REVIEWS Linux distribution
Ubuntu 25.04 Beta
For his final Linux Format review, Les Pounder goes back to where it all started for him: Ubuntu and the Raspberry Pi.
Quarter-window tiling may be old hat, but it performs exceptionally well, even on the low-power Raspberry Pi 5.
IN BRIEF
Ubuntu 25.04 for the Raspberry Pi 5 looks and feels great. It’s an excellent desktop OS, but this is not the OS for makers who want an out-of-the-box experience. It is better than 24.10, also an interim release that provides just nine months of support, but for now, Ubuntu 24.04 is still the king of Ubuntu for the Raspberry Pi.
Ubuntu 25.04, code-named Plucky Puffin, is the latest interim release of the popular Linux distro and we’re taking a look at the most recent beta, ahead of its April launch. Powered by Linux Kernel 6.14, a kernel that improves hardware support, Ubuntu 25.04 for all 64-bit Raspberry Pis (3, 4, 400, 5 and 500) brings a stable distro for those who want to use their Raspberry Pi as a computer. Sure, makers can make using Ubuntu, but you’ll need to adapt your workflow to accommodate a few quirks.