The next release of Ubuntu Linux, 25.10 Questing Quokka, will be available on Sept. 18 in a Beta test version. In the meantime you can install the latest daily build, and you can carry on with daily builds until the full release on October 9. As a former long-time Silicon Valley Senior Tech Writer and Free Software lead, I am providing commentary on Ubuntu’s recommended installation process below.
Do not install any of these preliminary builds on a production computer. We expect to find bugs and goosh them ➡️➡️ if they don’t hit us too hard in the next few weeks, but you shouldn’t risk real data along the way.
I happen to have a spare HP laptop with some minor niggles (for which I have found workarounds), along with my more recent HP laptop that I found on eBay for $95, a price I couldn’t resist.
If you are thinking of switching to Linux, I don’t recommend starting with a test build. The current Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin is fine, and comes with a convenient upgrade tool that will notify you when the next release is ready, and automate the entire process.
Ubuntu 25.10 “Questing Quokka” Brings Groundbreaking Changes to Its October 2025 Release
What Users Should Do
- Test current applications and hardware with Ubuntu 25.10 daily builds before the official release
- Review system boot configurations that may be affected by the Dracut transition
- Prepare backup strategies for systems planned for upgrade to Ubuntu 25.10
- Monitor the official Ubuntu channels for final release announcements and upgrade documentation
Pro Tip
If you’re running critical systems, consider testing Ubuntu 25.10 in a virtual machine first to ensure all your essential software and hardware components work correctly with the new kernel and boot system changes.
One more thing: You might need to save your Firefox passwords and bookmarks, if any, and put the resulting .csv and .html files on your USB drive, so that they are easy to load when you get Quokka running.
If you know how to install a VM, you don’t need my help with these more basic processes.
Here are the general instructions for installing any version of Ubuntu Linux.
Install Ubuntu Desktop
Whilst Ubuntu works on a wide range of devices, it is recommended that you use a device listed on the Ubuntu certified hardware page. These devices have been tested and confirmed to work well with Ubuntu.
Flash drives are super cheap. How about a SanDisk 256GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive - 130MB/s - SDCZ48-256G-AW4 for $26.88? Or 32 GB for $6.49, much more space than you need for this installation? You can get terabyte drives if You want.
Download an Ubuntu image
Get the Ubuntu image from the Download Ubuntu Desktop page. Save it to a memorable location on your PC! This tutorial uses the latest Ubuntu 24.04 LTS release (available on April 25th 2024), which features the new Ubuntu Desktop installer.
It’s the same installer for 25.04 and the current Beta of 25.10
Create a bootable USB stick
To install Ubuntu Desktop, write your downloaded ISO to a USB stick to create the installation media. This is not the same as copying the ISO and requires some special software.
This tutorial uses balenaEtcher because it runs on Linux, Windows and macOS. Choose the version that corresponds to your current operating system, download and install the tool.
I downloaded balenaEtcher and tried it twice. It failed, both times, once destroying itself. YMMV.
But you don’t need it. I right-clicked on the .iso file, and selected Open with Disk Image Mounter, which worked fine.
The balenaEtcher UI is straightforward, if it works for you. Click the three icons in succession.
Select your downloaded ISO, choose your USB flash drive, and then click Flash! to write your image.
Boot from USB flash drive
Insert the USB flash drive into the laptop or PC you want to use to install Ubuntu and boot or restart the device. It should recognise the installation media automatically. If not, try holding F12 during startup and selecting the USB device from the system-specific boot menu.
F12 is the most common key for bringing up the system boot menu but Escape, F2 and F10 are common alternatives. If unsure, look for a brief message when your system starts – this often informs you which key to press to access the boot menu.
It’s Escape on mine. Then I choose the boot menu, and there I choose to boot from the USB drive. That allows me to choose between installing Ubuntu or running it without installing. The forms of these menus are different on every brand and model of computer, but those choices will be in there somewhere.
So choose Install, and away we go.
Installation setup
You will be prompted to choose between Interactive installation and Automated Installation. The Automated option is the standard route, but more advanced users can use the Interactive installation option to customize all sorts of things. An example tutorial for Automated installation is available here.
New users should choose the Automated Installation, and agree to whatever it suggests, except for possibly choosing a language other than English and a preferred keyboard layout I use English/Dvorak alt-Internatonal. Dvorak with dead keys makes it impossible to use ctl-1 to quote text.
Experienced users know what they want, and don’t need me looking over their shoulders.
How is it going for you?
