What Is New in Ubuntu 17.04
Ubuntu 17.04 (Zesty Zapus) delivers a refreshed kernel, updated core applications, and a more unified experience across devices. The primary focus is on integrating the latest upstream packages and refining the core platform.
| Category | Key Updates |
|---|---|
| Kernel & Core System | Linux kernel 4.10, GCC 6.3, OpenJDK 8 |
| Desktop Environment | GNOME 3.24, Unity 7.5, Updated LibreOffice 5.3 |
| Cloud & Server | OpenStack Ocata, QEMU 2.8, DPDK 16.11 |
| Developer Tools | Python 3.6, Ruby 2.4, PHP 7.1, Golang 1.8 |
| Deprecations & Removals | 32-bit PowerPC (ppc) port, Python 3.5 |
What's the deal with the new Linux kernel?
The foundation of this release is the Linux 4.10 kernel. This matters because it brings improved support for newer hardware, including AMD Ryzen CPUs and Intel Kaby Lake graphics. You get better power management and scheduler improvements out of the box, which translates to a snappier experience on both laptops and servers.
How does the desktop experience change?
Unity is at version 7.5, but the big story is the inclusion of GNOME 3.24 as a preview session. You can now log directly into a full GNOME Shell experience from the login screen. In practice, this gives you a taste of the future default desktop environment with all the latest features from the GNOME project.
LibreOffice gets a significant bump to 5.3, which includes a host of new features and improvements for productivity. This keeps the default application suite modern and competitive.
What's new for developers and containers?
The toolchain is comprehensively updated. GCC 6.3 is the default system compiler, and language runtimes like Python 3.6, Ruby 2.4, PHP 7.1, and Go 1.8 are all included. This means you can start new projects with the latest stable versions of these languages without needing to add external PPAs.
For container work, the LXD client is now a pure Go binary, making it more portable and consistent across different installations.
What about cloud and server deployments?
This release ships with OpenStack Ocata, the latest version at the time, for those building private clouds. Key infrastructure packages like QEMU 2.8 and DPDK 16.11 are also included, providing better performance and more features for virtualized environments.
Is anything being removed or deprecated?
Yes, the 32-bit PowerPC (ppc) port has been removed due to a lack of active maintenance. This only affects a very small subset of users with older Apple hardware.
Python 3.5 is still present but has been demoted. The system now prefers Python 3.6 as the default /usr/bin/python3. You should start testing your scripts and applications against 3.6 to ensure compatibility.
FAQ
Is Ubuntu 17.04 a Long-Term Support (LTS) release?
No. 17.04 is a standard release with 9 months of support. It is intended for users who want the latest software. For production deployments, you should stick with the 16.04 LTS release.
Can I upgrade directly from Ubuntu 16.10 to 17.04?
Yes, a standard release-upgrade path exists from 16.10 (Yakkety Yak) to 17.04 (Zesty Zapus). You will be notified of the available upgrade through the update manager.
Is Wayland the default display server?
No. The X.Org display server remains the default for the Unity 7 session. However, the GNOME session uses Wayland by default, giving you a chance to test it.
What happened to the 32-bit desktop image?
The 32-bit (i386) desktop image is still available for Ubuntu 17.04. It has not been removed in this release.
Why was Python 3.6 made the default over 3.5?
Python 3.6 includes new syntax features like f-strings and significant performance improvements. The community has largely moved on, so Ubuntu is following upstream to provide developers with the modern toolkit they expect.