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- Ready or not, Ubuntu’s default display will be Wayland.
- The new Ubuntu includes the first user-facing Rust-based utilities.
- This release also comes with several minor improvements.
Canon’s has issued ubuntu 25.10Codenamed Questing Quokka, with a series of upgrades for Linux users eager for cutting-edge features, improved security, and a new desktop experience. As Jack Wallen, my colleague at Linux, said about the beta, it “comes with some features that may be eye-opening for longtime (and new) users.”
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For me, the biggest feature – or misfire – is the switch from the old (some might call it archaic) X.OrgOpen-source X Window System implementation for modern wellandBoth are display server protocols that provide graphical interfaces. How old is X? I started using it in 1984 on an AT&T 3B2 computer running Unix System 7 version 1. It’s improved a lot since then, but under the hood, its design still looks familiar.
As you can imagine, the X has its fair share of problems. But – and this is the important thing – all older software works well with it.
Wayland, on the other hand, with its client-side rendering, enables applications to communicate directly with the desktop compositor. This reduces graphics rendering steps and improves efficiency. Wayland also boasts a streamlined graphics pipeline, stronger security architecture, better visual quality, and a maintainable and more secure codebase.
So, what is the problem? Do you remember all that old software that worked with X? Although Wayland has been around since 2008, some of those programs still hesitate when running on Wayland. These include video-conferencing programs Zoom and Jitsi Meet; Any Chromium-based browser when sharing windows; and remote desktop programs Remina and Citrix Workspace. Wayland also blocks graphic programs running as root.
Applications that rely on X11 should remain compatible through
When Wayland runs with compatible applications, you’ll see faster performance and better graphics reliability. When it runs with incompatible programs, you’ll want to tear your hair out.
Why is Canonical doing this? The company has no option. Its default desktop is GNOME, and the latest shipping version of the desktop, GNOME 49, only supports Wayland.
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This day has been a long time coming, but it will still be painful until the last popular X program fully supports Wayland.
GNOME 49 brings a series of usability refinements, such as smoother UI animations, an updated notification system, and improved access from the login screen. Nautilus, the default file manager, features a redesigned search and more informative folder view, enhancing everyday usability. Fractional scaling and HDR support improve visual clarity, especially on modern displays.
On the other hand, Ubuntu 25.10 is a short-term release. Canonical only supports these for nine months, so Ubuntu 25.10 will be discontinued in July 2026. The next long term support (LTS) version, Ubuntu 26.04, will also (unless things go horribly wrong) only use Wayland, and that will be supported for a dozen years
The most significant advancement of Ubuntu 25.10 is its memory protection improvements. This is because it will switch to a Rust-based implementation for both mission-critical sudo sudo -rs and essential command-line utilities, coreutilsLinux has been slowly adopting Rust for some time now, but this will be the first time many users will actually get Rust-based utilities. Classic GNU coreutils remain in the repository for backward compatibility.
Another switch from the old way of doing things is switching from initramfs-tools to Dracut to boot your computer. It also provides reliable initial support for Bluetooth and NVMe-over-Fabrics devices.
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Under the hood, the APT 3.1 package manager debuts with improved package dependency resolution and new introspection commands. This will make package management easier and more transparent for advanced users and troubleshooters.
Ubuntu 25.10 will also include two brand new core desktop apps: PtyxisA GPU-accelerated, feature-rich terminal emulator that replaces GNOME Terminal, and Loupe, which replaces Eye of GNOME as the default image viewer. Each offers performance benefits and modern interfaces, with the originals still available for those who prefer them.
TPM-supported disk encryption is now a first-class option in the installer, providing automatic unlocking and recovery key management when supported. The new Security Center app provides clear access to disk encryption controls and recovery options.
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Ubuntu also makes Chrony the default time synchronization daemon using Network Time Security (NTS) for cryptographically authenticated time syncing, helping to address a long-standing vulnerability in NTP.
Underneath all this, Ubuntu is built on the Linux 6.17 kernel. Because of this, Ubuntu 25.10 brings early support for Intel TDX, AMD SmartMux, major improvements for ARM64 (including easier booting on next-generation Snapdragon laptops), and stronger support for the latest Intel Arc GPUs and RISC-V systems.
Server administrators see upgrades to the container runtime, more capable cloud-init provisioning, and the latest server packages. This includes Apache 2.4.64, Nginx 1.28, PHP 8.4.11, PostgreSQL 17.6, and MySQL 8.4.
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Ubuntu 25.10 now available for download For desktop, server and cloud deployments, with flavors like Kubuntu, Xubuntu and Ubuntu MATE. As the precursor to the April 2026 LTS release, Questing Quokka represents the state of the art for Ubuntu Linux. I think this is an attractive upgrade for those looking for the latest from Ubuntu with the best security and performance yet.
However, if you value stability, I would skip this release for now. Let others find out how well or how reliable all of Wayland proves to be in practice before trying it.
