Six months after the previous update, Canonical released last night Ubuntu 20.04.4, something that It was scheduled since last December. We are talking about Focal Fossa, which is the latest LTS version of the operating system, and it usually releases new ISOs from time to time to include some new features, but it continues with the base with which it arrived a little less than two years ago, so it is more stable than Impish Indri, released last October, and will be supported until July this year.
Of the highlights that has come along with Ubuntu 20.04.4 we have the kernel, which this time uses the same Linux 5.13 with which 21.10 was released. Focal Fossa was released with Linux 5.4, and there are users who would prefer to stay with the original kernel to avoid risking and losing stability. If this is your case, you can always avoid uploading the kernel by following the tutorial that we publish last September.
Some of the new features of Ubuntu 20.04.4
Ubuntu 20.04.4 uses the Linux 5,13 HWE from 21.10. This kernel improves support with newer hardware, so it's better for the latest computers, but whoever installed Focal Fossa in April 2020 could stay on Linux 5.4.
Ubuntu 20.04.4 also includes Table 21.2.6, also available in Impish Indri. In general, most of the main operating system packages have been updated, but no new features have been introduced. The GNOME edition continues and will continue in GNOME 3.36 until April 2025, when Focal Fossa reaches the end of its life cycle.
You also have to remember that Ubuntu is an operating system, but it has seven official flavors which are Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio and Ubuntu Kylin, who have also had the new ISO numbered 20.04.4 for a few hours.
Ubuntu 20.04.4 it can be downloaded from this link. The ISOs of the rest of the flavors can be downloaded from their respective web pages or from cdimage.ubuntu.com.
The next LTS version of Ubuntu will be Ubuntu 22.04 and it will arrive next April, it is expected that with GNOME 42 and part of the software ported to GTK4 and libadwaita.