Canonical is set to deliver a fully functional desktop session on the RISC-V architecture with the upcoming release of Ubuntu 25.10, dubbed Questing Quokka. This promising update aims to significantly enhance the user experience, particularly for those using NVIDIA GPUs, by providing a more polished Wayland experience alongside improved TPM-backed Full Disk Encryption.
In a recent announcement, Canonical highlighted a critical shift for RISC-V users, emphasizing the discontinuation of support for most existing RISC-V hardware. This transition involves raising the required RISC-V ISA profile family from RVA20 to RVA23, which unfortunately means that approximately 90% of current RISC-V devices will be rendered incompatible with Ubuntu 25.10. This change aligns with a recent standardization effort by RISC-V International, which ratified the RVA23 profile standard in October 2024. This standard is designed to accelerate the RISC-V software ecosystem and introduces a hypervisor extension for enterprise environments.
Canonical’s objective with this development is to ensure that Ubuntu operates effectively on newer RISC-V hardware, catering to essential applications like Firefox and Thunderbird, which will remain the default web browser and email client, respectively, in the release.
The Ubuntu 25.10 upgrade process will feature a mechanism to confirm if RISC-V hardware meets the RVA23 capabilities. Moreover, the built-in upgrader tool will prevent upgrades beyond Ubuntu 24.04 LTS for devices lacking RVA23U64 support.
In addition to these crucial updates for RISC-V users, Ubuntu 25.10 will include enhancements such as a more refined Wayland experience on NVIDIA GPUs, full support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) on compatible monitors, functional TPM-backed FDE, and refined permissions prompts. Enterprise administrators will also benefit from the ability to download autoinstall configuration files directly from Landscape during provisioning, alongside improved accessibility features in line with the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Expect the beta version of Ubuntu 25.10 to drop on September 18, with the final version set to launch on October 9, 2025. The release will be powered by Linux kernel 6.17 and will showcase the forthcoming GNOME 49 desktop environment, along with new applications like Loupe and Ptyxis. For more information, follow Ubuntu’s updates and developments.
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