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Ubuntu Budgie 23.04 (Lunar Lobster) was chiefly a Budgie Desktop 10.7.1 release. Its most useful changes were a shared application search index, a built-in screenshot utility, more capable hotcorners, quarter-window tiling, and customizable Raven widgets. Those improvements make the release historically interesting, but 23.04 is no longer a sensible default for a new installation because it was an interim release with a limited support window.
What was new in Ubuntu Budgie 23.04?
Ubuntu Budgie combines Ubuntu with the community-developed Budgie desktop. For 23.04, the desktop—not a completely new Ubuntu base—was the main story. Ubuntu Budgie developer fossfreedom described Budgie Desktop 10.7 and 10.7.1 as the basis of the release in the project’s 23.04 testing thread.
| Feature area | What changed | Who benefits most |
|---|---|---|
| Application discovery | Budgie Menu and Run Dialog share an application index and relevance-based search. | Anyone who launches software by typing its name or browsing categories. |
| Screenshots | Budgie Screenshot captures a window, selected area, or full screen and is used by the default screenshot shortcuts. | Users who regularly document, explain, or share what is on screen. |
| Window management | Hotcorners gained configurable trigger zones; Window Shuffler added quarter tiling and drag-to-snap layouts. | People working across several windows or displays. |
| Raven and applets | Widgets became more extensible and movable, with practical media, usage, audio, clock, and weather refinements. | Users who want a personalized side panel and status dashboard. |
| Appearance | Theme and icon selections were refreshed, and terminal-font defaults changed. | Users who care about the desktop’s visual and typographic defaults. |
1. Application search became more consistent
Budgie 10.7.1 introduced a common application index for Budgie Menu and Budgie Run Dialog. Instead of each launcher using a separate view of installed software, both draw on the same indexing and categorization approach.
Search results are relevance-based, and the index can respect custom desktop directories created by third-party menu editors. In practical terms, applications are more likely to appear where you expect them and under the categories you expect, whether you open the menu to browse or use the run dialog to type a query. The project described this as a reliability and consistency improvement; no published benchmark establishes a specific speed increase.
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2. Screenshots became a built-in Budgie function
Ubuntu Budgie 23.04 added Budgie Screenshot as part of the desktop experience. It can capture:
- The entire screen
- A single window
- A user-selected rectangular area
The default screenshot key bindings were changed to call Budgie Screenshot rather than relying on gnome-screenshot. That removes an extra dependency from the standard workflow and gives Budgie a screenshot tool designed for its own desktop. Users who need annotation, image editing, or advanced sharing features may still prefer a separate application; those capabilities were not part of the release feature description.
3. Hotcorners and Window Shuffler made tiling more hands-on
More controllable hotcorners
Hotcorners expanded beyond simple corner triggers. The project described eight trigger zones around screen edges and corners, a dedicated settings window, independent pressure and delay controls, and protection against triggering an action while mouse button 1 is held. These controls are useful if a corner action is convenient but activates accidentally during normal pointer movement.
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Quarter tiling and snap layouts
Window Shuffler added quarter tiling through mouse and keyboard interactions. Dragging a window toward an edge can snap it into a layout, while modifier-assisted dragging can create asymmetric arrangements. In particular, Alt and Control drag combinations support three-fifths/two-fifths-style widths rather than limiting users to equal halves.
That makes the feature a better fit for a browser beside a document, a terminal beside development tools, or a wide primary window with a narrower reference pane. The release material documents the available interactions, not a measured productivity gain.
4. Raven became a more flexible side panel
Raven widgets gained a shared plugin architecture, making the panel more extensible. Users can reposition widgets and remove widgets they do not want, rather than treating Raven as a fixed collection of modules.
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Notable widget work included:
- A Usage Monitor for CPU, memory, and swap activity.
- A more compact media player.
- Controls for muting audio input and output.
This is one of the release’s clearest personalization improvements: Raven can be arranged as a compact control strip or a fuller status dashboard without keeping every available widget visible.
5. Applets received practical refinements
The 23.04 development and testing material also described changes to individual applets. Clock configuration could accommodate differences of up to 24 hours, weather icons were updated, weather search became more locale-aware, and fixes addressed weather displays that disappeared.
These details describe project-level work during testing, not a guarantee that every applet or configuration behaves identically on every installation. The testing discussion also noted that the Screenshot and Haste applets were being removed from the installable selection for 23.04 because their author had archived them.
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6. Themes, icons, and terminal defaults were refreshed
Ubuntu Budgie 23.04 included updated theme and icon choices, including Mojave, WhiteSur, Orchis, Vimix, and Tela Circle. These are appearance and customization changes rather than performance improvements.
For the regular desktop image, the stated terminal default changed to Noto Mono Bold at size 11. The Raspberry Pi image used Noto Mono Regular at size 11. The Raspberry Pi-specific font default should not be interpreted as a requirement to use a Raspberry Pi for the standard desktop release.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which features matter most in everyday use?
Best for most users: application indexing
The shared index affects a basic task—finding software—without requiring users to learn a new workflow. It is the least visible change when it works and one of the most useful when menus contain many applications.
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Best for frequent screen capture: Budgie Screenshot
If you often report problems, create tutorials, or share a particular window, having window, area, and full-screen capture available through the desktop’s normal shortcuts is a meaningful convenience.
Best for multitasking: Window Shuffler
Quarter tiling, edge snapping, and asymmetric layouts are aimed at people who keep several windows visible. They are especially useful on wide displays, although the benefit depends on whether you prefer keyboard or drag-based window management.
Best for customization: Raven and applets
Movable and removable widgets let you build a panel around your own priorities. The trade-off is a small learning curve: you may need to open Raven or applet settings and decide which modules belong there.
Is Ubuntu Budgie 23.04 still supported?
Do not choose Ubuntu Budgie 23.04 as a current installation target. Canonical’s general policy gives interim Ubuntu releases nine months of updates and notes that Ubuntu flavors can have different support-cycle details. The exact status of a flavor should therefore be checked in the Ubuntu Budgie project’s current documentation, but 23.04’s age alone makes it unsuitable as a long-term starting point in 2026.
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