The release of Ultramarine 40 brings with it a host of new features and improvements, making it an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of Linux during a leisurely weekend. One notable change is the introduction of a fresh codename scheme, with the core team taking turns in selecting codenames. This release, named after “Lost Umbrella” by inabakumori, is the first to follow this new system.
Ultramarine 40 encountered a delay due to installer and build issues, prompting the development team to provide existing users with the option to upgrade early. Now available for installation, Ultramarine 40 boasts a traditional dock and panel setup, a modern menu with search functionality, and is enhanced by the Materia theme. This edition is optimized for low-powered devices and older machines, including Raspberry Pi devices.
The Ultramarine Anywhere initiative seeks to expand Ultramarine’s accessibility across various hardware. Despite being in its final stages, the Chromebook Edition is set to be released in the coming weeks. Notably, Ultramarine 40 addresses previous issues with Raspberry Pi images, now offering desktop environments and support for various Raspberry Pi models.
The team is also working to enhance download speeds in Southeast Asia and Oceania by adding more mirrors. However, Ultramarine 40 marks the end of the Pantheon Edition due to increased maintenance demands and declining user numbers. The team is working on a transition plan for Pantheon users to shift to other Ultramarine editions within five months.
Ultramarine’s GNOME Edition sees several quality-of-life improvements with GNOME 46, including a cleaner layout in Nautilus (Files), OneDrive support, UI updates for GNOME Online Accounts, and new features like remote login from the login screen. In a bid to simplify the installation process and improve out-of-box experiences, Readymade is now available, providing better support for diverse hardware and disk configurations. While it is not yet the default, preview images with Readymade will be available shortly after Ultramarine 40, with full integration expected in Ultramarine 41.
For those looking for a more customizable and open-source operating system, transitioning from Windows 11 to Ultramarine 40 could be an ideal choice. With its user-friendly editions and enhanced device support, Ultramarine 40 offers a seamless transition and a refreshing change from the Windows ecosystem. This Memorial Day weekend presents an excellent opportunity to explore the possibilities that Ultramarine 40 has to offer.