Ubuntu 24.04 vs Ubuntu 22.04 – What Changed and Should You Upgrade

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) landed in April 2024, and if you are running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish), you are probably wondering whether it is worth the jump. I have been running both in production for a while now, and this guide breaks down every meaningful difference so you can make an informed call.

Both releases carry five years of standard support and up to twelve years with Ubuntu Pro. But under the hood, 24.04 ships a newer kernel, a refreshed GNOME desktop, installer overhaul, and several security improvements that matter for servers and workstations alike.

Quick Comparison Table – Ubuntu 24.04 vs Ubuntu 22.04

Feature	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS	Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Release Date	April 2022	April 2024
Code Name	Jammy Jellyfish	Noble Numbat
Linux Kernel	5.15 (HWE 6.5)	6.8 (HWE 6.11+)
GNOME Version	GNOME 42	GNOME 46
Default Display Server	Wayland (X11 fallback)	Wayland (X11 fallback)
Installer	Ubiquity (desktop) / Subiquity (server)	New Flutter-based installer (desktop) / Subiquity (server)
Init System	systemd 249	systemd 255
Default Python	Python 3.10	Python 3.12
GCC Version	GCC 11	GCC 13
OpenSSL	3.0.x	3.0.x (patched)
Netplan	0.104	0.109+
Snap Enforcement	Partial	Increased
Default File System	ext4	ext4 (ZFS optional)
Standard Support	April 2027	April 2029
Extended (Ubuntu Pro)	April 2034	April 2036
Minimum RAM	1 GB (server), 4 GB (desktop)	1 GB (server), 4 GB (desktop)

Kernel Differences – 5.15 vs 6.8

Ubuntu 22.04 shipped with Linux 5.15, later offering a Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernel based on 6.5. Ubuntu 24.04 starts at kernel 6.8 out of the box, with HWE kernels tracking 6.11 and beyond.

The jump from 5.15 to 6.8 is significant. You get improved hardware support for newer AMD and Intel CPUs, better NVIDIA driver integration, Rust-based kernel modules, improved eBPF capabilities, and the io_uring performance improvements that matter for high-throughput workloads. If you run containers, the updated cgroup v2 handling in 6.8 is noticeably cleaner.

For server workloads, the newer kernel also brings improved NVMe multipath support and better memory management under pressure. If you have been hitting OOM issues on 22.04, the 6.8 kernel handles memory reclaim more gracefully.

GNOME Desktop – 42 vs 46

Desktop users will notice the jump from GNOME 42 to GNOME 46 right away. The file manager has been rewritten with a new grid view, global search is faster, and the Settings app has been reorganized. Fractional scaling on Wayland works much better – if you run a 4K display, this alone might be worth the upgrade.

GNOME 46 also brings better multi-monitor handling, especially when connecting and disconnecting external displays. The notification system has been cleaned up, and there is a new quick settings panel that is easier to use than what shipped in 42.

Installer Changes

Ubuntu 24.04 desktop ditches the old Ubiquity installer for a new Flutter-based installer. It looks modern and the user experience is smoother, but it dropped a few options that power users relied on – like custom LVM configurations during install. You may need to fall back to the server installer or manual partitioning if you have complex disk layouts.

The server installer (Subiquity) remains largely the same but has picked up autoinstall improvements. If you use cloud-init or autoinstall configs for mass deployments, check your existing configs against the updated schema – some fields have changed.

systemd – 249 vs 255

The systemd jump from 249 to 255 brings several useful features. Soft reboot support lets you restart userspace without a full kernel reboot – handy for applying updates with minimal downtime. There are also improvements to systemd-resolved, including better DNS-over-TLS handling.

The journal has grown new filtering options and performance improvements. If you run systemd-networkd, there are new bonding and bridge configuration options that previously required workarounds.

One thing to watch: systemd 255 is stricter about unit file syntax. If you have custom service files with deprecated options, they may throw warnings or behave differently after the upgrade.

Netplan Updates

Netplan in Ubuntu 24.04 (version 0.109+) has matured considerably. It now supports more complex networking setups natively, including better WireGuard integration, improved SR-IOV configuration, and cleaner VLAN handling.

The “netplan status” command is more useful now, giving a clearer picture of your current network state. If you have been hand-editing NetworkManager or systemd-networkd configs to work around Netplan limitations, check whether your use case is now supported natively.

Snap vs Deb – The Ongoing Debate

Ubuntu 24.04 doubles down on snaps. Firefox, Thunderbird, and the software center are all snap-based, and Canonical has expanded snap usage for other default applications. The good news is that snap performance has improved – startup times are faster than what you experienced on 22.04.

The bad news is that if you prefer traditional deb packages for everything, you will find yourself fighting the defaults more. Canonical has made it harder (but not impossible) to replace snap packages with their deb equivalents. For servers, this is mostly a non-issue since most server packages remain deb-based.

If snap confinement causes problems with your workflow (accessing files in non-standard paths, for example), those issues still exist in 24.04 though some edge cases have been fixed.

Default Package Changes

Beyond the kernel and desktop, the toolchain has been refreshed across the board:

• Python 3.12 replaces Python 3.10 – check your scripts for deprecated features
• GCC 13 replaces GCC 11
• PHP 8.3 is available (22.04 shipped PHP 8.1)
• PostgreSQL 16 replaces PostgreSQL 14
• Ruby 3.2 replaces Ruby 3.0
• Go 1.22 replaces Go 1.18
• OpenJDK 21 is the default (was OpenJDK 11/17)

If you maintain custom software builds or have applications that depend on specific library versions, test thoroughly before upgrading production systems.

Hardware Support

With kernel 6.8, Ubuntu 24.04 supports newer hardware out of the box. This includes 13th and 14th gen Intel Core processors, AMD Ryzen 7000/8000 series, and better ARM64 support for platforms like the Raspberry Pi 5.

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 drivers have landed. If you have been struggling with wireless on newer laptops running 22.04, 24.04 likely fixes your problem without third-party drivers.

GPU support has improved for both AMD RDNA 3 and Intel Arc graphics. NVIDIA proprietary driver installation through the “ubuntu-drivers” tool works the same way, but the available driver versions are newer.

Security Features

Ubuntu 24.04 ships with several security improvements:

• AppArmor 4.0 with improved policy handling and user namespace restrictions
• Unprivileged user namespace restrictions by default – this breaks some applications but improves security
• Binary hardening improvements with frame pointers enabled by default
• Updated TPM2 support for full disk encryption
• Improved Secure Boot handling

The unprivileged user namespace change is worth calling out. If you run containers, browsers with sandboxing, or certain development tools, you might need to adjust AppArmor profiles or sysctl settings after upgrading.

Support Timeline

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS receives standard security updates until April 2027, with extended maintenance through Ubuntu Pro until April 2034. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is supported until April 2029, with Pro extending to April 2036.

If you are running 22.04 in production and everything works, you still have time before you need to upgrade. But if you are deploying new systems, 24.04 gives you two extra years of support.

Upgrade Path from Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04

The in-place upgrade from 22.04 to 24.04 is officially supported. On the desktop, run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo do-release-upgrade

On a server, use:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo do-release-upgrade

Before running the upgrade on any production system:

1. Take a full backup or snapshot. No exceptions.
2. Remove or disable third-party PPAs – they cause the most upgrade failures.
3. Make sure all current packages are up to date before starting.
4. Review custom systemd units, cron jobs, and Netplan configs for deprecated syntax.
5. Test the upgrade on a staging system first.
6. Set aside at least an hour for the process. On slower systems with many packages, it can take longer.

Common upgrade issues I have seen include broken PPA repositories blocking the upgrade, custom kernel modules that need recompilation, and applications that break due to the Python 3.12 migration.

Who Should Upgrade

Upgrade now if:

• You are deploying new systems – start with 24.04, no reason to use 22.04 for new installs.
• You need newer hardware support that the 22.04 HWE kernel does not cover.
• You need newer language runtimes (Python 3.12, PHP 8.3, Go 1.22) from the default repos.
• You want the latest security hardening features.
• You are running desktop workstations and want better Wayland and GNOME experience.

Wait if:

• You have production servers running stable on 22.04 with no pressing need for new features.
• Your applications have not been tested against Python 3.12 or other updated dependencies.
• You rely on third-party software that has not confirmed 24.04 support yet.
• You are mid-project and cannot afford any disruption.

Final Thoughts

Ubuntu 24.04 is a solid LTS release. The kernel jump alone makes it worthwhile for newer hardware, and the security improvements are meaningful for both servers and desktops. The snap situation has not changed direction, but the performance has improved enough that it is less of a pain point than it was on 22.04.

If you are on 22.04 and everything works, plan the upgrade when your schedule allows – you have until 2027 before standard support ends. For new deployments, go straight to 24.04. The two extra years of support and the modern toolchain make it the right choice going forward.