{"id":48518,"date":"2025-03-28T06:07:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T06:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/?p=48518"},"modified":"2025-03-28T06:07:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T06:07:27","slug":"ubuntu-25-04-beta-is-now-available-for-testing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/ubuntu-25-04-beta-is-now-available-for-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"Ubuntu 25.04 Beta is Now Available for Testing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Ubuntu team announced<\/a> the Beta release of Ubuntu 25.04, code-name Plucky Puffin, on Mar 27.<\/p>\n

The final release of Ubuntu 25.04 is expected on April 17, 2025. It’s a short term release with 9-month support until Jan 2026.<\/p>\n

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The new release features Linux 6.14<\/b>, the latest Kernel that was released a few days ago.<\/p>\n

The new kernel has new hardware support and updated drivers, including THC driver for handling touchscreen\/touchpad in modern Intel laptops, NTSYNC driver for better performance playing Windows games through Wine or Steam Play, Microsoft “Copilot” key support, better Dell XPS-13 support. See HERE<\/a> for more about new kernel.<\/p>\n

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The default desktop in the release is GNOME 48<\/b> that was release in last week.<\/p>\n

The new desktop introduced a “Wellbeing<\/b>” setting page, allowing to monitor and limit screen time usage, new toggle option to enable HDR<\/b>, as well as a battery charge limit<\/b> option for PC\/laptop that support the feature.<\/p>\n

Other desktop features include dynamic triple buffering with significantly improved desktop performance, global shortcuts, center new windows by default, and new gdctl<\/code> utility to show\/set display configuration. See GNOME 48 release note<\/a> for more about the new desktop.<\/p>\n

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Screen time monitor\/limit setting page<\/p><\/div>\n

Ubuntu does NOT use vanilla GNOME. 25.04 replaced Evince with Papers as default document viewer for viewing PDF files, introduced xdg-terminal-exec<\/code> to switch user’s default terminal, and geolocation services are now backed by BeaconDB 5 after Mozilla Location Services was retired last year.<\/p>\n

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The Desktop installer has also been updated with option to replace an existing Ubuntu installation, and dual boot with BitLocker protected Windows systems while offering encryption and advanced options.<\/p>\n

Other changes in Ubuntu 25.04 Beta include:<\/p>\n