14 DAY TRIAL // Ubuntu 15.04 (Vidid Vervet) is now under development and this is a time when new features and components are added to the distribution. The same is true for the Linux kernel, which has been updated to version 3.18.
Regular users don't really get the next Ubuntu version this early, although they can install at any time. It's still unstable and it can prove to be quite unstable in this particular stage or the development cycle, but this is also an exciting time because you can get to see changes and improvements made in real time, like the upgrade of the Linux kernel to a stable new branch.
It takes some time for all the pieces of the Ubuntu 15.04 distro to come together, but it's happening. It's already well on the way of becoming one of the most interesting new Ubuntu versions in quite a while, especially since it might feature the first iteration of the new Unity 8 desktop. Many users really want to try the new version, so they will most likely try the new version once it is released.
Linux kernel 3.18 to land in Ubuntu 15.04 soon
Ubuntu 15.04 (Vidid Vervet) will most likely ship with a different Linux kernel, if everything goes smoothly in the kernel development cycle. In fact, users might get to see the next Ubuntu version powered by Linux kernel 3.19, which wouldn't be out of the question. It's not going to be the best situation for Canonical, but it's likely to happen.
"The master-next branch of our Vivid kernel has been rebased to the final v3.18 upstream kernel. We have pushed uploads to our team's PPA for preliminary testing. We'll likely upload to the official archive soon," said Canonical's Joseph Salisbury.
Also, it's worth pointing out that the first Alpha version for the Ubuntu 15.04 flavors is expected to arrive on December 18 and the second Alpha on January 22. The devs are also working on the next point update for Ubuntu 14.04.2. The kernel freeze for that release should take place on February 5.
As it stands right now, Canonical is working on four kernels and they all need to have the proper support: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 15.04. A fifth one is on its way.
If you want to try Ubuntu 15.04 (Vidid Vervet) right now you can download the daily image from Softpedia. This is a Live CD, so it should work just fine.
