named its versions after animal names (mostly south African animals) and so 16.10 is after Y for Yak - a large domesticated wild ox with shaggy hair, humped shoulders, and large horns, primarily in Tibet (and other Himalayan regions) as a pack animal. Isn't it a Long journey from South Africa to high altitudes to Tibet for the code names? :)

Significant Core Features

01. Linux kernel 4.8

Linus Torvalds has released Linux kernel 4.8 in Mar 2016, it was but obvious to expect its inclusion in upcoming Ubuntu releases and 16.10 release is the one which has actually clocked it in time. Here are few of the distinct new updates in this version:

  • AMDGPU OverDrive support for overclocking AMD graphic cards.
  • NVIDIA Pascal support, which includes only initial support,  now kernel will support mode-setting for Nvidia Pascal cards through free Nouveau driver.
  • Raspberry Pi 3 SoC supported by mainline kernel: Ubuntu has been quite receptive with the possibility of its usage for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Now OS wont need any kind of patches for it to work with Rasberry Pi 3 SoC.
  • ACPI Low-Power Idle support: it further allows to deal with processor's low-power idle states to be represented in ACPI tables. 
  • Compatibility with HDMI CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) framework: it provides an unified kernel interface for use with HDMI CEC hardware to facilitate multiple HDMI connected devices to be controlled by a single remote control. 
  • BTRFS ENOSPC improvement in handling of no-space checking and/or handling by the file-system.
  • Hardened usercopy protection for safeguarding the objects which are being copied to and/or from user-space.
  • ASLR for kernel memory sections: it randomizes the virtual addresses of memory sections, including physical memory mappings, VMALLOC, and VEMMAP.
  • Native support for Microsoft Surface 3 touch screens. 
  • Intel Virtual Button driver for Skylake laptops: Skylake processors are being widely used in the latest devices. This feature also means it will have this support for upcoming Intel processors too.

02. GNOME 3.20

GNOME 3.20 is released has been named "Delhi" in recognition of this year’s GNOME.Asia organizing team. Click here for release notes.

  • OS upgrades can now be installed using Software.
  • Wayland support has improved significantly, with kinetic scrolling, drag-and-drop, and middle-click paste.
  • Keyboard shortcuts and gestures can be easily learned with new shortcut overlay windows.
  • Privacy controls have been improved with per-application location access.
  • Quick access to media controls directly from the shell.
  • Searching in Files has been much improved.
  • Builder can now build XDG-Apps, a new cross-distro framework for building and distributing desktop applications. These can also be installed directly from GNOME Software.

03. Nautilus 3.20

Nautilus 3.20 (file manager application) released along with GNOME 3.20. This version has addressed many bugs and improved UI aspects. To name a few -

  • Now icos sizes can be controlled more properly making desktop screen look more slick.
  • It comes up with easier preference dialog box.
  • The new search popover UI with improved recursive search feature.
  •  Many UI changes with better UX and accessibility. 

04. Unity 8 Developer Preview

Unity 8 developer preview can be experience right from the Greeter screen, we can safely expect full fledged release perhaps in next LTS release of Ubuntu. 

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