Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS released Wednesday—here’s what’s new

Enlarge / Wherever possible, we recommend most users stick to LTS releases. Today's 18.04.4 update makes that possible for newer hardware, like HP's Dragonfly Elite G1. (credit: Jim Salter)

This Wednesday, the current Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Service) release-Bionic Beaver-launched its fourth maintenance update.

Ubuntu is one of the most predictable operating system distributions in terms of its release cycle-a new version is launched in April and October of each year. Most of these are interim releases, supported for nine months from launch; but the April release of each even-numbered year is an LTS, supported for five years. LTS releases also get maintenance releases as necessary, typically about every three to six months during the support cycle of the LTS.

Today's release, 18.04.4, is one of those maintenance releases. It's not as shiny and exciting as entirely new versions, of course, but it does pack in some worthwhile security and bugfix upgrades, as well as support for more and newer hardware-such as the bleeding-edge Intel Wi-Fi chipset in HP's Dragonfly Elite G1 laptop, which we reviewed last month.

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