> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# What's New in Xubuntu 25.04? All the Highlights You Need to Know!
- URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/xubuntu-25-04/
- Published: 2025-04-18T03:55:41.000Z
- Updated: 2025-04-18T03:55:41.000Z
- Description: Xubuntu 25.04 "Plucky Puffin" delivers a more polished Xfce desktop experience.
- Author: Sourav Rudra
- Tags: Distribution Releases, News, #Import 2025-11-08 21:15

If you didn't know, [Xubuntu](https://xubuntu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a lightweight, stable, and easy-to-use Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that has been designed to be as efficient and minimal as possible.

While it is offered as a [long-term support](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/) release (*LTS*), there is always an interim release that follows months after the previous LTS release, continuing the cycle every six months.

We will be taking a look at one such release that has been introduced recently.

📋

Xubuntu 25.04 will be supported for nine months until January 2026.

## 🆕 Xubuntu 25.04: What’s New?

![fastfetch output of xubuntu 25.04](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/04/xubuntu-25-04-desktop-fastfetch-output.png)

**A neat* [**Fastfetch*](https://itsfoss.com/fine-control-fastfetch/) *output.*

[](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/10/Xubuntu%5F23.10%5F1.png)

As an interim release based on [Ubuntu 25.04](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-25-04-features/), the Xfce-flavored Xubuntu 25.04 shares many changes with that release while catering to a user base that prefers a no-nonsense desktop experience.

Some highlights of this release include:

- **Xfce Upgrades**
- **Linux kernel 6.14**
- **Updated Applications**

### Xfce Upgrades

![a screenshot with the new xubuntu 25.04 wallpaper and many xfce apps open](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/04/xubuntu-25-04-xfce-upgrades.png)

We begin with the inclusion of [Xfce 4.20](https://itsfoss.com/xfce-4-20-release/), which introduces many new changes, such as experimental Wayland support, Xfce panel's border width being fully configurable, support for multiple power profiles, and an improved Thunar file manager.

The latter of which comes loaded with many memory leak fixes and new interface bits like new toolbar buttons, support for client-side decorations, symbolic icons in the side pane, and better drag/drop behavior.

The included themes also see upgrades, with the *elementary-xfce* theme now being a GPLv3 licensed icon theme with a new HiDPI variant and *Greybird* seeing a version bump to 3.23.3.

### Linux kernel 6.14

![the xfce about dialog open on xubuntu 25.04](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/04/xubuntu-25-04-about-xfce.png)

Following [what Ubuntu does](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-latest-kernel/), Xubuntu 25.04 ships with the latest available kernel at freeze date, which was Linux kernel 6.14 in this case. It brings about performance gains for AMD, Intel, and RISC-V, alongside a bunch of storage improvements and support for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite series of SoCs.

Our coverage of [Linux kernel 6.14](https://itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-14/) is a good read if you are interested in learning more.

[Linux Kernel 6.14 Arrives With Performance Gains for AMD, Intel, and RISC-VThe second major Linux kernel release of 2025 has arrived!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-192x192-61.png)It's FOSS NewsSourav Rudra![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/linux-kernel-6-14-release-2.png)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-14/)

### Updated Applications

![on a xubuntu 25.04 system, apps like gimp 3.0.2, firefox 136.0.2, and catfish 4.20.0 are shown](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/04/xubuntu-25-04-updated-apps.png)

![a screenshot of all the updated gnome apps like disk](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/04/xubuntu-25-04-updated-gnome-apps.png)

**The various updated apps on Xubuntu 25.04.*

The application suite has also received upgrades, with additions like Firefox 136.0.2 (*Snap*), GIMP 3.0.2, LibreOffice 25.2.2, PipeWire 1.2.7, Snapd 2.67.1, Thunderbird 128.8.1 (*Snap*), and Blueman 2.4.4.

Similarly, the onboard [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [MATE](https://mate-desktop.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) applications have also received attention with the inclusion of Mines 1:48.0-1, Sudoku 1:48.0-2, Disk Usage Analyzer 48.0-1, and Fonts 48.0-1 for the GNOME apps. In the case of the MATE apps, there is now Atril 1.26.2, Engrampa 1.26.2, and Calculator 1.26.0 (*mate-calc*).

### 🛠️ Other Improvements

That's not all. This release has some additional improvements that you should know about:

- Support for [OpenVPN](https://openvpn.net/?ref=itsfoss.com), enabling secure internet access.
- The various Xubuntu repositories and PPAs have been updated.
- Fix for a bug that caused Xubuntu Minimal not to have Firefox included.

This release has **a few known issues**, like poor performance in virtual machines configured via VMware and VirtualBox, the network icon being duplicated on the live session, and the GRUB menu not showing up in dual-boot setups.

You can learn more about those and the other changes by going through the [release notes](https://wiki.xubuntu.org/releases/25.04/release-notes?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 📥 Download Xubuntu 25.04

This Xubuntu release is available on the [official website](https://xubuntu.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Ubuntu image repository](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/25.04/?ref=itsfoss.com). Go for the latest release if you want Xubuntu 25.04, and if you want a more stable experience, then the latest LTS release is the one for you.

[Xubuntu 25.04](https://xubuntu.org/download/?ref=itsfoss.com)

**Existing users** can upgrade to this release by following these steps:

- Open "*Software Updater*"
- Update any available package updates.
- Then click on the upgrade banner at the top of the window and follow the on-screen prompts.

The [official documentation](https://docs.xubuntu.org/2010/user/C/migrating-upgrading.html?ref=itsfoss.com) has additional information if you have any doubts.