Goodbye Wget — Ubuntu Will Drop It from the Default Install

For decades, wget has been one of the most familiar tools on Linux. If you needed to grab a file from the internet, chances are you typed wget followed by a URL.

But things are changing. Starting with Ubuntu Server 25.10, wget will no longer be part of the default installation.

Instead, Ubuntu developers have decided to rely on wcurl, a lightweight wrapper around curl that provides similar functionality.

This shift doesn’t mean the end of wget. It’s still available. But it does mark the end of its era as a default download tool on new Ubuntu servers.

Why Ubuntu Is Saying Goodbye to wget

At first glance, it might look like yet another round of “wget vs curl.” But that’s not the real story here.

According to John Chittum, Engineering Manager at Canonical, the decision is part of a broader cleanup effort.

Over the years, the default Ubuntu Server install has grown larger, pulling in tools that may not be strictly necessary. Canonical’s team is now revisiting that list and trimming down.

The goal? A leaner, more streamlined Ubuntu Server that includes only the essentials, while still covering the needs of most users.