Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, a new version of the most popular Linux distribution with long-term support, will be released on April 23. The system will receive an updated kernel, GNOME 50, and changes to graphics and the file system.
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, a new version of the most popular Linux distribution with long-term support, will be released on April 23. The system will receive an updated kernel, GNOME 50, and changes to graphics and the file system.
Today, April 23, 2026, will see the release of the most popular Linux operating system with extended support, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. The release is codenamed «Resolute Racoon.»
Traditionally, the server and desktop versions are released simultaneously. The operating system will receive security updates and bug fixes for five years (until 2031), and with an additional subscription — for ten years (until 2036).
According to survey results, about 28% of IT professionals use Ubuntu Desktop as their primary operating system at work, and, again, 28% of IT professionals use Ubuntu Desktop at home.
For comparison, the percentage of use of Linux operating systems outside the IT community is only 3-5%.
Some tasks are simply impossible without Ubuntu — for example, developing the Android operating system (by the way, the most popular operating system, if you count mobile devices and the Internet of Things) has only been possible on Ubuntu since 2018.
Regarding the server version, according to W3Techs, 61% of web servers run Linux operating systems, the most popular of which is Ubuntu Server (14%).
Not much — as it should be for a stable operating system. The changes are mainly related to updating the applications used by the operating system.
Traditionally, the new release will use a newer Linux kernel and receive an updated UI — Gnome 50.
It is expected to improve the usability of the file system (which has always been a weak point of Ubuntu Desktop) and improve compatibility with NVidia graphics cards, which is extremely important for ensuring that AI applications run on graphics accelerators.
Among the interesting things is the change of the terminal emulator (command line) to Ptyxis, and among the long-overdue ones is the complete abandonment of the Xorg window manager in favor of Wayland.
Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 LTS requires at least a 2GHz dual-core processor, 6GB of RAM, and at least 25GB of hard drive space.
You can download the operating system here. And yes, it’s free.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how the most popular Linux distribution, Ubuntu, released version 23.10, codenamed Mantic Minotaur. However, Ukrainian users noticed strange changes in the Ukrainian localization of the operating system. When installing, it offered to choose either «Classic gay sex» or «Full syphilis infection.»
