Things You Should Know About Ubuntu 20.04

Ubuntu 20.04 release is just around the corner and you may have a few questions and doubts regarding upgrades, installation etc.

I hosted some Q&A sessions on various social media channels to answer doubts of readers like you.

I am going to list these common questions about Ubuntu 20.04 with their answers. I hope it helps you clear the doubts you have. And if you still have questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below.

Ubuntu 20.04: Your Questions Answered

Just to clarify, some of the answers here maybe influenced by my personal opinion. If you are an experienced Ubuntu user, some of the questions may sound silly to you but it not to the new Ubuntu users.

When will Ubuntu 20.04 be released?

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is releasing on 23rd April 2020. All the participating flavors like Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Budgie, MATE etc will have their 20.04 release available on the same day.

What are the system requirements for Ubuntu 20.04?

For the default GNOME version, you should have a minimum 4 GB of RAM, 2 GHz dual core processor and at least 25 GB of disk space.

Other Ubuntu flavors may have different system requirements.

Can I use Ubuntu 20.04 on 32-bit systems?

No, not at all. You cannot use Ubuntu 20.04 on 32-bit systems. Even if you are using 32-bit Ubuntu 18.04, you cannot upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04. There is ISO for 32-bit systems for past several years.

Error while upgrading 32-bit Ubuntu 18.04 to Ubuntu 20.04

Can I use Wine on Ubuntu 20.04?

Yes, you can still use Wine on Ubuntu 20.04 as the 32-bit lib support is still there for packages needed by Wine and Steam Play.

Do I have to pay for Ubuntu 20.04 or purchase a license?

No, Ubuntu is completely free to use. You don’t have to buy a license key or activate Ubuntu like you do in Windows.

The download section of Ubuntu requests you to donate some money but it’s up to you if you want to give some money for developing this awesome operating system.

What GNOME version does it have?

Ubuntu 20.04 has GNOME 3.36.

Does GNOME have better performance in Ubuntu 20.04?

GNOME 3.36

How long will Ubuntu 20.04 be supported?

It is a long-term support (LTS) release and like any LTS release, it will be supported for five years. Which means that Ubuntu 20.04 will get security and maintenance updates until April 2025.

Will I lose data while upgrading to Ubuntu 20.04?

You can upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 from Ubuntu 19.10 or Ubuntu 18.04. You don’t need to create a live USB and install from it. All you need is a good internet connection that can download around 1.5 GB of data.

Upgrading from an existing system doesn’t harm your files. You should have all your files as it is and most of your existing software should be either have the same version or upgraded versions.

If you have used some third-party tools or additional PPA, the upgrade procedure will disable them. You can enable these additional repositories again if they are available for Ubuntu 20.04.

Upgrading takes like an hour and after a restart, you will be logged in to the newer version.

Though your data will not be touched and you won’t lose system files and configurations, it is always a good idea to make backup of important data externally.

When will I get to upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04?

If you are using Ubuntu 19.10 and have correct update settings in place (as mentioned in the earlier sections), you should be notified for upgrading to Ubuntu 20.04 within a few days of Ubuntu 18.04 release.

For Ubuntu 18.04 users, it may take some weeks before they are officially notified of the availability of Ubuntu 18.04. Probably, you may get the prompt after the first point release of Ubuntu 20.04.1.

If I upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04, can I downgrade to 19.10 or 18.04?

No, you cannot. While upgrading to a newer version is easy, there is no option to downgrade.  If you want to go back to Ubuntu 18.04, you’ll have install Ubuntu 18.04 again.

I am using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Should I Upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS?

That depends upon you. If you are impressed by the new features in Ubuntu 20.04 and want to get your hands on it, you should upgrade.

If you want a more stable system, I advise waiting for the first point release Ubuntu 20.04.1 release that will have bug fixes in the new release. 20.04.1 should typically be coming approximately two months after the release of Ubuntu 20.04.

In either case, I recommend upgrading to Ubuntu 20.04 sooner or later. Ubuntu 20.04 has newer kernel, performance improvement and above all newer versions of software available in the repository.

Make a backup on external disk and with a good internet connectivity, the upgrade should not be an issue.

Should I do a fresh install of Ubuntu 20.04 or upgrade to it from 18.04/19.10?

If you have a choice, make a backup of your data and do a fresh install of Ubuntu 20.04.

Upgrading to 20.04 from an existing version is a convenient option. However, in my opinion, it still keeps some traces/packages of the older version. A fresh install is always cleaner.

Any other questions about Ubuntu 20.04?

If you have any other doubts regarding Ubuntu 20.04, please feel free to leave a comment below. If you think some other information should be added to the list, please let me know.

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