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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 numerous smaller improvements.
Canonical has released Ubuntu 25.10, codenamed Questing Quokka, with an array of upgrades for Linux users eager for cutting-edge features, improved security, and a new desktop experience. As my comrade in Linux, Jack Wallen, said of the beta, it comes with "a few features that could be eye-openers to longtime (and new) users."
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For me, the biggest feature -- or misfire -- is the switch from the old (some might say archaic) X.org, the open-source X Window System implementation, to the modern Wayland. Both are display server protocols that provide the graphical interface. 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 might imagine, X has its fair share of problems. But -- and this is the important bit -- 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, robust security architecture, improved visual quality, and a maintainable and more secure codebase.
So, what's the problem? Remember all that legacy software that works hand in glove with X? Although Wayland has been around since 2008, some of those programs still hiccup when running on Wayland. These include video-conferencing programs Zoom and Jitsi Meet; any Chromium-based browser when sharing windows; and remote desktop programs Remmina and Citrix Workspace. Wayland also blocks graphic programs running as root.
Applications relying on X11 should remain compatible via XWayland, but we'll see how well that goes with tens of millions of Ubuntu users putting it to the test.
When Wayland runs with compatible applications, you'll see faster performance and improved 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 choice. Its default desktop is GNOME, and the newest shipping version of the desktop, GNOME 49, only supports Wayland.
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This day's been a long time coming, but it's still going to be a pain until the last popular X program fully supports Wayland.
GNOME 49 brings a trove of usability refinements, such as smoother UI animations, an updated notifications system, and improved accessibility from the login screen. Nautilus, the default file manager, introduces a redesigned search and more informative folder views, 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 retires in July 2026. The next long-term support (LTS) version, Ubuntu 26.04, will also (unless things go horribly wrong) use only Wayland, and it will be supported for a dozen years
Another of Ubuntu 25.10's most striking advances is its memory safety improvements. That's because it will be switching to Rust-based implementations for both the mission-critical sudo with sudo-rs and essential command-line utilities, coreutils. Linux has been slowly embracing Rust for a while now, but this will be the first time many users actually get their hands on Rust-based utilities. The classic GNU Coreutils remains in repositories for backward compatibility.
Another switch from the old way of doing things is moving from initramfs-tools to Dracut for booting your computer. This also provides reliable early support for Bluetooth and NVMe-over-Fabrics devices.
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Under the hood, the APT 3.1 package manager debuts with smarter package dependency resolution and new introspection commands. This should make package management easier and more transparent for advanced users and troubleshooters.
Ubuntu 25.10 will also include two brand-new core desktop apps: Ptyxis, a 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 gains and modern interfaces, with the originals still available to those who prefer them.
TPM-backed disk encryption is now a first-class option in the installer, providing automated unlocking and recovery key management where supported. The new Security Center app offers 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 close long-standing weaknesses in NTP.
Under it all, 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-gen Snapdragon laptops), and robust support for the latest Intel Arc GPUs and RISC-V systems.
Server admins see upgrades to container runtimes, 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 is available now for download for desktop, server, and cloud deployments, along with flavors such as Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Ubuntu MATE. As a vanguard for April 2026's LTS release, Questing Quokka represents the state of the art for Ubuntu Linux. I think it's a compelling upgrade for those seeking the newest of the new with the best security and performance from Ubuntu to date.
However, if you value stability, I'd give this release a pass for now. Let others find out how reliable, or not, all Wayland all the time proves in practice, before giving it a try.