Dell’s XPS 13 Plus is the first laptop certified for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Ten years after launching a pioneering combination of Linux preinstalled on a commercial laptop with Project Sputnik, Dell and Canonical, the XPS 13 Plus is the first OEM PC certified for Ubuntu 22.04 Long-Term Support (LTS). This makes it a straightforward way to have a PC that works without worrying about whether each component is ready to work with Linux.

Linux-equipped Developer Edition models of the laptop were already available, starting at $1,289.00, but currently shipped with the older 20.04 LTS software. With end of standard support for this version scheduled in 2027 and end of life in 2032, long term support releases deliver what they say on the tin. Certified devices are lab tested to check compatibility of each component, which means your device installs specific drivers that will keep all of its features working properly.

This obviously goes for machines sold as Developer Editions with Linux out of the box, but it also applies if you’re installing a newer OS on a machine that was originally shipped with Windows 11. was shipped. Marketing exec Barton George was one of Dell’s people behind the project. Sputnik. In an interview with 2019 Forbes, he explained that the Developer Edition branding is intentional, implemented to prevent people from accidentally buying Linux laptops to save a few bucks and get an unexpected experience. These days Dell ships Ubuntu on many other machines — and other flavors of the XPS line, including its redesigned XPS 13 standard carrier — so it looks like the certified list will remain this short forever.

The Ubuntu 22.04 LTS package was officially released on April 21 and has a long list of upgrades that you can read about here, including better power management, new touchpad gestures, and better support for Bluetooth audio devices.

According to Dell, if you want to set up your XPS 13 Plus and its “Capacitive Touch Function Row” with a hardware-optimized version of 22.04, there are a few ways to make that happen. Have to order a new XPS 13 Plus laptop and wait for it to ship, which will start in August. Otherwise, if you’re in a hurry (and revert everything anyway), you can do a fresh install, and you’ll be good to go. The last option is to wait until August 4th when Ubuntu 22.04.