Ubuntu 10.04 and 10.04.1 differences?

Initially I installed Ubuntu 10.04 on a given machine (original 64b official release). Install from scratch. I then applied the various updates.

Then, a friend with the exact same hardware, memory etc... as mine, decided she wants Ubuntu on it. So I made a CD from the official release a week ago, and noticed the version is not 10.04 anymore, it is now 10.04.1.

Googling a bit, some posts on various forums related this difference and basically concluded that

10.04.1 = 10.04 + [all updates since the beginning]

But using her Ubuntu and mine is not the same experience, 10.04.1 looks better

• the default theme changed (darker, windows nice buttons on top left, ...)
• the Gnome interface answers faster, and some small annoying bugs disappeared (like huge latency in menus etc...)

All in all, many things work better, and faster.

question Is there really a difference having

10.04.1 > 10.04 + [all updates since the beginning]

Meaning the regular updates could/did not fix some internal features/settings?
The new defaults are more appropriate (like kernel settings) and make the system work more smoothly?

Did anyone notice such a difference?

From serverfault ring0

• The changelog for Ubuntu 10.04.01 is here:

  https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LucidLynx/ReleaseNotes/ChangeSummary/10.04.1

  There were a variety of theme changes. There were also hardware updates, so Compiz, for example, may have been enabled in one install and not the other. Check out the changelog for specifics on what changed, and see if it matches up with what you see.

  EDIT: The difference between 10.4 and 10.4.1 applies primarily to what packages are installed (in addition to installer changes on the images). To clarify, installing 10.4 and upgrading to the same versions as 10.4.1 will give you the same versions of the programs, BUT configuration files will most likely be different. To give an example:

  10.4: Background is set to red.
  10.4.1: Background is set to blue.
  10.4 + updates: Background is set to red.
  

  This applies to all changes, made by either the user or the default initial configuration options for each package.

  ring0 : Thanks, but how do I compare the numerous changelogs of all the updates from 10.04 and the 10.04.1 changelog?

  Redmumba : Based on your question, what you're interested in shouldn't be the 10.04 changelogs, but the 10.04.1 changelogs (which tell you what changed BETWEEN 10.04 and 10.04.1). For further details on what exactly changed, click on the Launchpad Bug ID (the second column) of the change in question to get exact details.

  ring0 : What I am interested in is to find out *if* there is a difference between 10.4+updates and 10.4.1. The changelog of 10.4.1 will tell me what changed - but how do I know those changes were not reflected by the 10.4 *many* updates? i.e. making 10.4.1 and 10.4+updates equal? Please read again the question.

  Redmumba : Sorry, got sidetracked trying to provide information. :) Yes, 10.4.1 = 10.4+updates (as of August 9th, according to the release page). As a piece of parting knowledge, if you install both 10.4 and 10.4.1, and upgrade all packages on both systems, the only potential differences would be configuration choices made at install time (i.e., the background image, button arrangements, etc.).

  Redmumba : Added additional info to my answer to better answer the question.

  ring0 : But doesn't it make a big difference if ubuntu decided to change - besides the them - some key parameters? Like kernel params? I agree that anybody *could* make those changes to a 10.04, but almost nobody will. Thus the resulting 10.04.1 maybe be performing better?

  Redmumba : In this case, aptitude will inform you that there are changes, and give you the option to merge them.
  From Redmumba