Ubuntu Linux ISOs for RISC-V 64-bit to date have just been the server/CLI version without any desktop environment pre-seeded. But with next week's Ubuntu 26.10 release, there will now be Ubuntu 26.10 RISC-V desktop ISOs for both Ubuntu proper and a Xubuntu minimal ISO.

Valentin Haudiquet announced the work on the Ubuntu 26.10 RISC-V desktop images that will be available with the official release on 15 October. There is the regular Ubuntu Desktop image for RISC-V as well as an unofficial Xubuntu minimal image with the lighter-weight Xfce desktop. Testing has been focused on the SpacemiT K3 hardware that is RVA23 profile compliant.

For those testing in QEMU, the Xubuntu version is recommended to avoid a painfully slow experience:

"The Xubuntu variant exists for a practical reason: the XFCE-based minimal image is far more manageable under emulation (the GNOME desktop can take 30+ minutes to load under QEMU)."

More details on these RISC-V desktop images with Ubuntu 26.10 can be found via Ubuntu Discourse.