Here you can download the official Ubuntu 21.04 “Hirsute Hippo” ISO for free.
Ubuntu 21.04, codenamed Hirsute Hippo, was released on 22 April 2021. It uses Linux kernel 5.11 which introduces smartcard authentication, support for Intel’s Software Guard Extensions and improved support for AMD CPUs and GPUs.
Wayland is now used as the default on hardware without Nvidia graphics processors. Support for drag and drop from the file manager to the desktop was also added. An update to GNOME 40 was canceled due to questions about the stability of the GTK4 toolkit, a major GNOME interface redesign, and its unknown impact on GNOME extensions and Ubuntu’s default Yaru GTK theme.
In a review, Joey Sneddon of OMG Ubuntu praised the stability and new features: “But it’s not a release totally devoid of value. Ubuntu 21.04 features a striking new dark theme and makes a raft of smaller UI tweaks that add up to an impressive, polished whole. There are also new installer features, a new desktop icons experience, and (of course) a new wallpaper.”
Desktop image
The desktop image allows you to try Ubuntu without changing your computer at all, and at your option to install it permanently later. This type of image is what most people will want to use. You will need at least 1024MiB of RAM to install from this image.
64-bit PC (AMD64) desktop image
Choose this if you have a computer based on the AMD64 or EM64T architecture (e.g., Athlon64, Opteron, EM64T Xeon, Core 2). Choose this if you are at all unsure.
Server install image
The server install image allows you to install Ubuntu permanently on a computer for use as a server. It will not install a graphical user interface.
64-bit PC (AMD64) server install image
Choose this if you have a computer based on the AMD64 or EM64T architecture (e.g., Athlon64, Opteron, EM64T Xeon, Core 2). Choose this if you are at all unsure.
