Linux 22.10 shines with MicroPython and microcontrollers

Published on Nov 08, 2022

A recent update to Canonical’s Linux distribution supports Ruby, Go, GCC, and Rust toolchains, as well as MicroPython on microcontrollers such as the Raspberry Pi Pico W.

Canonical has released Ubuntu 22.10, an update to its Linux distribution that introduces support for MicroPython on a variety of microcontrollers.

Known as “Kinetic Kudu” and announced on October 20, Ubuntu 22.10 brings improvements to developers and IT administrators alike.

MicroPython is now supported on microcontrollers, including the Raspberry Pi Pico W board. Rshell, thonny, and mpremote are also available in the Ubuntu repository. As a result of Ubuntu’s transition to kms, developers can run Pi-based graphical applications without having to run a desktop session and without having to use Pi-specific drivers. Embedded displays for Raspberry Pi, including the Inky eInk HAT series, Hyperpixel range, and official touchscreen, are now supported.

Ubuntu 22.10 also includes the Landscape 22.10 beta, an administration tool for monitoring, managing, patching, and reporting compliance across Ubuntu estates. You can install Landscape Server on computers with Arm processors, including Ampere Altra-based Arm64 virtual machines on public clouds and Raspberry Pis. In addition, Risc processors and hardware are supported, making it easier to use Landscape as a portable management system, according to Canonical.

You can download Ubuntu 22.10 from the Ubuntu website. There are also the following improvements in this release:

The Ruby, Go, GCC, and Rust toolchains have been updated.

By default, OpenSSH is configured to use system socket activation, which means that sshd will not start until an incoming connection request is received. This reduces the footprint and memory requirements of Ubuntu Server on smaller devices, virtual machines, or LXD containers.

Developers and administrators can use the debuginfod service to debug Ubuntu-based applications. Over HTTP, debugging tools such as gdb will download the needed debug symbols.

GNOME 4 has been improved to improve desktop performance and usability, including GTK4 theming. The Quick Settings menu provides quick access to frequently used features, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, dark mode, and power settings.

PipeWire provides Bluetooth connectivity for better video conferencing and broadens the support for audio devices. Multithreaded decompression is now available on Ubuntu to increase Snap performance on multi-core desktop computers with Linux 5.19.