Canonical released last week a new RTM branch for Ubuntu Touch, and now the developers have managed to push a new major update that brings more fixes, updated packages, and a nice, new keyboard.

Canonical’s goal is to provide a stable Ubuntu Touch image that is ready to ship with a smartphone. Having a working version of the new operating system is one thing, but having an OS on a phone that has to be bought by users is a different ball game altogether. This means that it has to be bug-free, have all the features that you would expect, and be very stable.

This is the role of the RTM (release to manufacturing) branch. The developers are now focusing on this branch in order to make the system as stable as possible and to implement any new major updates and fixes. Users have to keep in mind that the versions promoted in the RTM branch are stable, but there is still a long way to go.

What are the changes in the second Ubuntu Touch release?

"A few important information bits for you today! First of all, we have promoted a new image into the stable 14.09 (ubuntu-rtm) channel! Image number #59 for krillin and #55 for mako (since we have different image numbers for different platforms). Those are now available in the ubuntu-touch/ubuntu-rtm/14.09 channel as image number #2. Feel free to flash or update!" says Canonical's Łukasz Zemczak in an email update.

According to the changelog, a number of bug fixes and performance updates have been implemented for the Dialer and Messaging apps, the System Settings have received some fixes, support has been added for embedded artwork in music, lots of different fixes have been added for the developer mode, a new design of the Ubuntu keyboard has been added, the Location detection has been improved, Unity8 and QtMir have received some fixes, the Mir display server has been updated to version 0.7.3, and a lot of other smaller changes have been made as well.

We reviewed the Ubuntu Touch RTM branch a few days ago and we found it to be a very stable and compelling version of the operating system. The developers still have some work to do, but there is still time until the suspected launch of the first Ubuntu-powered phone.

Until now, only Meizu has said something about the launch. The Chinese company has mentioned the fact that a Meizu MX4 device with Ubuntu Touch will ship in December, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.