Quick answer: For most people, stay on or install
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. It is supported with standard
security updates until May 2031, and it received its
first point release (26.04.1) in August. Choose Ubuntu 26.10
“Stonking Stingray,” released October 15, 2026, only if you
want the newest software now, such as Linux 7.3 and GNOME 51, and you
are willing to upgrade again within nine months,
because it is supported only until July 2027.
This comparison is built from Canonical’s official release notes,
release schedule and download pages, checked on October 30,
2026. We did not install or benchmark either release for this
article, so we make no performance claims.
At a glance
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | Ubuntu 26.10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Codename | Resolute Raccoon | Stonking Stingray |
| Released | April 23, 2026 | October 15, 2026 |
| Standard support until | May 2031 | July 2027 |
| Kernel | Linux 7.0 | Linux 7.3 |
| Desktop | GNOME 50 | GNOME 51 |
| Best for | Long-term machines | Enthusiasts, new hardware |
Canonical’s release-cycle page lists Ubuntu 26.04 LTS as released
April 2026 with standard security maintenance to May 2031, Expanded
Security Maintenance to May 2036, and a legacy add-on option through May
2041. Ubuntu 26.10 is listed with support to July 2027 and no extended
options.
How the two release types
differ
Ubuntu ships twice a year. April releases in even-numbered years are
Long Term Support (LTS) releases. The October release is an interim
release that gets only nine months of updates.
The practical result:
- LTS is built for machines you want to leave alone:
five years of standard support, plus optional extended coverage. - Interim releases get new software first, but you
must move to the next release before support ends, or you stop getting
security updates.
Canonical’s server documentation says the same thing: it recommends
running an LTS release, and notes that interim releases are only
supported for nine months.
What is new in Ubuntu 26.10
These are highlights from the official 26.10 release notes.
Desktop
| Change | Detail |
|---|---|
| GNOME 51 | Smoother frame scheduling, monitor brightness remembered across reboots and HDR changes |
| Tiling | A new popup offers layout choices when you drag a window |
| App Center | A unified app-details view for Snap and Debian packages, plus a Drivers page |
| Codecs | One-time playback codecs can be installed on demand |
| Settings | Shows whether your computer is Ubuntu Certified; screen rotation lock |
| Papers | Can add visual signatures to documents |
GNOME 51 also expands the Reduced Motion setting, lets you adjust
screenshot selections by keyboard and improves Orca screen reader
announcements.
Ubuntu also introduces Myna, an early speech-to-text
preview. You hold a key to dictate into the focused app, and the release
notes say transcription runs locally with no audio sent to a network
service. It is not preinstalled and its features may change.
Under the hood
- Linux 7.3. (For what the 7.3 kernel itself adds,
see our Linux 7.3
kernel guide.) The release notes say the kernel in the release
images (7.3.0-9.9) is based on 7.3-rc6, because the final upstream 7.3
release was due after Ubuntu’s general availability date. Notable
hardware work includes early support for Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops,
and enablement for upcoming AMD Zen 6 client platforms. - dbus-broker. The default D-Bus implementation
changes from dbus-daemon to dbus-broker, for both the system and user
session buses. - Rust coreutils. The default core utilities now run
entirely on the Rust-based uutils implementation. The last GNU holdouts
(cp, mv and rm) have been migrated. Canonical documents how to switch
back to GNU coreutils. - Sequoia PGP. The Rust-based OpenPGP implementation
enters the main archive, with the goal of becoming the default OpenPGP
toolchain over time. - systemd 261.3 and cloud-init
26.2. - Toolchains. GCC 15.2.0, Go 1.27, LLVM 22.1.8,
Python 3.14.7, Rust 1.97.1, OpenJDK 25 with OpenJDK 27 available, and
Zig 0.16. - AMD ROCm 10.0 in the Universe repository, up from
7.1.0 in 26.04 LTS.
Server changes to read
before upgrading
| Package | Change in 26.10 |
|---|---|
| MySQL | 8.4 LTS to 9.7 LTS |
| HAProxy | Jumps from 3.2 to 3.4.2 |
| Valkey | 9.1 |
| Postfix | 3.11.7 |
| Samba | 4.24.7 |
| libvirt / QEMU | 12.6.0 / 11.0 |
Two warnings stand out in the notes:
- MySQL: the
mysql_native_password
authentication plugin was removed upstream. The release upgrader will
detect accounts or configuration still using it and block the upgrade
until you migrate them. - HAProxy: the default load-balancing algorithm
changes from roundrobin to random (power of two choices), and some other
defaults change as well.
QEMU 11.0 drops 32-bit host builds, and libvirt’s secrets are now
encrypted, among other changes. Server administrators should read the
full notes before moving anything important.
NVIDIA drivers
The 615 driver series replaces 595 and 610, and ships only open
kernel modules, which support Turing and newer GPUs. The 580 series
still ships both proprietary and open modules. If you have an older
NVIDIA card, check which series your card needs before upgrading.
What 26.04 LTS already gives
you
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is not standing still. According to its release
notes, it includes:
- Linux 7.0 (up from 6.8 for users coming from 24.04
LTS on the standard kernel). - GNOME 50, which runs Wayland only. GNOME Shell can
no longer run as an X.org session, though X.org apps still run through
XWayland. - Updated apps, including Firefox 150, LibreOffice 25.8 and
Thunderbird 140. - Rust 1.93 as a toolchain, and Papers and Loupe replacing Evince and
Eye of GNOME. - A hardware enablement (HWE) option for newer
kernels over the life of the LTS, plus a virtualization HWE stack.
The first point release, 26.04.1, arrived on its
scheduled date of August 27, 2026. Canonical’s schedule lists further
point releases in February 2027, August 2027, February 2028 and
September 2028. Ubuntu Desktop 26.04.1 also received a backport of
TPM-backed full disk encryption for computers without a hardware root of
trust, as long as you set a PIN or passphrase.
Hardware requirements
Canonical’s desktop download page lists the same recommended minimums
for both 26.04.1 LTS and 26.10:
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz dual-core or better |
| Memory | 6 GB |
| Storage | 25 GB free |
Treat these as the floor for a desktop install, not as a target for
comfortable use.
Can you upgrade from
26.04 LTS to 26.10?
Yes, in general. The 26.10 release notes point to the Ubuntu Desktop
and Server upgrade guides, and describe one known exception: systems
running under TPM-backed full disk encryption cannot upgrade from 26.04
LTS to 26.10 at release. Canonical says it anticipates enabling those
upgrades during the 26.10 lifecycle.
Two practical points:
- Back up first. Canonical’s upgrade guide stresses
that although upgrades are normally safe, something can go wrong, and
data should be backed up before you begin. - LTS to LTS is the standard path. The upgrade guide
says you can only upgrade from one LTS release directly to the next
sequential LTS, and that LTS-to-LTS upgrades are only offered after the
first point release. If you are on 24.04 LTS, 26.04 LTS is the
target.
If you move to 26.10, you can’t simply stay put: you will need to
upgrade again before July 2027. The next release in development is
27.04, “Tenacious T-Rex,” and the next LTS after 26.04 will be
28.04.
Who should choose what
| You are… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Running a home server or NAS | 26.04 LTS |
| Setting up a family or work computer | 26.04 LTS |
| Running 24.04 LTS | Upgrade to 26.04 LTS |
| Using brand-new hardware | 26.10, or 26.04 with HWE |
| Wanting the latest GNOME and kernel | 26.10 |
| Developing against the newest toolchains | 26.10 |
| Using TPM-backed full disk encryption | Stay on 26.04 LTS for now |
The notes also offer a middle path. Because 26.04 LTS has a hardware
enablement stack, many people who need a newer kernel can stay on the
LTS and pick up newer kernels that way instead of moving to an interim
release.
A short pre-upgrade
checklist
These are general good habits, not claims from Canonical’s notes:
- Back up your data and, for servers, take a snapshot
or image of the machine. - Read the server section of the release notes if you
run MySQL, HAProxy, libvirt or anything else on the list above. - Check third-party repositories and PPAs. Software
that isn’t packaged by Ubuntu may not have builds for a brand-new
release yet. - Try it first on a spare machine or virtual machine
if you depend on a specific workflow. - Write down the date. If you choose 26.10, put the
July 2027 end of support in your calendar so you aren’t caught without
security updates.
FAQ
When was Ubuntu 26.10
released?
October 15, 2026.
How long is Ubuntu 26.10
supported?
Nine months, until July 2027.
How long is Ubuntu 26.04
LTS supported?
Standard security maintenance runs until May 2031. Expanded Security
Maintenance runs to May 2036, and a legacy add-on runs through May 2041,
per Canonical’s release-cycle page.
Which Linux kernel does 26.10
use?
Linux 7.3. The release images use a kernel based on 7.3-rc6, because
the final upstream release came after Ubuntu’s general availability
date. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS uses Linux 7.0.
Which desktop does each
release use?
GNOME 51 in 26.10 and GNOME 50 in 26.04 LTS.
Can I go from 26.04 LTS to
26.10?
Yes, except on systems using TPM-backed full disk encryption, which
can’t upgrade at release. Back up first.
Is Ubuntu 26.10
stable enough for daily use?
It is an official release, but interim releases get only nine months
of support and the newest software. We haven’t tested it, so we won’t
make stability claims. If you need to avoid frequent upgrades, choose
the LTS.
What are the system
requirements?
Canonical lists a 2 GHz dual-core processor, 6 GB of memory and 25 GB
of free storage for the desktop.
Sources
All checked October 30, 2026.
- Ubuntu
26.10 release notes - Ubuntu
26.04 LTS release notes - Ubuntu
26.04 LTS summary for LTS users - Ubuntu
26.04 release schedule - Ubuntu release
cycle - Ubuntu Desktop
download page - Ubuntu
Server documentation: Upgrade your release
By Early Adopted Editorial Team. Last updated: October 30,
2026