Powered by the latest and greatest Linux kernel 6.14, Canonical has unveiled the beta release of the upcoming Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin), slated for release on April 17, allowing users to try out what will largely resonate in the final stable version.
Under the hood, systemd v257.4 arrives with vital upstream changes and the removal of some legacy functionalities. Notably, Ubuntu’s build no longer offers utmp support, and System V service scripts are on the deprecation fast track.
Developers will find an array of toolchain updates. GCC leaps to version 14.2, binutils reaches 2.44, and glibc upgrades to 2.41. Additionally, Python 3.13.2, LLVM 20, Rust 1.84, and Go 1.24 bring fresh features to the table, fueling faster and more powerful software builds.
The desktop side receives a refined GNOME environment, with GNOME 48 unveiling triple buffering support. The new Ubuntu Desktop installer also introduces a simplified dual-boot process for systems with BitLocker-secured Windows partitions.
Evince steps aside to make room for Papers as the default PDF viewer, now based on GTK4 and partly rewritten in Rust. On a related note, Ubuntu continues transitioning away from certain older libraries, with cryptographic components like OpenSSL 3.4.1 and GnuTLS 3.8.9 integrating key security improvements.
Moreover, this release brings many subsystem enhancements. BlueZ 5.79 refines Bluetooth pairing and low-energy support, while Cairo 1.18 improves 2D rendering efficiency. NetworkManager 1.52 better manages Wi-Fi roaming and fallback behavior, and PipeWire 1.2.7 strengthens audio/video handling with lower latency and richer codec support.
On the containerization side, the Docker ecosystem in Ubuntu 25.04 comes with Docker 27.5 and containerd 2.0. For data-centric workloads, MySQL jumps to its first official long-term support version—8.4 LTS—while PostgreSQL upgrades to version 17 with new SQL/JSON functionalities and an improved memory management system. For web developers, PHP is presented with its latest version 8.4
Poppler 25.03 speeds up PDF rendering and text extraction, and xdg-desktop-portal 1.20 streamlines file access and screen-sharing functions for sandboxed apps. Finally, NVIDIA driver upgrades address hybrid GPU handling and resolve lingering Wayland issues, making everything from gaming to design work more seamless.
Once officially released, Plucky Puffin will be supported for nine months, until January 2026, so it will be a good option for explorers who appreciate cutting-edge technology. Of course, if you prefer extra stability and an extended support horizon, Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS might still be the better option.
If you can’t wait to try out all the new features in the 25.04 release, you can download a beta version of the installation ISO image here. The official announcement provides a detailed overview of all the updates in the new release.
