Lukasz Zemczak, the Ubuntu Release Team Engineering Manager, announced a two-week delay for the Ubuntu 24.04.1 point-release. Originally scheduled for Thursday August 19th, the release has been moved to August 29th to address high-impact upgrade bugs discovered during preparations.
This delay significantly impacts users planning to upgrade from Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, as the first point release of an LTS version typically marks the official green light for these upgrades.
Table of Contents
The Reasons Behind the Delay for Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS Release
The Ubuntu Release Team recently announced a two-week delay for the release of Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS, codenamed "Noble Numbat".
The decision to postpone is due to several critical bugs identified during the preparation phase for 24.04.1. These bugs, labeled as "upgrade blockers," could significantly disrupt the upgrade process for users, especially those moving from 22.04 LTS.
Several potential blockers have been identified, prompting the delay to ensure a smoother upgrade experience. Here are the main issues:
Nvidia Driver Conflicts
Snapd, the system responsible for handling snap packages in Ubuntu, uses specific code to interact with Nvidia's proprietary graphics drivers. This code, however, is outdated and fragile, causing issues with newer Nvidia driver versions, especially the 550 series. This conflict can lead to performance regressions and system instability after upgrading from 22.04, where older driver versions are prevalent.
More details can be found in Bug #2076324.
Snap Store Connectivity Issues
Another snapd-related problem lies in its interaction with systemd-resolved, a critical component for DNS resolution. During upgrades from 22.04 (code-named Jammy), a timing conflict can arise between the installation of snap transition packages and the unpacking of systemd-resolved. This conflict can lead to a failure to connect to the Snap Store, hindering the installation process of essential packages.
More details can be found in Bug #2043820.
Cloud-init's Unintended Consequences
Starting with 22.04, Ubuntu's desktop metapackages recommend the inclusion of cloud-init, a tool primarily used for initial system configuration in cloud environments. However, this recommendation presents an unexpected hurdle for upgraders. When upgrading to 24.04, cloud-init might misinterpret the situation as a fresh installation and run its default configuration scripts. This behaviour can result in the user account "ubuntu" being locked out due to a password reset triggered by cloud-init.
More details can be found in Bug #2075968.
RabbitMQ Upgrade Issues
Upgrading from Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04 can cause RabbitMQ server to fail due to incompatible feature flags between the versions offered in each release. This issue can lead to the server not starting after the upgrade, potentially causing data loss.
More details can be found in Bug #2074309.
A Necessary Delay for a Smoother Transition
The Ubuntu Release Team's decision to delay 24.04.1 might be disappointing for some, but I think that it is a necessary delay to a stable and reliable user experience. By addressing these critical upgrade blockers before the official release, the team aims to ensure a smoother and less troublesome transition for users upgrading from 22.04 LTS. The delay provides the necessary time to implement and test solutions, ultimately leading to a more polished and enjoyable 24.04.1 release.
The announcement was made on August 12th, 2024, and further details are available on the Ubuntu Discourse forum.
key Takeaways
Here are some key points regarding the Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS release:
- The initial target date for the Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS "Noble Numbat" release was Thursday, August 19th, 2024.
- The release was postponed by two weeks, to August 29th, 2024. This delay was caused by several significant upgrade bugs.
- One of the bugs that prompted the delay was a critical issue affecting Snapd and the Nvidia driver. This bug was related to outdated code in Snapd for sharing Nvidia binary libraries, which could cause issues when upgrading from Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04.
- The first point release of a Long Term Support (LTS) version of Ubuntu is typically when users of the previous LTS release are allowed to upgrade.
- The delay in the 24.04.1 LTS release meant that users of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS had to wait longer to receive the upgrade notification to 24.04 LTS.
Resource:
