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

If you’re running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS servers or desktops in production, the question of whether to upgrade to 24.04 LTS is not hypothetical anymore. Ubuntu 22.04 reaches end of standard support in April 2027, which sounds far away until you factor in testing cycles and change windows. The differences between these two releases go well beyond a version bump.

Original content from computingforgeeks.com - post 52375

Updated March 2026 for Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS and Ubuntu 22.04.6 LTS

This comparison breaks down everything that changed between Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish) and Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble Numbat): kernel, desktop, default packages, security posture, and performance. Whether you manage a fleet of servers or a single workstation, knowing the specifics helps you plan upgrades with confidence. For the latest Ubuntu news, check the official Ubuntu releases blog.

Quick Comparison Table

Before getting into the details, here is a side-by-side overview of the key differences.

Feature	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy)	Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble)
Release date	April 2022	April 2024
Latest point release	22.04.6 (March 2025)	24.04.4 (February 2025)
Linux kernel	5.15 (GA), 6.5 (HWE)	6.8 (GA), 6.11 (HWE)
GNOME	42	46
Python	3.10	3.12
PHP	8.1	8.3
GCC	11	13
OpenSSL	3.0	3.0 (with backported patches)
systemd	249	255
Default display server	Wayland (X11 fallback)	Wayland (X11 fallback)
Snap Firefox	Yes (default)	Yes (default)
APT version	2.4	2.7
Installer	Subiquity (server), Ubiquity (desktop)	Subiquity (both server and desktop)
Netplan	0.104	1.0
Standard support EOL	April 2027	April 2029
ESM (Extended)	April 2032	April 2034

Kernel and Hardware Support

Ubuntu 22.04 shipped with Linux 5.15, and the HWE (Hardware Enablement) stack brought it up to 6.5 by the later point releases. Ubuntu 24.04 starts at 6.8, with HWE pushing to 6.11. That is a massive jump. Kernel 6.8+ brings improved support for Intel Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake processors, AMD Zen 5, better Rust infrastructure within the kernel, and significantly improved io_uring performance.

For anyone running newer hardware (especially laptops from 2023 onward), 24.04 works out of the box in situations where 22.04 needed manual driver wrangling or kernel upgrades. Wi-Fi 7 support, improved Thunderbolt handling, and better power management on modern Intel and AMD chips all come from the newer kernel.

On the server side, kernel 6.8 includes better eBPF capabilities, improved memory management with multi-gen LRU enabled by default, and enhanced security features like Landlock LSM improvements.

Desktop Environment: GNOME 42 vs GNOME 46

Ubuntu 22.04 runs GNOME 42, while 24.04 ships GNOME 46. Four major GNOME releases separate them, and the difference is noticeable. GNOME 46 brings a completely reworked file manager (Nautilus) with global search, better thumbnail support, and a cleaner sidebar. The Settings app received a major overhaul with reorganized sections that actually make sense now.

Performance is where GNOME 46 really pulls ahead. The Mutter compositor has seen extensive optimization, reducing frame drops and input latency. Triple buffering support (which Ubuntu patches in) makes animations smoother on variable refresh rate displays. If GNOME 42 felt sluggish on your hardware, GNOME 46 is worth trying before switching to a lighter DE.

The notification system also got a rework. Grouped notifications, better Do Not Disturb controls, and improved app notification management are all part of the package.

Python: 3.10 vs 3.12

This one matters for developers and sysadmins who rely on Python scripts. Ubuntu 22.04 ships Python 3.10. Ubuntu 24.04 ships Python 3.12. Between those versions, Python gained significant performance improvements (the faster CPython initiative showed measurable gains), structural pattern matching maturity, and the removal of several deprecated modules including distutils.

That last point catches people. If your automation scripts or deployment tools use distutils, they will break on 24.04 without modification. The fix is straightforward (use setuptools instead), but it needs to happen before the upgrade, not during. Test your Python tooling on 24.04 before committing to the migration.

Python 3.12 also introduces better error messages with more precise tracebacks and suggestions. Debugging production scripts becomes less painful.

PHP: 8.1 vs 8.3

Web server admins take note. Ubuntu 22.04 includes PHP 8.1, while 24.04 ships PHP 8.3. PHP 8.1 reaches end of life in December 2025 (security fixes only since November 2024), so running it on 22.04 means you are already on unsupported PHP unless you use a third-party PPA.

PHP 8.3 brings typed class constants, the json_validate() function, randomizer additions, and measurable performance gains (roughly 5-10% faster request handling in real-world benchmarks). For WordPress, Laravel, and other PHP applications, the upgrade from 8.1 to 8.3 is both a security and performance win.

Package Manager: APT Improvements

APT went from 2.4 on 22.04 to 2.7 on 24.04. The visible changes are subtle but welcome. APT 2.7 has improved dependency resolution, faster download handling, and better error messages when packages conflict. The apt command output is slightly more informative during upgrades.

One significant change: Ubuntu 24.04 enforces signed repositories more strictly. If you have added third-party PPAs or custom repositories without proper GPG key management, expect warnings or failures during apt update. The old apt-key approach is fully deprecated. Use /etc/apt/keyrings/ for storing GPG keys and reference them in your .sources files. You can learn how to install Google Chrome on Ubuntu for an example of adding a third-party repository properly.

Snap vs Deb: The Ongoing Shift

Ubuntu 22.04 made Firefox a snap package by default, which was controversial. Ubuntu 24.04 continues that direction. The App Center (replacing Ubuntu Software) is snap-first, and more default applications are delivered as snaps. Thunderbird, for instance, is now a snap on 24.04.

On the server side, snaps are less intrusive. The key server-side snap is lxd, which has been snap-only for years. For most server workloads, the snap situation has not changed dramatically between 22.04 and 24.04. The real impact is on desktop users who notice the slower startup times and sandbox limitations of snap applications.

If you prefer deb packages, both releases let you install Firefox and other apps from Mozilla’s official APT repository or Flatpak. Nothing forces you into snaps.

systemd: 249 vs 255

systemd 255 on Ubuntu 24.04 includes several improvements that matter for server operators. Credential encryption for services, better boot performance measurement, improved journal filtering, and tighter integration with TPM2 for measured boot environments. The systemd-resolved stub resolver also handles split DNS more reliably.

For container workloads, systemd 255 works better with cgroup v2 (which both releases use by default) and has improved OOM killer integration. If you run systemd inside containers, the newer version handles resource constraints more gracefully.

Security Features

Ubuntu 24.04 ships with AppArmor 4.0, a major upgrade over the 3.x series in 22.04. AppArmor 4.0 supports more granular permission controls and better integration with container runtimes. Default profiles are tighter, which occasionally means you need to adjust profiles for custom applications.

Unprivileged user namespace restrictions are new in 24.04. By default, unprivileged users cannot create user namespaces without AppArmor mediation. This closes a class of container escape vulnerabilities but can break some applications that rely on unprivileged namespaces (certain Electron apps, Chromium sandboxing). The kernel parameter kernel.apparmor_restrict_unprivileged_userns controls this behavior.

Binary hardening also improved. More packages are compiled with frame pointers enabled by default in 24.04, making profiling and debugging easier without significant performance cost. Stack clash protection, control flow integrity, and position-independent executables continue to be enforced across the archive.

Installer Changes

Ubuntu 22.04 desktop used the legacy Ubiquity installer. Ubuntu 24.04 desktop switched to the new Flutter-based installer built on Subiquity (previously server-only). The new installer looks cleaner and supports accessibility features out of the box, but some users have reported it being less flexible for complex partitioning setups compared to the old Ubiquity installer.

On the server side, Subiquity remains the standard. Autoinstall (Ubuntu’s answer to kickstart/preseed) works on both releases but has minor syntax differences between the 22.04 and 24.04 versions. Check your autoinstall configs if you do automated deployments.

Netplan 1.0

Ubuntu 24.04 ships Netplan 1.0, which reached stable API status. On 22.04, Netplan was at version 0.104. The 1.0 release means the YAML configuration schema is now considered stable and backward-compatible going forward. If you have been avoiding Netplan because of its moving-target configuration format, 1.0 is the version where that stabilizes.

Netplan 1.0 also supports more complex networking scenarios natively, including WireGuard VPN configuration, better VLAN handling, and improved integration with both NetworkManager and systemd-networkd backends.

Default Application Versions

Beyond the headline items, here are the default tool versions that matter for development and server work.

Package	Ubuntu 22.04	Ubuntu 24.04
GCC	11.4	13.2
Go	1.18	1.22
Rust	1.66 (via snap)	1.75
Node.js	12.22	18.19
Ruby	3.0	3.2
OpenJDK	11, 17	17, 21
MySQL	8.0	8.0
PostgreSQL	14	16
Nginx	1.18	1.24
Apache	2.4.52	2.4.58
Git	2.34	2.43
Docker (via repo)	Supported	Supported
Podman	3.4	4.9

The jump from OpenJDK 11/17 to 17/21 matters. If you deploy Java applications, 24.04 gives you LTS Java 21 from the default repositories. Check our guide on installing Java on Ubuntu if you need a specific version.

Performance Differences

Benchmarks between 22.04 and 24.04 on identical hardware show measurable gains. The newer kernel (6.8+) with multi-gen LRU and better scheduler optimizations delivers 3-8% better throughput in I/O-heavy workloads. Compile times for large projects drop noticeably thanks to GCC 13 optimizations and kernel improvements.

Desktop responsiveness improved substantially. GNOME 46 with Mutter’s compositor changes reduces frame drops during animations, and the input-to-display latency is lower. Boot times are roughly comparable between the two releases, though 24.04 on NVMe drives with systemd 255 shaves off a second or two in most configurations.

For database workloads, PostgreSQL 16 (default on 24.04) outperforms PostgreSQL 14 (default on 22.04) in parallel query execution and VACUUM performance. The combination of a newer kernel and newer database version compounds the gains.

Upgrade Path: 22.04 to 24.04

Canonical supports direct in-place upgrades from 22.04 to 24.04. On desktop systems, the Software Updater prompts you when 24.04.1 or later is available. On servers, run do-release-upgrade to start the process.

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

Before running the upgrade, take a full backup. Snapshots if you are on a VM, full disk image if on bare metal. The upgrade process is generally reliable, but third-party repositories and custom kernels are the most common sources of upgrade failures.

A few things to watch for during the upgrade:

• Third-party PPAs – These get disabled during the upgrade. Re-enable them after and verify they support 24.04 (Noble)
• Python dependencies – Scripts relying on distutils or other removed modules will break. Test first
• PHP applications – Moving from PHP 8.1 to 8.3 may require code adjustments for deprecated functions
• Custom systemd units – Review for compatibility with systemd 255 changes
• AppArmor profiles – Custom profiles may need updates for AppArmor 4.0 syntax changes
• Netplan configs – Should be backward compatible, but verify network settings post-upgrade

For production servers, a fresh install on 24.04 followed by configuration migration is often cleaner than an in-place upgrade. It takes more time upfront but avoids the edge cases that in-place upgrades sometimes hit with heavily customized systems.

End of Life Dates

Ubuntu 22.04 receives standard security updates until April 2027. After that, Ubuntu Pro (free for up to 5 machines) extends security coverage through April 2032 via ESM (Extended Security Maintenance).

Ubuntu 24.04 receives standard support until April 2029, with ESM extending to April 2034. That gives you two extra years of standard support compared to 22.04, which matters for organizations that move slowly on OS upgrades.

If you are deploying new systems today, there is no reason to choose 22.04 over 24.04 unless a specific application explicitly requires 22.04. The support window alone makes 24.04 the better choice for anything new.

A Note on 24.10 and 25.04

Ubuntu 24.10 (Oracular Oriole) shipped in October 2024 as a standard (non-LTS) release with GNOME 47 and Linux kernel 6.11. It receives only 9 months of support (until July 2025), so it is not suitable for production use. Its main value is previewing what will land in the next LTS.

Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin) is due in April 2025 and will include GNOME 48 and kernel 6.14. Again, this is a short-lived release. The next LTS after 24.04 will be Ubuntu 26.04, expected in April 2026. For production systems, stick with LTS releases.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Ubuntu 24.04 if you are setting up new servers or workstations, need longer support (through 2029), want current Python/PHP/Java versions, or run hardware from 2023 onward that needs newer kernel drivers. The security improvements alone (AppArmor 4.0, namespace restrictions, better binary hardening) make it the stronger choice for internet-facing servers.

Stay on Ubuntu 22.04 if your applications have hard dependencies on Python 3.10 or PHP 8.1 that cannot be updated yet, or if your change management process requires waiting for the .2 or .3 point release before adopting a new LTS. There is nothing wrong with running 22.04 until 2027, but start planning the migration now because April 2027 arrives faster than you think.

For most workloads in March 2026, Ubuntu 24.04.4 is the right choice. It has been through enough point releases to iron out early bugs, the package ecosystem has caught up, and you get two more years of standard support. If you are still on 22.04 in production, schedule a test upgrade this quarter. You will want the transition done well before the 2027 EOL deadline.