What’s New in Ubuntu 25.10 “Questing Quokka” — The October 2025 Upgrade, Explained

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What's new in Ubuntu 25.10?

TL;DR

  • GNOME 49 on the desktop: smoother touches, smarter Quick Settings, per-monitor HDR brightness, and lock-screen media controls.
  • Wayland-only Ubuntu session: the classic Xorg option is gone on Ubuntu Desktop, simplifying the stack.
  • New default apps: Loupe (image viewer) and Ptyxis (terminal) replace older stalwarts.
  • Security boost: experimental TPM-backed full-disk encryption in the installer with better recovery/firmware integration.
  • Under the hood: Linux 6.17 plus a refreshed toolchain (GCC 15, Python 3.13 series, OpenJDK 25, Rust 1.85).
  • Release facts: released October 9, 2025, supported for 9 months (through July 2026).

Desktop Polish: GNOME 49 Where It Matters

GNOME 49 is a “you-feel-it” upgrade. The Lock Screen now surfaces media controls (play/pause/skip and track info) so you don’t have to unlock just to quiet a song. Quick Settings gets smarter: the Do Not Disturb toggle lives where it belongs alongside Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and power controls; and per-monitor brightness adjustments arrive for HDR displays, helping multi-monitor setups feel less all-or-nothing and more precise. Animations are a touch smoother and many dialogs feel cleaner thanks to incremental design refinements upstream.

New Defaults: Loupe & Ptyxis

Ubuntu continues its modernization streak by swapping in two fast, GTK4-era apps:

  • Loupe (Image Viewer): a sleek, responsive viewer that scrolls and zooms like it was built yesterday—because it was.
  • Ptyxis (Terminal): a lightweight terminal with crisp rendering and a no-nonsense UI, ready for daily development work.

If you prefer the old apps, they’re still a quick install away, but these defaults make a strong case out-of-the-box.

Wayland-Only Ubuntu Session

Ubuntu 25.10 drops the Xorg-based GNOME session on the main desktop, standardizing on Wayland. Why it matters:

  • Fewer code paths = fewer edge-case bugs before the next LTS.
  • Better security model and modern graphics plumbing.
  • Nvidia users benefit from the maturing explicit-sync stack and far better Wayland behavior than a couple of cycles ago.

For legacy workflows that truly need Xorg, XWayland covers most app cases; specialized scenarios can still run flavors or custom sessions as needed.

Security: TPM-Backed Full-Disk Encryption (Experimental, but Real)

The installer now exposes TPM-backed FDE as a first-class, experimental option: the disk unlock key can be sealed to your machine’s TPM 2.0 and secure-boot measurements, with options for passphrase management and recovery-key regeneration. Translation: stronger protection tied to hardware integrity—and a clearer story for laptop users who want “FileVault/BitLocker-like” peace of mind on Ubuntu.

Under the Hood: Faster Kernel, New Toolchain

  • Linux 6.17 brings broader hardware enablement, newer CPU/GPU drivers, performance tweaks, and subtle quality-of-life gains for power management and scheduling.
  • Toolchain refresh: GCC 15 for modern C/C++; Python 3.13 series in the repos; OpenJDK 25; Rust 1.85—plus the usual parade of newer libraries and build tools developers expect each cycle.

Everyday Quality-of-Life Tweaks

  • Files (Nautilus) gets a tidier search UI and sensible filters that make narrowing down results quicker.
  • Accessibility touch-ups show up at login and throughout Settings, aligning with broader compliance goals.
  • Brightness steps now move in finer increments, making small tweaks less jumpy on laptops.

Upgrade Notes, Support Window

  • Release date: October 9, 2025.
  • Support: 9 months (until July 2026).
  • Upgrades: typically enabled within a week or two of release; if you’re on 25.04, you’ll see a prompt when it’s ready. If you need multi-year stability, stick with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and its point releases.

Should You Upgrade?

  • Yes if you want the latest GNOME, the streamlined Wayland stack, or you’re curious about TPM-backed encryption.
  • Yes for developers who want refreshed compilers/interpreters and a current kernel.
  • Maybe wait if your workflow depends on niche Xorg-only plugins/drivers or you’re mid-project on an LTS.

Final Take

Ubuntu 25.10 doesn’t scream for attention; it hums. The desktop gets thoughtful refinements, the display stack is simplified, security steps forward with TPM-backed FDE, and the toolchain arrives ready for modern workloads. It’s a confident, forward-leaning interim release—and a clear signal of what to expect in next spring’s LTS.

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