For those who plan to improve to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ‘Resolute Raccoon’ from Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, you’re going to inherit two years’ value of enhancements.
As an LTS-to-LTS soar, you don’t merely take pleasure in what’s new in Ubuntu 26.04, however the entirety else added within the 3 period in-between releases prior, particularly Ubuntu 24.10, 25.04 and 25.10.
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS does a variety of issues that 24.04 didn’t, however drops a number of options too
It provides as much as a mammoth set of adjustments around the complete stack, working appropriate from the lower-level foundations as much as the apps and desktop setting that run on peak.
Plus, there were removals and replacements too. Ubuntu 26.04 now not contains an X11/Xorg desktop consultation, and drops a few apps and utilities you’ll have come to depend on.
Machine necessities had been raised – now upper than the ones of Home windows 11 (despite the fact that don’t panic: they don’t seem to be arduous limits and this unencumber does run on programs with lower than 6GB of RAM).
Beneath, I cherrypick issues value realizing from the cumulative changelog. For those who’re coming from the Ubuntu 25.10 period in-between unencumber and would like to swot over an inventory of items handiest added since remaining October then I’ve a separate information for that.
26 Adjustments in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
1. Not more X11/Xorg desktop consultation
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS now not contains an X11/Xorg desktop consultation as GNOME got rid of improve for working at the legacy show server previous this yr (so Ubuntu can’t be offering it, despite the fact that it sought after to).
The have an effect on of this received’t be felt. Ubuntu has used Wayland through default since 2021 (it become default for NVIDIA customers in 2024 to permit for plentiful checking out forward of this unencumber), and maximum instrument that calls for X11 runs on Wayland by the use of XWayland (integrated through default).
This transformation does now not impact different flavours/desktops, a few of which (like Lubuntu) proceed to make use of it, and programs for the legacy xserver are nonetheless carried within the Ubuntu repositories so that you can set up – however you’ll’t run the GNOME desktop on it.
2. Dracut accelerates boot
On new installs, Ubuntu now makes use of Dracut to generate the preliminary RAM filesystem (initramfs) all the way through boot. You might be not likely to note the rest meaningfully other with this modification, however under-the-hood it provides a predictable, future-proof and event-driven boot procedure.
If you wish to be told extra about what Dracut is and why Ubuntu has switched, then our pithy explainer does a just right activity at atmosphere out the (loss of noticeable) have an effect on.
3. TPM-backed disk encryption
For those who “improve” by means of a blank set up, the improved OS installer enjoy now gift a few new choices, the extra notable of which is improve for putting in Ubuntu the use of TPM‑sponsored complete‑disk encryption (FDE).
That is well suited with make a selection TPM 2 chips and calls for Safe Boot enabled. It’s now not best; TPM/FDE makes use of a kernel snap that would possibly not come with positive kernel modules important for positive {hardware} options.
Plus, the characteristic e doesn’t improve all TPM chips, however the OS installer will permit you to know in case your TPM can’t be used and give an explanation for why.
The setup procedure underscores the significance of producing and saving a restoration key, and new restoration keys can also be generated from the Safety Heart app. Plus, the Firmware Updater device notifies you if an to be had replace would impact TPM state.
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS nonetheless helps disk-encryption the use of a LUKS passphrase, so should you don’t have TPM, you don’t wish to forgo disk-level safety.
4. Rust-based sudo & coreutils
Ubuntu has spent the previous few releases changing some key gadget elements with variations written in Rust, a memory-safe programming language.
sudo is now supplied through sudo-rs (the command itself has now not modified) and password comments has been enabled through default (“in spite of everything!”, some say), so that you’ll see asterisks each time you input your sudo password within the terminal – hit tab to briefly masks it.
sudo-rs isn’t 100% well suited with the authentic sudo implementation, however until you run handwritten scripts or depend on area of interest gear, likelihood is that this received’t be a topic. The previous model of sudo is to be had to put in from the repos (kit identify sudo-ws).
Along with sudo, the distro’s ‘core’ command-line gear (like ls cp, mv and cat) at the moment are supplied through the rust-coreutils kit, supplanting GNU coreutils. As with sudo, the previous model stays to be had to put in for edge instances and compatibility.
5. Theme & design adjustments
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS seems an identical sufficient to 24.04 in the beginning look, however on nearer inspection so much has modified – from a darker login display background to larger distinction in UI components.
But when any exchange is sure to catch the attention it’s Ubuntu’s new folder icons. The undertake a vibrant new glance that reuses the desktop accessory color (orange through default), making them pops towards mild and darkish backgrounds. A refined engraved impact is used for folder logos:
Different icons within the Yaru theme additionally see enhancements, with a swathe being optically resized (now not vastly noticeable until identified, but it surely is helping upload to a refined “the entirety feels appropriate” vibe).
There also are redesigned icons for LibreOffice, the Snapshot webcam app (prolonged set up) and for the standard trash can pinned to the Ubuntu Dock. A brand new animated spinner seems all the way through loading/refresh operations, mentioned to seem ‘much less blurry’ than that utilized in 24.04.
There’s a brand new boot animation that riffs at the Raccoon mascot paintings proven at the (new) default wallpaper; textual content labels in notifications and a few UI components use daring textual content; modal dialogs have a brand new glance; and radius values are extra constant all through.
GNOME Shell additionally tweaked a few of its UI animations, albeit subtly. Menus, pop-overs and notifications now seem with extra of a scale/spring than a fade.
In any case, if MPRIS-compatible media is taking part in when your display locks you’ll see and keep watch over media playback at the Lock Display screen itself, no wish to free up your gadget to hit pause or skip observe.
6. A number of latest apps
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS delivers a refreshed set of default apps. Maximum are preinstalled on all installs, despite the fact that the brand new video participant is handiest gift should you selected the prolonged choice all the way through set up (despite the fact that you’ll set up any of those from the Ubuntu repos at any time).
Papers replaces Evince because the default report viewer. It’s in keeping with Evince’s code however majorly rebuilt with Rust and GTK4/libadwaita. It does the entirety it would, plus extra: ink annotation and markup gear, freeform textual content containers, annotations and virtual signatures.
Loupe supplants Eye of GNOME because the default symbol viewer. Its GTK4/libadwaita app that makes use of Glycin for progressed symbol rendering, helps multi-touch gestures and provides a group of enhancing gear for cropping, rotating and flipping photographs.
Ptyxis is now the default terminal emulator. It makes use of a GTK4/libadwaita GUI and with GPU-accelerated rendering. Options come with a slick tab review, switchable profiles and container improve. It additionally turns the headerbar purple when sudo is invoked, which is lovely/alarming.
Sources assumes position of gadget video display, providing all of the procedure, provider and {hardware} review tracking you wish to have, offered in a extra attractive method with large graphs, blank format and oodles of {hardware} facts.
Showtime (prolonged set up handiest) replaces Totem because the default video participant. It’s a GTK4/libadwaita app with a distraction-free UI and on-canvas controls that fade out all the way through playback. It helps more than one audio and subtitle tracks, playback pace and extra.
Safety Heart is new to LTS customers, having debuted with Ubuntu 24.10. It’s a brand new one-stop hub for (who’d have guessed) safety settings. It’s the brand new house for enrolling in Ubuntu Professional, managing disk encryption keys and opting-in to snap app ‘prompting’ nags.
Sysprof is a software aimed squarely at builders now not on a regular basis customers. It captures and presentations efficiency knowledge about instrument and gadget processes, which turns out to be useful for debugging and profiling. You almost certainly received’t wish to use it, but it surely’s there if you wish to have to.
Lots of the new apps use generic labels within the desktop UI (File Viewer, Symbol Viewer, Terminal, and so forth), however should you improve in-place from 24.04 the brand new apps are put in along the previous ones (you’ll have two terminals, two symbol audience, and so forth).
7. Nautilus’ feature-fest
Nautilus, the default report supervisor, has received a lot of enhancements since its remaining trip in an LTS.
Efficiency buffs be offering as much as 5x sooner listing loading and 10x sooner thumbnail era, the latter now prioritising the recordsdata in view. There’s additionally a brand new thumbnailer powered through glycin, the picture rendering library used within the Loupe symbol viewer (see #6).
A dashed border is proven round icons when minimize so it’s transparent what’s queued to transport, and when viewing hidden recordsdata is enabled you’ll see dot report icons now render with a slight transparency to enable you inform them aside from common recordsdata/folders.
The hunt UI is markedly progressed, with pill-shaped clear out buttons and a calendar widget to dial in a selected seek duration; report homes can also be opened as a floating window; and a brand new ctrl + . shortcut opens the present folder within the terminal.
Different adjustments come with:
- Lengthy pressure/mount names at the moment are shortened within the heart
- Surfing recordsdata on telephones is smoother as content material quite a bit incrementally
- Community addresses can also be copied at once from the community panel
- The batch rename device has been progressed
- Empty trash banner handiest displays when there’s in truth one thing within the trash
- Bookmarks can also be got rid of at once from the trail bar menu
Past that, the sidebar were given reorganised with bookmarks moved decrease and Trash moved up. You’ll be able to now reorder your bookmarks the use of drag and drop and simply take away them the use of the right-click menu.
You received’t in finding the Different Places view within the new model of Nautilus. As a substitute, your interior drives at the moment are proven within the sidebar through default, the place they take a seat along exterior ones – all taken care of alphabetically.
8. Notification teams maintain the deluge
Notifications at the moment are grouped through supply within the message tray.
When an app sends more than one notifications to the message tray, they now stack in combination right into a collapsed crew somewhat than growing an ever-lengthening listing. This makes it more straightforward to get an summary of what’s going down for your gadget.
You’ll be able to extend a notification stack with a click on (or faucet) to look each and every notification for my part and motion them, condense the listing again through clicking at the cave in icon or disregarding all notifications despatched from a selected app or provider.
Make stronger for grouped notifications was once added in GNOME 48, which debuted in Ubuntu 25.04, however progressed in successive releases.
9. App Heart allows you to set up Deb instrument
Whilst you must already Deb programs from the Ubuntu repositories (and out of doors of it) by the use of App Heart in 24.04 LTS, you couldn’t set up them. Neatly, in 26.04 LTS, you’ll! The Set up phase has received a clear out to look put in Deb instrument for my part or along snaps.
You’ll be able to additionally replace (some) Deb apps along Snap programs by way of App Heart. You’ll wish to proceed to make use of Tool Updater (or apt in a terminal) to put in maximum updates, thoughts – however for those who hardly take into account to do this, there’s some other exchange available to assist…
10. Ubuntu Dock
The Ubuntu Dock is now not clear, switching to an opaque background to higher fit the color of the primary desktop panel. Transparency can also be re-enabled, if you need it, and handiest calls for working a easy terminal command.
The background impact at the back of icons when hovered over now fit the radius of the dock edges when now not in panel mode, and whilst you right-click on an app at the dock its related menu now displays the identify of the app and features a hyperlink to view its main points in App Heart.
11. Desktop icons shortcuts
The desktop icons extension (DING) that Ubuntu preinstalls through default has won a modest grasp of updates since its trip in 24.04.
You’ll be able to now resize icons at the desktop the use of ctrl + + / -, make a selection more than one icons the use of shift + arrow keys and use the House and Finish keys to leap to the primary or remaining icon respectively.
Styling has additionally progressed. The proper-click context menu is extra in keeping with the remainder of the desktop, and icon picks undertake rounded corners and occupy the whole grid mobile somewhat than hugging the icon and label as prior to.
12. Tool Updater indicator
The Tool Updater in Ubuntu will display a trademark icon within the panel if there are pending updates to be put in. The addition of an icon nixes the aggravating factor the place the replace window would randomly showing and take center of attention from what you have been in the course of doing.
If the newly omni-present panel icon annoys you, simply click on on it after which click on the “Display in panel” choice within the drop down menu (i.e., take away the checkmark). It’ll vanish from view.
13. Snap & internet seek in Evaluate
Looking within the Evaluate now turns up Snap app effects along your put in apps, so you’ll in finding and set up one thing with out opening App Heart first.
There’s additionally a internet seek shortcut too. Simply sort what you’re searching for and click on the Firefox outcome that looks to open the browser together with your seek pre-filled (if the use of Google, doesn’t paintings with different seek engine these days). Not anything will get despatched any place till you click on.
Each choices can also be grew to become off within the Settings > Seek phase in the event that they’re now not your factor.
14. APT were given a glow-up
For those who use apt on the command-line to replace and set up instrument, you’re in for a deal with. The venerable device has progressed output formatting with colors, columns and padding, and app removals now indexed remaining (so you notice them) and in purple.
Different adjustments come with a brand new kit solver (to hand when you’ll’t take into account the correct kit identify), and a fleet of latest instructions, together with apt why and apt why-not to provide an explanation for why a kit is or isn’t put in and history-info and history-list instructions.
A variety of lower-level adjustments too and expanded bash-completion improve.
(with history-undo and history-rollback at the horizon).
15. Do No longer Disturb moved
The Do No longer Disturb toggle has moved to the Fast Settings menu, the place it joins different gadget toggles. Click on the top-right standing icons to seek out it, allow it and silence any niggling distractions. Ahh.
16. HDR, VRR & smarter scaling
Ubuntu 26.04 contains out-of-the-box improve for complicated show options that have been both absent or required you to manually allow in 24.04.
HDR improve is to be had for screens that improve it. If yours does you’ll discover a toggle in Settings > Shows to show it on. On multi-monitor setups, brightness can also be adjusted per-monitor independently when HDR is energetic.
Simply don’t be expecting your display to burst with vibrant colors. App improve for HDR on Linux is restricted (despite the fact that MPV is likely one of the few Linux apps which is able to care for it correctly) so your display would possibly glance washed out when that is enabled.
Variable Refresh Charge (VRR) is a characteristic Ubuntu has technically presented for some time on well suited {hardware} and/or by way of a hidden gsettings transfer. With GNOME 50, it’s enabled for everybody the place supported, no terminal instructions wanted.
Fractional scaling now provides values like 133% and 166%, as scaling calculations now use ‘actual quotients’ for in finding sharper rendering of textual content and app interfaces. Head to Settings > Show, activate fractional scaling to look what’s to be had on your setup.
A toggle to keep watch over whether or not legacy X11 apps (which run on XWayland) are scaled to compare the remainder of your gadget is integrated. No longer all legacy apps scale cleanly, so if the rest seems outsized or blurry, head to Settings > Shows and switch it off.
17. Faraway desktop buffs
Faraway desktop options have progressed since 24.04, which added faraway login improve. Now, faraway classes persist between provider restarts, you’ll hook up with a headless gadget and upload a digital video display, or even use contact enter forwarding.
The massive “acquire” comes from hardware-accelerated encoding by the use of Vulkan and VA-API. Offloading streaming to the GPU provides smoother, lower-latency classes. NVIDIA customers get particular sync improve and Kerberos authentication is to be had for undertaking environments.
18. Wellbeing Controls
A brand new Wellbeing panel in Settings brings not obligatory display time monitoring options to Ubuntu (suppose Display screen Time on Apple gadgets, however for your Linux desktop).
For those who opt-in, you’ll see how lengthy you’ve been the use of your laptop on a daily basis, set day by day limits (with an not obligatory greyscale display tint whilst you achieve it) or configure damage reminders on a timer to get notifications to rise up or glance clear of the display.
Comparable to those new settings are parental controls, permitting display deadlines and bedtime schedules to be set for controlled accounts. Ubuntu doesn’t preinstall the GUI app had to set those up, however you’ll set up it from the repos – malcontent-gui is the kit identify.
Whether or not you employ any of that is, clearly, all the way down to you.
19. Tool & Updates app dropped
Ubuntu now not contains the Tool & Updates device on new installs for the reason that distro’s developer’s really feel a couple of of its options posed extra of a chance to gadget integrity than a assist.
Because of this, the Further Drivers shortcut is long gone too, so there’s no simple option to test or set proprietary driving force settings in 26.04 (at release).
Ubuntu Professional enablement is built-in into the App Heart (lined in other places in this listing), however some options, like managing PPAs and controlling replace behaviour, don’t seem to be to be had out-of-the-box.
You’ll be able to set up the Tool & Updates device on Ubuntu 26.04 from the repos, so it’s now not gone-gone. For those who improve from 24.04 LTS, you’ll nonetheless have it put in (Ubuntu hardly power gets rid of instrument on upgrades). It’s been rewritten in GTK4 too.
20. Startup Packages got rid of
Any individual software cleaved from the default set up is Startup Packages, which was once a GUI device for (you guessed it) configuring and atmosphere autostart apps on login.
The rationale it’s long gone? GNOME has added autostart toggles to a logical location: Settings > Packages. Simply head there, pick out the app you need to open on login and slide the ‘autostart’ toggle to ‘on’.
The disadvantage is there is not any GUI method so as to add a script or run a customized command on login (options the previous software presented), however a easy(ish) option to autostart scripts in Ubuntu stays, the use of an autostart folder and an easy textual content report – the related information walks by way of it, if you wish to have it.
21. Firmware break up
Ubuntu 26.04 in spite of everything (hurrah) splits the linux-firmware kit into a group of 18 vendor-specific sub-packages. All are put in through default, however you’ll take away any you already know you don’t want (like Mellanox firmware, until you reside in an information centre).
The primary upside to this way is bandwidth. In the past, a tiny repair made to a unmarried driving force would imply you’d wish to obtain all the 500MB+ kit as a instrument replace. Now handiest the affected sub-package wishes be up to date.
22. Accessibility
Accessibility isn’t just the most important facet of contemporary computing, however a demand (EU rules). Each GNOME and Ubuntu have progressed accessibility all through all the desktop, and several other new accessibility options offered, together with a ‘scale back movement’ atmosphere to dials down UI animations and results.
The accessibility menu to be had at the login display is now positioned within the lower-right nook. It makes assistive (and helpful) options, together with sticky on-screen keyboard, display reader and display magnification to be had to make use of prior to logging in.
23. Energy charging limits
When you’ve got a contemporary pc that helps energy charging limits, you’ll discover a battery well being charging choice in Settings > Energy. Allow this to cap charging at 80% (somewhat than 100%), as retaining lithium batteries from hitting their most price point reduces put on.
It’s a set-and-forget in case your {hardware} helps it; the choice received’t seem in any respect if it doesn’t.
On a comparable energy observe, you’ll see an influence mode indicator within the peak bar anytime you’re now not within the Balanced profile. This indicator will remind you that you just’re the use of extra energy than customary or, conversely, that your gadget is on energy saving mode so efficiency could also be decreased.
24. Telemetry panel
Canonical made over the generation that unpins its opt-in telemetry gadget to ‘telephone house’ from programs that say sure extra ceaselessly. As a part of that, it’s grow to be more straightforward to test, view and allow or disable nameless gadget profiling by the use of the Settings > Privateness > Telemetry panel.
25. AMD & NVIDIA AI stacks
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS brings NVIDIA CUDA and AMD ROCm, two fashionable GPU computing stacks used for AI and machine-learning workloads, to the Ubuntu repositories, making it more straightforward for builders to put in them the use of apt.
Each programs are maintained through Canonical. Their addition to the resolute archives approach builders now not have to trace down programs and tussle with dependencies. Neither of those are preinstalled through default, however having them readily is a spice up to Ubuntu’s “no fuss” attraction.
26. Linux 7.0 & Mesa 26.0.x
Ubuntu 26.04 runs on Linux kernel 7.0 (the model quantity ticked up as it was once getting unwieldy, now not as a result of the rest dramatic modified, despite the fact that there’s lots in it).
There were 12 kernel releases since Ubuntu 24.04 shipped with Linux 6.8, however should you’ve saved up with HWE updates you’ll have benefitted from maximum of them (6.11, 6.14 and six.17). Plus, the Linux 7.0 kernel will probably be backported to 24.04 as the overall HWE replace in summer season 2026.
Since 24.04 the linux-lowlatency kit has additionally been retired. For those who trusted it for audio or low-latency paintings the alternative is lowlatency-kernel, a userspace kit for tuning at boot by the use of GRUB along the usual generic kernel.
At the graphics facet, Mesa 26.0.3 supplies open-source drivers, whilst NVIDIA’s proprietary driving force is at 590.x.
Different adjustments
The listing above is certainly not exhaustive. I center of attention on extra substantive adjustments, i.e., the ones you are going to without a doubt see or take pleasure in probably the most.
A couple of additional issues value noting:
- New app home windows are centred through default
- Textual content Editor has a streamlined header bar
- GNOME Shell suits on low-resolution presentations higher
- Chrony + NTS is now the default time server
- Raspberry Pi makes use of a brand new setup wizard and A/B boot procedure
- JPEG-XL recordsdata paintings out-of-the-box
- OpenJDK 26 is the default (now not preinstalled)
For those who passed over the sections above, observe that following apps are now not integrated:
- Tool & Updates
- Further Drivers
- Startup Packages
And one (most probably semi-popular) characteristic is now not to be had:
- Google Force Nautilus integration by the use of On-line Accounts
You’ll be able to proceed to make use of your Google account by the use of On-line Accounts for mail, calendar and different issues, however to not get admission to your Google Force in Nautilus. 3rd-party choices, like InSync and rclone are to be had.
Naturally, a lot of apps, programs, libraries and tooling have observed successive updates since 24.04 and the ones would possibly come with their very own new options.
For those who these days use Ubuntu 24.04 LTS do let me know which options I point out above could have you attaining to hit the improve button in the summertime or the obtain button on 23, April, 2026.
