Today Dell and Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, announced that the new XPS 13 Plus had been certified for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. This revelation comes ten years after Project Sputnik was unveiled, and the relationship between Dell and Canonical for installing Linux by default on select consumer PCs was established.
Both organizations are taking steps to promote the use of Linux on commercial computers even further by introducing an Ubuntu 22.04 Long-Term Support (LTS) certification for the XPS 13 Plus, Dell’s new flagship in the ultraportables market.
This certification, in this instance, assures that every component is prepared to function with Linux. The device is put through a compatibility test in the lab for each of its parts. It also gives the user peace of mind that the proper drivers have been loaded, enabling the full expression of all the device’s functions.
Be aware that the XPS 13 Plus might already be supplied with Linux, but only with an earlier version of the operating system, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. With the release of this new version, 22.04 LTS, in April of last year, the device will no longer get software updates for ten years. Ten years of upgrades are promised for Linux’s LTS editions.
The end of standard support will come into effect for an XPS 13 Plus running Ubuntu if it is bought this year. However, the product’s software life will not expire until 2032. According to The Verge, this longer lifespan applies to XPS 13 Plus machines that come pre-installed with Linux and those that would later be upgraded to Linux from Windows 11.