The release of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS - Snap, OpenStack and other innovations. There may be problems with AMD video cards

Canonical has released Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (codename Xenial Xerus). LTS releases have previously been supported for four years. The current release will have 5-year support for Ubuntu, Kubuntu and 3 years for the rest of the derivative distributives. LTS releases also have the ability to upgrade the kernel to newer versions while maintaining a stable release version. This gives a certain balance between the stability and the support of the new hardware.
At the same time, there are derivatives of this distribution that have a different basic set of programs and a graphical shell:

1. Xubuntu (xfce)
2. Kubuntu (kde)
3. Lubuntu (lxde)
4. Ubuntu MATE (mate)
5. Ubuntu GNOME (gnome3)

Major updates in this release:

1. New package format "Snap". Will be supported along with the classic deb-packages. The main difference is the lack of need to satisfy dependencies. Package carries everything you need. On the one hand, this is a way towards Windows, when each program drags megatons of libraries and data. On the other - a convenient form of delivery of fresh experimental versions of software.
2. New version of container virtualization LXD with support for OpenStack
3. ZFS and CephFS support for large cloud installations.
4. They turned off the online dash search by default, which in the past caused many free software supporters to condemn.
5. Now you can move the dock at the bottom of the screen. Prior to this, the Unity dock was traditionally nailed to the left. A controversial innovation, but perhaps someone will appreciate.
6. Now you can enable the permanent display of menu items in the title bar. (@ r3r)
   

   Software and kernel updates

   
   
   • Linux kernel 4.4
   • Unity 7.4
   • Python 3.5
   • PHP 7.0.5
   • Firefox 45
   • Thunderbird 38
   • Chromium 48
   • LibreOffice 5.1
   • Nautilus (aka 'Files') 3.14.2
   • Totem (aka 'Videos') 3.18
   • Rhythmbox 3.3
   • GNOME Terminal 3.18
   • Eye of GNOME 3.18
   • Shotwell 0.22

Links for download release

Download the release here . Please use torrent to download. The servers are now very overloaded. Those who are updated from the previous release will have to suffer. This can be done via a graphical interface or by a command in the do-release-upgrade terminal.

Links to torrent files:

• ubuntu-16.04-desktop-amd64.iso.torrent
• ubuntu-16.04-desktop-i386.iso.torrent
• ubuntu-16.04-server-amd64.iso.torrent
• ubuntu-16.04-server-i386.iso.torrent

Problems for users of AMD video cards

Ubuntu developers have upgraded to obsolete support for the proprietary AMD Catalyst driver (fglrx), which will not be included in the Ubuntu 16.04 release. Users are encouraged to switch to open source AMDGPU / Radeon drivers. Installing the AMD Catalyst driver from the AMD site is hampered by the fact that the latest release only supports X-server 1.17 and Linux kernels up to 3.19, while X-server 1.18 and Linux 4.4 are involved in Ubuntu 16.04. Earlier, for Ubuntu, in conjunction with AMD, special driver assemblies were prepared that take into account versions of components of the graphics stack of the distribution kit.

Given the development by AMD of an open-source AMDGPU driver, aimed at providing full-fledged support for modern AMD graphics cards based on the GCN architecture, the supply of a proprietary AMD Catalyst driver only makes sense to support the old AMD GPU series. The problem is that support for old GPUs will soon be removed from AMD Catalyst - a significant driver cleaning will take place soon, as a result of which support for the Radeon HD 8000 series (HD 8400 and below), Radeon HD 7000 Series (HD 7600 and below) will be discontinued. ), Radeon HD 6000, Radeon HD 5000 and other cards that do not use the GCN architecture.

Among the problems of open drivers, which are planned to be eliminated over time in drivers based on AMDGPU, mention is made of the lack of support for OpenGL 4.5 (in open drivers of OpenGL 4.1), the lag in performance when running many games, incomplete support for OpenCL, lack of support for CrossFire multi-GPU.
Quote from opennet

UPD already found a rake in Kubuntu 16.04

Incomprehensible glitches in the design in some programs. In particular in Inkscape:

Virt-manager does not work for managing virtual machines, including remotely via ssh:

AMD HD6970 graphics card is normal, not heated. Feels like everything has become faster to work. Localization is lame, a vinaigrette from Russian and English, but these are trifles.