Ubuntu DVD

Welcome to the Precise Pangolin edition of Ubuntu DVD, which is the second and last version of this special DVD edition of the Ubuntu Linux operating system, tailored for people who want to install or use Ubuntu from the live media with more applications than the standard Live CD images provide.

The first and last LTS version of Ubuntu DVD

Ubuntu DVD 12.04 LTS was officially announced by Canonical on April 26, 2012 along with the fourth LTS (Long Term Support) release of the Ubuntu project. It will be supported with security patches and software updates until April 2017 and can be downloaded as Live DVD ISO images of approximately 2GB in size each.

As usual, the user will have to burn these ISO images to blank DVD discs or write them on USB flash drives of 2GB or higher capacity in order to boot them from the BIOS of a computer. They have been engineered to support both 64-bit and 32-bit instruction set architectures.

Boot options

As expected, the Live DVD edition of Ubuntu features the same boot loader as the Desktop CD edition, allowing the user to start the live environment without installing anything, permanently install the operating system on a local drive, perform a RAM test, boot an existing OS, or test the DVD's integrity.

Loaded with a plethora of applications

While the desktop environment is identical with the one of the Desktop Live CD, this DVD edition is pre-loaded with a plethora of applications, such as GNU Emacs advanced text editor, Inkscape vector graphics editor, Landscape Service, PiTiVi video editor, as well as Byobu Terminal text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer.

Bottom line

In conclusion, Canonical announced that it will no longer develop the Ubuntu DVD edition, as the standard Desktop CDs are getting bigger and bigger with each new release, classified as being suitable only for DVD discs. The good news is that this version will be supported for five years, until April 2017.

What is new in this release:

• Ubuntu DVD 12.04.5 LTS contains the kernel and graphics stack of Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr).

What is new in version 12.04.3 LTS:

• As with 12.04.2, 12.04.3 contains an updated kenrel and X stack for new installations on x86 architectures.
• As usual, this point release includes many updates, and updated installation media has been provided so that fewer updates will need to be downloaded after installation. These include security updates and corrections for other high-impact bugs, with a focus on maintaining stability and compatibility with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.