The Dell XPS 13 Plus is the first OEM PC certified for Ubuntu 22.04 Long-Term Support, according to an announcement from Dell and Canonical. This comes ten years after Project Sputnik introduced a groundbreaking mix of Linux preloaded on a commercial notebook (LTS). This makes it a simple process to have a PC that simply functions without having to worry about whether or not each component is prepared to work with Linux.
The laptop already had Linux-equipped Developer Edition units that started at $1,289.00, but they still come pre-installed with the 20.04 LTS operating system. The end of normal support for this version is set for 2027, and the end of life is set for 2032, so long-term support releases do exactly what they say on the tin. As each component of certified devices is verified in a lab to ensure compatibility, your device will have the correct drivers loaded to ensure that all of its functions operate as intended.
That certainly applies to laptops that come pre-installed with Linux on Developer Edition models, but it also holds true if you’re upgrading an older computer that was pre-installed with Windows 11. Barton George, a marketing executive at Dell, was one of the persons in charge of Project Sputnik. He said that the Developer Edition label was added on purpose, to prevent users from inadvertently purchasing a Linux laptop to save a few dollars and experiencing an unexpected experience, in an interview with Forbes in 2019. It seems unlikely that the authorized list will remain this small indefinitely given that Dell already offers Ubuntu on a variety of other devices.
There were many improvements included in the Ubuntu 22.04 LTS package, which was launched on April 21 this year. These include improved Bluetooth audio device support, new touchpad gestures, and improved battery management.
There are several ways, according to Dell, to configure your XPS 13 Plus and its “capacitive touch function row” with a hardware-optimized version of 22.04. A new XPS 13 Plus laptop may be ordered and is expected to ship starting in August. If not, you can run a fresh install and be ready to go if you’re in a rush (and you should be). The final option is to postpone the upgrade process until Ubuntu 22.04.1 is released on August 4 so you may do as little work as possible. This will turn on the upgrade path for all LTS users.