Today, Mark Shuttleworth announced the name of the newest installment of Ubuntu: Precise Pangolin.

What is a Pangolin?

A Pangolin is an anteater that has large plate-like scales and a very cute face.
 

In his article Mark writes: 

"Let’s ask the question differently – what are we trying to convey? 12.04 is an LTS. So we want it to be tough and long-lasting, reliable, solid as a rock and well defended. It’s also going to be the face of Ubuntu for large deployments for a long time, so we want it to have no loose ends, we want it to be coherent, neat.

Now, I’ve recently spent a few hours tracking a pangolin through the Kalahari. I can vouch for their precision – there wasn’t an ant hill in the valley that he missed. Their scales are a wonder of detail and quite the fashion statement. I can also vouch for their toughness; pangolin’s regularly survive encounters with lions. All in all, a perfect fit. There’s no sassier character, and no more cheerful digger, anywhere in those desert plains. If you want a plucky partner, the pangolin’s your match. Let’s pack light for a wonderful adventure together."
 

So there we have it. Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin. More to come from UDS later this month.