Short Bytes: Canonical has released the second and only Alpha for Ubuntu 17.04 Zesty Zapus. The testing snapshots are available for download for Lubuntu, Kubuntu, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu GNOME, and Ubuntu Budgie. Ubuntu 17.04 Zesty Zapus Alpha 2 images are based on Linux kernel 4.9. The final version of Ubuntu 17.04 will ship on April 13, 2017.

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ou might be knowing that Ubuntu 17.04 Alpha 1 was scheduled to arrive on December 29. But, as the developers were busy due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, they canceled the first Alpha and planned to release the next Alpha.

Now, Canonical has released the second and final Alpha of Ubuntu 17.04 Zesty Zapus. You might find the naming a little absurd as it’s just the first Alpha. Well, this is how things are.

For the Ubuntu 17.04 Alpha 2 release, the participating flavors are Lubuntu, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu GNOME, Kubuntu, Ubuntu Kylin, and Ubuntu Budgie. Notably, this release marks the first Budgie testing snapshot after it became an official Ubuntu flavor.

Ubuntu 17.04 comes loaded with many software updates that are ready for testing. Also, these builds are powered by Linux kernel 4.9.

Specifically, Ubuntu GNOME 17.04 Alpha 2 ships with GNOME 3.22 and Ubuntu Budgie 17.04 ships with Budgie 10.2.9.

If you’re an experienced Ubuntu user, you might be knowing that Canonical doesn’t advise the users to use pre-releases on their primary systems. While these versions are prone to frequent crashes, they are a great way to test the new features and fix bugs.

Ubuntu 17.04 Alpha 2 will be followed by the first Beta on February 23 for opt-in flavors. Later, on March 23, the second and final Beta will be released, in which Ubuntu Unity will participate. The final release of all flavors is scheduled to arrive on April 13, 2017.

If you’re interested in testing Ubuntu 17.04, feel free to visit this page and download different flavors.

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