It’s been a long long time since we’ve seen a LTS release of Edubuntu. Now, after 10 whole years, Edubuntu 24.04 LTS (code-named Noble Numbat) has been released and marks an important step forward for people and institutions in need of free quality education software.
Just like most other official Ubuntu flavors, Edubuntu 24.04 LTS shares the same foundational footprint and underpinnings as the main release (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS).
It’s also worth noting that Edubuntu 24.04 LTS features ongoing support for only three years (rather than the five years offered with the main edition).
For all the underlying changes, it’s worth checking out both GNOME 46 and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS releases.
One of the biggest changes in this release is the addition of Raspberry Pi 5 images/builds (due to popular demand). An SD card with at least 64 GB is recommended for this installation.
Edubuntu 24.04 LTS also introduces a new metapackage with lots of education/teaching tools. There’s also a new metapackage for Music Education, built in collaboration with the team behind Ubuntu Studio.
This metapackage is available from the Edubuntu installer (which is the same Flutter-based installer available in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS). The Minimal Install option is now the default installation option, and it’s recommended for users/institutions who don’t need the full suite of included apps and tools.
Edubuntu 24.04 LTS now includes Gradebook by default. Gradebook is a sleek, modern, GTK4/Libadwaita app that offers users an efficient way to keep track of their grades.
Apps included in the new Teaching Tools metapackage are as follows: qxw, and Auto Multiple Choice. qxw is an advanced crossword construction tool, Auto Multiple Choice is a test/quiz generator.
The Music Education metapackage includes fmit, gnome-metronome, Minuet, Solfege, and Pianobooster. fmit is a music instrument tuner, gnome-metronome is a simple GTK metronome app, Minuet is a music education app from KDE, Solfege is a ear training tool, while Pianobooster is a nifty piano learning software with simple MIDI options.
As far as I’m concerned, Edubuntu 24.04 LTS is probably the most important addition to the family of official Ubuntu flavors.
The fact that it manages to include almost all of the underlying technologies and changes of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is a great thing, but I am thinking about how future changes will impact it (I’m mostly thinking about the full snap transition of Ubuntu apps in the future).
