The Ubuntu Studio team is pleased to announce the release of Ubuntu Studio 21.04, code-named “Hirsute Hippo”. This marks Ubuntu Studio’s 29th release. This release is a regular release, and as such it is supported for nine months until January 2022.
Since it’s just out, you may experience some issues, so you might want to wait a bit before upgrading. Please see the release notes for a complete list of changes and known issues.
You can download Ubuntu Studio 21.04 from our download page.
Due to the change in desktop environment this release, direct upgrades from release prior to 20.10 are not supported.
In the coming weeks, you should see a prompt to upgrade from 20.10 during your regular updates. If you wish to update at that time, click “Install Upgrade”.
New This Release
This release includes Plasma 5.21.4, the full-featured desktop environment made by KDE. The theming uses the Materia theme and icons are Papirus icons.
Audio
Studio Controls has seen further development as its own independent project and has been updated to verison 2.1.4.
Ardour 6.6+ (Future 6.7 Snapshot)
Ardour has been updated to version 6.6+, meaning this is a git snapshot of what will eventually be Ardour 6.7. This had to be done because Ardour 6.5 started to fail to build with a newer library introduced into the Ubuntu archives, and could only be resolved with this snapshot. We hope to have Ardour 6.7 in via official updates once released.
New Application: Agordejo
Agordejo is new to Ubuntu Studio this release. It was brought-in for those unsatisfied with RaySession’s audio session management but found New Session Manager’s interface to be too old and clunky. Agordejo comes in and provides the best of both worlds: Legacy NSM compatibility and advanced session management for your audio sessions.
Included this cycle is OBS Studio 26.1.2, which includes the ability to use OBS as a virtual webcam in another application! (requires administrative access to machine to create loopback device)
For those that would like to use the advanced audio processing power of JACK with OBS Studio, OBS Studio is JACK-aware!
More Updates
There are many more updates not covered here but are mentioned in the Release Notes. We highly recommend reading those release notes so you know what has been updated and know any known issues that you may encounter.
Get Involved!
A great way to contribute is to get involved with the project directly! We’re always looking for new volunteers to help with packaging, documentation, tutorials, user support, and MORE! Check out all the ways you can contribute!
Special Thanks
Huge special thanks for this release go to:
Len Ovens: Studio Controls, Ubuntu Studio Installer, Coding
Thomas Ward: Packaging, Ubuntu Core Developer for Ubuntu Studio
Eylul Dogruel: Artwork, Graphics Design, Website Lead
Ross Gammon: Upstream Debian Developer, Guidance, Testing
Dennis Braun: Debian Package Maintainer
Rik Mills: Kubuntu Council Member, help with Plasma desktop
Mauro Gaspari: Tutorials, Promotion, and Documentation, Testing
Krytarik Raido: IRC Moderator, Mailing List Moderator
Erich Eickmeyer: Project Leader, Packaging, Direction, Treasurer
The Ubuntu Studio team is pleased to announce the beta release of Ubuntu Studio 21.04, codenamed Hirsute Hippo.
While this beta is reasonably free of any showstopper DVD build or installer bugs, you may find some bugs within. This image is, however, reasonably representative of what you will find when Ubuntu Studio 21.04 is released on April 22, 2021.
Please note: Due to the change in desktop environment, directly upgrading to Ubuntu Studio 21.04 from 20.04 LTS is not supported and will not be supported. However, upgrades from Ubuntu Studio 20.10 will be supported. See the Release Notes for more information.
Full updated information is available in the Release Notes.
New Features
Ubuntu Studio 20.04 includes the new KDE Plasma 5.21 desktop environment. This is a beautiful and functional upgrade to previous versions, and we believe you will like it.
Agordejo, a refined GUI frontend to New Session Manager, is now included by default. This uses the standardized session manager calls throughout the Linux Audio community to work with various audio tools.
Studio Controls is upgraded to 2.1.4 and includes a host of improvements and bug fixes.
BSEQuencer, Bshapr, Bslizr, and BChoppr are included as new plugins, among others.
QJackCtl has been upgraded to 0.9.1, and is a huge improvement. However, we still maintain that Jack should be started with Studio Controls for its features, but QJackCtl is a good patchbay and Jack system monitor.
There are many other improvements, too numerous to list here. We encourage you to take a look around the freely-downloadable ISO image.
The Ubuntu Studio team is pleased to announce the release of Ubuntu Studio 20.10, code-named “Groovy Gorilla”. This marks Ubuntu Studio’s 28th release. This release is a regular release, and as such it is supported for nine months until July 2021.
Since it’s just out, you may experience some issues, so you might want to wait a bit before upgrading. Please see the release notes for a complete list of changes and known issues.
You can download Ubuntu Studio 20.10 from our download page.
Due to the change in desktop environment this release, direct upgrades to Ubuntu Studio 20.10 are not supported. We recommend a clean install for this release:
Backup your home directory (/home/{username})
Install Ubuntu Studio 20.10
Copy the contents of your backed-up home directory to your new home directory.
New This Release
The biggest new feature is the switch of desktop environment to KDE Plasma. We believe this will provide a more cohesive and integrated experience for many of the applications that we include by default. We have previously outlined our reasoning for this switch as part of our 20.04 LTS release announcement.
This release includes Plasma 5.19.5. If you would like a newer version, the Kubuntu Backports PPA may include a newer version of Plasma when ready.
We are excited to be a part of the KDE community with this change, and have embraced the warm welcome we have received.
You will notice that our theming and layout of Plasma looks very much like our Xfce theming. (Spoiler: it’s the same theme and layout!)
Audio
Studio Controls replaces Ubuntu Studio Controls
Ubuntu Studio Controls has been spun-off into an independent project called Studio Controls. It contains much of the same functionality but also is available in many more projects than Ubuntu Studio. Studio Controls remains the easiest and most straightforward way to configure the Jack Audio Connection Kit and provide easy access to tools to help you with using it.
Ardour 6.3
We are including the latest version of Ardour, version 6.3. This version has plenty of new features outlined at the Ardour website, but contains one caviat:
Projects imported from Ardour 5.x are permanently changed to the new format. As such, plugins, if they are not installed, will not be detected and will result in a “stub” plugin. Additionally, Ardour 6 includes a new Digital Signal Processor, meaning projects may not sound the same. If you do not need the new functionality of Ardour 6, do not upgrade to Ubuntu Studio 20.10.
Other Notable Updates
We’ve added several new audio plugins this cycle, most notably:
Our inclusion of OBS Studio has been praised by many. Our goal is to become the #1 choice for live streaming and recording, and we hope that including OBS Studio out of the box helps usher this in. With the game availability on Steam, which runs native on Ubuntu Studio and is easily installed, and with Steam’s development of Proton for Windows games, we believe game streamers and other streamers on Youtube, Facebook, and Twitch would benefit from such an all-inclusive operating system that would save them both money and time.
For those that would like to use the advanced audio processing power of JACK with OBS Studio, OBS Studio is JACK-aware!
Kdenlive
We have chosen Kdenlive to be our default video editor for several reasons. The largest of which is that it is the most professional video editor included in the Ubuntu repositories, but also it integrates very well with the Plasma desktop.
This release brings version 20.08.1, which includes several new features that have been outlined at their website.
Graphics and Photography
Krita
Artists will be glad to see Krita upgraded to version 4.3. While this may not be the latest release, it does include a number of new features over that included with Ubuntu Studio 20.04.
For a full list of new features, check out the Krita website.
Darktable
This version of the icon seemed appropriate for an October release. :)
For photographers, you’ll be glad to see Darktable 3.2.1 included by default. Additionally, Darktable has been chosen as our default RAW Image Processing Platform.
With Darktable 3.2 comes some major changes, such as an overhaul to the Lighttable, A new snapshot comparison line, improved tooltips, and more! For a complete list, check out the Darktable website.
Introducing Digikam
For the first time in Ubuntu Studio, we are including the KDE application Digikam by default. Digikam is the most-advanced photo editing and cataloging tool in Open Source and includes a number of major features that integrate well into the Plasma desktop.
The version we have by default is version 6.4.0. For more information about Digikam 6.4.0, read the release announcement.
We realize that the version we include, 6.4.0, is not the most recent version, which is why we include Digikam 7.1.0 in the Ubuntu Studio Backports PPA.
There are many more updates not covered here but are mentioned in the Release Notes. We highly recommend reading those release notes so you know what has been updated and know any known issues that you may encounter.
Introducing the Ubuntu Studio Marketplace
Have you ever wanted to buy some gear to show off your love for Ubuntu Studio? Now you can! We just launched the Ubuntu Studio Marketplace. From now until October 27th, you can get our special launch discount of 15% off.
We have items like backpacks, coffee mugs, buttons, and more! Items for men, women, and children, even babies! Get your gear today!
Proceeds from commissions go toward supporting further Ubuntu Studio development.
Now Accepting Donations!
If you find Ubuntu Studio useful, we highly encourage you to donate toward its prolonged development. We would be grateful for any donations given!
The official launch date of our Patreon campaign is TODAY! We have many goals, including being able to pay one or more developers at least a part-time wage for their work on Ubuntu Studio. However, we do have some benefits we would like to offer our patrons. We are still hammering-out the benefits to patrons, and we would love to hear some feedback about what those benefits might be. Become a patron, and we can have that conversation together!
Liberapay
Liberapay is a great way to donate to Ubuntu Studio. It is built around projects, like ours, that are made of and using free and open source software. Their system is designed to provide stable crowdfunded income to creators.
PayPal
You can also donate directly via PayPal. You can establish either monthly recurring donations or make one-time donations. Whatever you decide is appreciated!
Get Involved!
Another great way to contribute is to get involved with the project directly! We’re always looking for new volunteers to help with packaging, documentation, tutorials, user support, and MORE! Check out all the ways you can contribute!
Special Thanks
Huge special thanks for this release go to:
Len Ovens: Studio Controls, Ubuntu Studio Installer, Coding
Thomas Ward: Packaging, Ubuntu Core Developer for Ubuntu Studio
Eylul Dogruel: Artwork, Graphics Design, Website Lead
Ross Gammon: Upstream Debian Developer, Guidance
Rik Mills: Kubuntu Council Member, help with Plasma desktop
Mauro Gaspari: Tutorials, promotion, and documentation
Krytarik Raido: IRC Moderator, Mailing List Moderator
Erich Eickmeyer: Project Leader, Packaging, Direction, Treasurer, KDE Plasma Transition
We are aware that, as of this writing, our website is not 100% https. Our website is hosted by Canonical. There is an open ticket to get everything changed-over, but these things take time. There is nothing the Ubuntu Studio Team can do to speed this along or fix it ourselves. If you explicitly type-in https:// to your web browser, you should get the secure SSL version of our site.
Our download links, merchandise stores, and donation links are unaffected by this as they are hosted elsewhere.
Have you ever wanted to donate to your favorite multimedia-based operating system development, but haven’t been able to? Well, now you can!
Today, we have launched our Donate button. Donations can be made on a one-time or monthly basis.
Donations will go toward ongoing development costs to those most actively participating in the project. As an example, one developer, project leader Erich Eickmeyer, worked nearly full-time to transition the desktop environment for 20.10. We would like to be able to supplement him with at least a part-time income for his ongoing contributions to the project. Others that are highly active in the project could benefit too
If you are feeling generous and feel as if Ubuntu Studio has been valuable to you, and would like to help contribute to ongoing development, click on the Donate button above.
Other methods of donating are coming soon, such as launching a Patreon campaign.
The Ubuntu Studio team is pleased to announce the beta release of Ubuntu Studio 20.10, codenamed Groovy Gorilla.
While this beta is reasonably free of any showstopper DVD build or installer bugs, you may find some bugs within. This image is, however, reasonably representative of what you will find when Ubuntu Studio 20.10 is released on October 22, 2020.
Please note: Due to the change in desktop environment, directly upgrading to Ubuntu Studio 20.10 is not supported and will not be supported. See the Release Notes for more information.
Full updated information is available in the Release Notes.
New Features
Ubuntu Studio 20.10 is the first release of Ubuntu Studio to use the KDE Plasma DesktopEnvironment by default. This is a solid, stable desktop environment chosen due to its incredible customizability, low memory footprint, and many more reasons. The KDE community and Ubuntu Studio have a unique synergy in that they are both striving to be the choice of artists of all kinds, so this is an ideal development relationship going forward.
Jack Mixer has returned and is installed by default.
Studio Controls has succeeded Ubuntu Studio Controls and is now an upstream project available for all distributions, also included in Fedora Jam 33 Beta by default.
New Session Manager, the continuation/fork of Non Session Manager, is included by default.
For those of you using the Ubuntu Studio Backports Repository, we recently had a major update of some tools. If you’ve been using the Backports PPA, you may have noticed some breakage when updating via normal means.
To update if you have the Backports PPA enabled, make sure to do the following:
sudo apt update sudo apt full-upgrade
“Full Upgrade” removes and installs certain items to make this update work.
Here’s what has been updated:
Ubuntu Studio Controls is now known as Studio Controls and is updated to version 2.0. As such, ubuntustudio-controls is now a dummy transition package to get you to the new version.
Ubuntu Studio Installer, since it depends on Ubuntu Studio Controls, is updated to depend on Studio Controls instead.
LSP Plugins are now based on the upstream version in Debian to cut-down on Ubuntu Studio dev workload. This has a slightly different package structure and may cause errors when trying to update via the standard “sudo apt upgrade” method.
Additionally, the Ardour Backports have been updated to Ardour 6.2, so if you’re using the Ardour Backports PPA, you should be upgraded to that as well.
Thanks for your understanding, and we apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused if you tried the standard PPA upgrade method and experienced errors.
Ubuntu Studio 19.10 (Eoan Ermine) was released October 17, 2019 and will reach End of Life on Friday, July 17, 2020. This means that after that date there will be no further security updates or bugfixes released. We highly recommend that you update to 20.04 LTS immediately if you are still running 19.10.
After July 17th, the only supported release of Ubuntu Studio will be 20.04 LTS. All other releases of Ubuntu Studio will be considered unsupported, and will no longer receive any further updates from the Ubuntu Studio team.
Our friends at Ardour have released Version 6.0, and we would like to offer them a huge congratulations! While the source code and their own builds were available on release day, many of you have been waiting for Ardour 6.0 to come to Ubuntu’s repositories.
Today, that day came. Ardour 6.0 has landed in Ubuntu Groovy Gorilla (future 20.10) and will be on Ubuntu Studio’s daily spins of Groovy Gorilla within 24 hours of this writing.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to backport Ardour 6.0 into Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, nor would we want to. This is because if we do, we might disrupt the workflow of people who are currently working with projects in 5.12 that are relying on its functionality and sound. Ardour 6.0 has an all-new Digital Sound Processor (DSP), and as such it may sound somewhat different.
Additionally, Ardour 6.0 projects are not backwards-compatible with Ardour 5.12 projects; once a 5.12 project is opened in 6.0, it is converted to a 6.0 project and cannot be used in 5.12 again unless restored from a backup.
This is also the reason why we will not be releasing Ardour 6.0 into Ubuntu Studio’s main Backports PPA. However, we are giving Ardour its own Backports PPA so that users may upgrade Ardour in their Ubuntu (Studio) 20.04 LTS installation whenever they are ready.
To upgrade Ardour to 6.0, open a terminal and type the following:
With our release announcement for Ubuntu Studio 20.04 LTS, we revealed that it would be our last version with the Xfce desktop, and that we would be moving to the KDE Plasma desktop starting with 20.10. Interestingly enough, that news took nearly two weeks to get noticed. When it did, it hit big.
In the release announcement, we talked about the reason for our decision. One of those was resource usage being comparable. On a fresh boot of the 20.04 LTS Live Image with Xfce, Ubuntu Studio was using approximately 620MB of RAM. On a fresh boot of the 20.10 Daily Live Image with KDE Plasma, Ubuntu Studio was using approximately 670MB of RAM. That ~50MB difference is extremely negligible, especially if you are running a machine with higher RAM availability. For reference, Ubuntu Studio is created for more powerful computers, is not meant to run on low-powered or older hardware, and is not meant to give an old computer new life. For that reason, from our perspective, the RAM usage between the two desktops is nearly the same.
Right now, the transition is nearly complete, with a few minor things regarding theme selection still in progress. We are staying with the same theme (Materia, this one being the KDE port), and the same icons (Papirus).
Here are a couple of screenshots to compare:
Among some of the things still needed to be worked-on to get this right include the installer. The Qt version of the Ubuntu Ubiquity installer (the one that installs the operating system, not to be confused with Ubuntu Studio Installer) is currently hard-coded to show Kubuntu branding. Either this will be fixed or we will be moving to a new installer. As said in the release announcement, we will be coordinating with the Kubuntu team on this transition as situations like this were anticipated.
We do hope that this “new” Ubuntu Studio will be an enjoyable experience.
