Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Ubuntu 25.10 is almost ready for the market. Although an interim release, the beta includes plenty of new features. The biggest change is Dracut replacing initramfs-tools. With Ubuntu 25.10 on the horizon, you might be curious about what will be included. Although a good number of features were added during the alpha phase of the development process, the just-released beta adds a few features that could be eye-openers to longtime (and new) users. Keep in mind that any Ubuntu version ending in .10 is a short-term (aka "interim") release candidate, which means it only gets roughly one year of support. If you prioritize long-term support, those interim releases are probably not for you. Also: The easiest way to try out Ubuntu Linux That said, I've used plenty of Ubuntu interim releases and have always found them to be quite good. If I've piqued your interest, keep reading to find out what's new in the Questing Quokka release. New metric collection Prior to 25.10, Ubuntu used the Ubuntu Report to collect and report usage. With the latest release, it switches to Ubuntu Insights, a reporting tool for transparent, consent-based non-PII system information and collections. For those über protective of their privacy, don't worry about Ubuntu using that collected information to create a profile for you and use it for targeted advertising. This information is only collected for Canonical's insight into usage statistics. Dracut is all the rage For two decades, Ubuntu has used initramfs-tools to automate the Linux boot process. With the release of 25.10, that changed, and Dracut took over the duty. The primary reason for this change is that Dracut is modular, which means it's easier to develop, offers more consistent behavior, and enjoys faster updates. (You may remember that Dracut became an official alternative back in the 25.04 release, but it wasn't the default.) Also: 8 ways to protect your privacy on Linux and keep your data safe Default apps Another big change is in the default apps. Understand that this change comes about due to the upgrades found in GNOME 49; however, with 25.10, anyone who's been using Ubuntu for a while might notice these changes. The new default app lineup looks like this: Ptyxis replaces gnome-terminal. Loupe replaces Eye of GNOME as the default image viewer. Sudo-rs replaces sudo. Ubuntu Insights replaces Ubuntu Report. Dracut replaces initramfs-tools. Chrony is now the new network NTP (Network Time Protocol) client. Wayland replaces X11 (for Ubuntu Desktop sessions). Miscellaneous changes Ubuntu 25.10 also ships with other changes, including: Toochain update (GCC 15.2, GNU C Library 2.42, GNU Binutils 2.45, Python 3.13.7, LLVM 20, Boost 1.88, systemd 257.9, Rust 1.85, Go 1.24, OpenJDK 25, OpenSSL 3.5, and Mesa 25.2). Kernel 6.17 GNOME 49 Experimental TPM-backed full-disk encryption Also: How to install Ubuntu Linux (It's easy!) If you're interested in giving Ubuntu 25.10 a try, download the latest beta release and install away. Just remember, this is beta software, so don't expect it to run without issues.