Ubuntu has entered a phase of modernization, marked by a series of strategic changes Canonical has implemented over the past few months. Take, for example, the introduction of sudo-rs as a Rust-based alternative to sudo, the shift toward newer default applications, and the decision to include the latest Linux kernel in new releases.
These are not surface-level changes; these reflect a broader shift in how Ubuntu is engineered and maintained. In a recent announcement, Canonical is taking this even further with the introduction of monthly snapshot releases.
Ubuntu Snapshots: What are These?
Snapshot 1 of Ubuntu 25.10.
Being separate releases than the usual interim and long-term support ones, Ubuntu Snapshots are monthly builds that act as development checkpoints, offering early access to ongoing work and helping improve the overall quality, stability, and transparency of each Ubuntu release.
To manage this complex, fast-paced release cycle, Canonical is leveraging Temporal, an open source durable execution solution to build a highly automated, reliable workflow system that reduces bugs and increases efficiency.
The reasoning behind this change is tied to the need for a release process that is both repeatable and transparent, while minimizing the risk of errors. By adopting this tool, they aim to create a more consistent and flexible workflow that can handle complex release tasks efficiently while reducing the chances of mistakes.
On the same subject, Jon Seager, VP Engineering at Canonical, said that:
With the introduction of monthly snapshots, we can integrate installer testing, full-disk encryption testing, graphical application testing and more as a regular, automated part of the release pipeline - not just as part of the development pipeline of each individual package. This means we should catch regressions earlier and surface more edge cases to be resolved before release.
They have already started this process and plan to release snapshots for Ubuntu 25.10 on the following dates:
May 29, 2025: Questing Quokka - Snapshot 1 *Already OutJune 10, 2025: Questing Quokka - Snapshot 2July 15, 2025: Questing Quokka - Snapshot 3August 19, 2025: Questing Quokka - Snapshot 4
You can download the first snapshot from the official image index, but keep in mind it’s not intended for general or production use; these snapshots are strictly for testing and development purposes and are not full-fledged releases.
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