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. It was simple, reliable, and shipped out-of-the-box on nearly every Linux distribution.
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.
Table of Contents
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.
In fact, wget isn’t the only tool being dropped from the default set. Classic terminal multiplexers like byobu and screen are also being removed, leaving tmux as the sole option preinstalled.
See also: Mastering the Linux Command Line — Your Complete Free Training Guide
Why wcurl Makes Sense Now
For long-time Linux users, removing wget from the seed might feel strange. It’s been there for decades. But this change is less disruptive than it sounds.
That’s because wcurl is already included with curl 8.14.x. It acts as a translator, letting you type familiar wget-style commands while running them through curl under the hood.
So when you run something like:
wcurl <https://example.com/file.zip>
…it just works.
And in many common cases, wcurl actually covers more ground than wget:
- Download multiple files in parallel
- Follow redirects automatically
- Choose sensible filenames
- Avoid overwriting existing files
- Retry failed downloads
- Preserve file timestamps
- Handle special characters in URLs
For everyday downloading tasks, wcurl is good enough to replace wget seamlessly.
What If You Still Want wget?
Don’t worry — wget isn’t disappearing. It’s simply moving to Ubuntu’s “supported” seed.
That means it won’t come preinstalled, but it’s still available in the main repository. You can install it at any time with:
sudo apt install wget
And just like before, it will receive security updates for the entire lifespan of Ubuntu 25.10.
So if you maintain older scripts, automation, or dependencies that expect wget specifically, you can keep using it without issue.
