All hail the newest Canonical release, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Noble Numbat. With advanced security features including updated package versions and AWS kernel 6.8, Ubuntu Noble Numbat takes the next step in performance engineering, security and extends its optional support to 12 years.
Latest features
- 6.8 kernel is now the default kernel in all Ubuntu 24.04 images (and added low-latency kernel features into the default kernel, reducing kernel task scheduling delays).
- Frame pointers are enabled by default on all 64-bit architectures for performance engineering.
- The docker.io package has been updated to version 24.0.7 including the docker-buildx and docker-compose-v2 plugins from the previous Ubuntu release.
- Update of major versions of important packages such as OpenLDAP (2.6.7), SSSD (2.9.4), Containerd (1.7.12), Nginx (1.24), Apache2 (2.4.58) and many more.
- Updated runtimes such as Python 3.12, Ruby 3.2, PHP 8.3 and Go 1.22 with additional focus dedicated to the developer experience for .NET, Java, and Rust.
- A new “quick enroll to Landscape” functionality enables an easier fleet management experience with Landscape.
- The needrestart package has been modified to systematically restart services if affected by a library upgrade, including in non-interactive scenarios such as unattended-upgrade.
Latest changes to the AWS Images
- Noble AMIs will use IMDS v2 by default.
- Separate 1GB boot partition in all 24.04 cloud images.
- Minimal images use the new Minimal Ubuntu cloud seed, resulting in fewer packages (from 426 to 288) and reduced image size.
- The default volume type is now GP3 instead of GP2. See Amazon EBS volume types - Amazon EBS for more details on the different volume types.
- Auto-configuration of multi-NIC instances with source-routing via cloud-init.
For a deeper dive into the latest features, updates, and known issues, please visit the Ubuntu 24.04, Noble Numbat release notes.
How to launch Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Noble Numbat
EC2 Quick launch menu
In the EC2 console, select “Launch Instance”. Under “Application and OS images” select the Ubuntu Family, where a dropdown menu will appear with Ubuntu server 24.04 LTS and Ubuntu Pro 24.04.
AWS Marketplace
On the AWS Marketplace, search for “Ubuntu Noble” to explore the available options.
You can subscribe and deploy both Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu Pro, and Ubuntu Server Minimal editions for AMD64 and Graviton instances.
AWS CLI and CloudFormation Templates
Input the following AWS CLI command to get the latest AMI ID:
For Ubuntu LTS:
aws ssm get-parameters --names /aws/service/canonical/ubuntu/server/24.04/stable/current/arm64/hvm/ebs-gp3/ami-id
For Ubuntu Pro:
aws ssm get-parameters --names /aws/service/canonical/ubuntu/pro-server/24.04/stable/current/arm64/hvm/ebs-gp3/ami-id
You can use the same string for the CloudFormation template structure as shown in this tutorial and change the LatestAmiId to the one above.
For more information about using AWS CLI to get AMI IDs for all the Canonical products visit our official documentation.
Support lifespan
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Noble Numbat, is backed by 5 years of support until June 2029. With an initial launch or integration with an Ubuntu Pro subscription, support extends for an extra five years, lasting until June 2034. Additionally, Legacy Support offers an additional two years of extended security maintenance, along with phone and ticket support, ensuring security and assistance through June 2036.
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