Ubuntu 25.10 "Questing Quokka" arrives with GNOME 49 and Linux 6.17 in tow

Today, Canonical pushes the Ubuntu distro forward with a new interim release on the way to the next LTS, which is scheduled to drop in 2026. Dubbed "Questing Quokka" and available for the same wide range of platforms as its predecessor, Ubuntu 25.10 sports silicon-level compatibility enhancements, accessibility upgrades, robust security, and plenty of software upgrades, both under-the-hood and in plain sight.

According to Jon Seager, VP of Ubuntu Engineering at Canonical, this new release "is a statement of intent for the next Ubuntu LTS in 2026," and the parts that he considers worthy of attention are the improved memory-safe utilities alongside the enhanced TPM-backed full disk encryption. These are some of the other highlights:

• GNOME 49 with media and power controls on the lock screen, integrating the Loupe image viewer and Ptyxis terminal emulator.
• Better support for high contrast, screen reading, and keyboard navigation in the App Center.
• OpenJDK 25, Python 3.14 RC3, Golang 1.25, and GCC 15.
• Rust 1.85 as default, with 1.88 also available.
• Previews of the new Zig language compiler and .NET 10.
• The Linux kernel 6.17 includes early access to nested virtualization on ARM, along with many other features.

The downloads are accessible via this page. Past releases and various community-driven efforts are also available for download. As always, those not satisfied with the existing mirrors can choose to go with a BitTorrent download. The standard support period for Ubuntu 25.10 will end in July 2026.