'Fully converged' Ubuntu 15.04 operating system to launch on Thursday

Ubuntu 15.04 to run from cloud servers to Internet of Things devices, claims Canonical

The latest version of Ubuntu, Canonical's popular distribution of the Linux open-source operating system, will be available for download this Thursday, 23 April.

Ubuntu 15.04 will launch across desktop, smartphone and Internet of Things devices, claims the company, and will represent a fully converged platform that will run on servers hosting cloud services all the way down to embedded devices, according to Canonical.

The operating system will be the first to feature Ubuntu Core for general availability, while new developer tools will enable immediate and constant access to updates.

According to Canonical, Ubuntu is currently running on some 40 million PCs and workstations worldwide, with emerging markets the most popular regions for the operating system, particularly India, South-East Asia and Latin America.

The company claims that Ubuntu Kylin will have an accent on developer tools. Ubuntu Developer Tools Centre has become Ubuntu Make, enabling developers of mobile apps, web applications and games, with support for 14 new platforms, including:

• Android native developer kit and Android Studio updated to the latest release;
• Other new IDEs, such as IDEA (ultimate and community editions), pycharm (professional, educational and community editions), webstorm, rubymine, phpstorm and eclipse;
• Firefox developer edition;
• Stencyl game development platform.

These new features are also available to current 14.04 long-term support users. "Ubuntu Make provides a fresh, well-isolated development environment for every application so developers don't have to worry about messing up up their installation if they want to install pipy, npm, rubygem libraries. Ubuntu's leadership in containers and containment enable fantastic developer experiences on modern workstations and laptops," claims Canonical.

Libre Office 4.4 will also be included in the download bundle.

In addition, Ubuntu 15.04 is the base for the Ubuntu Phone operating system currently shipping on the BQ Aquaris E4.5 and, soon, the Meizu MX4. The latest 15.04 updates will be delivered to these devices in the next few weeks as an extension of Ubuntu on the desktop and cloud.

Note: Article corrected 1 May 2015 to reflect reader comment. Valve's SteamBox games console is now based on Debian, not Ubuntu Linux.