Ubuntu Desktop 22.10 (Kinetic Kudu) introduced GNOME 43 interface updates, made PipeWire the default audio system, and shipped Linux kernel 5.19. It was an interim release, however: published on October 20, 2022, it received nine months of support and reached end of life on July 20, 2023. That makes Kinetic Kudu useful as a historical feature overview, not a supported installation choice today.
What’s new in Ubuntu 22.10?
The most significant launch changes were in the desktop shell, audio stack, and kernel. Canonical’s feature overview is available in What’s new in Ubuntu Desktop 22.10, Kinetic Kudu.
GNOME 43 Quick Settings
Ubuntu 22.10 moved to GNOME 43. Its redesigned Quick Settings panel grouped common controls so users could reach settings such as connectivity and other device options with fewer steps. This was a visible interaction change rather than a complete redesign of every Ubuntu desktop component.
Responsive Files file-manager layout
The Files application received layout refinements that responded to the window’s size, along with a refreshed list view. The result was a more adaptable file-browsing interface when resizing or using narrower windows.
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PipeWire became the default audio system
Ubuntu Desktop 22.10 switched its default desktop audio system to PipeWire. Canonical connected the change with expected gains in performance and compatibility, particularly for modern Bluetooth devices, and with better Bluetooth connectivity and video-conferencing behavior. Those are intended benefits described by Canonical, not independent benchmark results; the reviewed launch material does not establish a universal improvement for every hardware configuration.
Linux kernel 5.19 and the technical changes behind it
Kinetic Kudu shipped with Linux kernel 5.19, as recorded in the Kinetic Kudu release notes.
futex_waitv for Wine and Proton
Kernel 5.19 included the futex_waitv system call, which lets software wait for multiple futexes through one system call. Canonical highlighted its potential to help games running through Wine or Proton. The release documentation does not provide a measured frame-rate improvement, so this should be treated as an enabling kernel feature rather than a guaranteed gaming-speed increase.
Multi-threaded squashfs decompression
Ubuntu also highlighted multi-threaded CPU decompression for squashfs. Because snaps use squashfs images, this could shorten startup time on some devices. No percentage improvement or across-the-board startup result was published with the feature description.
Updated developer toolchains
The desktop release article listed Ruby 3.1, Go 1.19, GCC 12.2, and Rust 1.61 among the updated development tools. Canonical’s wider release messaging also placed emphasis on IoT developers and enterprise administrators, including quality-of-life improvements for embedded-device and remote development. Mark Shuttleworth described that focus as enabling “a new generation of easy to use and highly secure IoT” in Canonical’s Ubuntu 22.10 release announcement.
Which Ubuntu 22.10 features were previews?
Two projects often associated with Kinetic Kudu were not finished default features of the standard desktop installation.
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Flutter-based desktop installer
The redesigned installer was still in development. An alternative build was offered for testing, using Subiquity with a Flutter interface and seeking feedback on areas such as partitioning. It should not be described as the completed, default installer shipped to every Ubuntu 22.10 desktop user.
Flutter-based App Center
The new Flutter-based software-store project was available through a preview channel and was being considered for a future release. Ubuntu 22.10’s standard software experience should therefore be distinguished from this experimental application.
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Is Ubuntu 22.10 still supported?
No. Ubuntu 22.10 was an interim release with a nine-month support period. The Ubuntu project lists October 20, 2022 as its release date and July 20, 2023 as its end-of-life date in the official release listing. Kinetic Kudu no longer receives Ubuntu security updates.
If a computer is still running 22.10, do not treat old launch instructions as a current upgrade plan. At launch, Canonical documented upgrading from Ubuntu 22.04 through Software & Updates or do-release-upgrade; today, the correct route depends on the installed release and the currently supported upgrade path. Check Ubuntu’s current release information before changing versions, and choose a supported release for a new installation.
How to assess Ubuntu 22.10 against another release
For a meaningful comparison, use four axes:
- Desktop: GNOME version, Quick Settings behavior, and Files layout changes.
- Audio: whether PipeWire is the default and how the release documents Bluetooth or conferencing compatibility.
- Kernel and tools: kernel version, snap-related changes, and compiler or language versions.
- Lifecycle: support duration, end-of-life date, and whether security updates are still available.
The available Ubuntu material establishes these differences for 22.10 but does not provide a benchmarked, apples-to-apples performance comparison with another Ubuntu release.
The Bottom Line
Ubuntu 22.10’s best new features were GNOME 43’s Quick Settings and Files refinements, the move to PipeWire, and kernel 5.19 improvements with possible Wine, Proton, and snap-startup benefits. Because Kinetic Kudu reached end of life on July 20, 2023, use a currently supported Ubuntu release instead of installing it today.
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