Ubuntu 26.04 LTS: What's New in Resolute Raccoon

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, codenamed Resolute Raccoon, was released on April 23, 2026. Long-term support releases arrive every two years and are the versions most people install on desktops, servers and cloud machines, so each one sets the baseline for a large part of the Linux world. This release is notable less for flashy features than for several foundational changes that have been building for years.

Coverage of the release is mostly third-party, and the official release notes are the authoritative reference. What follows summarises the changes that multiple sources agree on.

A Wayland-only default desktop

The headline change is that the default GNOME session is Wayland-only, a first for an Ubuntu LTS. Wayland is the modern display protocol that replaces the decades-old X11 system. Applications written for X11 still run through XWayland, a compatibility layer, so most software keeps working. We cover the broader GNOME change in our guide to GNOME 50 and the end of X11.

GNOME 50 and Linux 7.0

Ubuntu 26.04 ships GNOME 50 and the Linux 7.0 kernel. The newer kernel adds support for recent hardware, including Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 processors, which matters if you are installing on a brand-new laptop. A recent kernel also tends to bring improved graphics and power management, which are the areas where users on new hardware most often struggle.

Rust-based system tools

Canonical has been replacing some classic command-line tools with versions written in Rust, a language designed to prevent whole categories of memory-safety bugs. Reports on the 26.04 release mention Rust-based core utilities alongside newer plumbing such as systemd 259, Dracut as the default initramfs generator, and APT 3.

The transition has not been entirely smooth. Early releases that adopted the Rust tools saw performance problems and bugs, and a security audit of one component reportedly raised many issues that Canonical says have mostly been resolved. If you prefer the traditional GNU tools, a package is available to switch back.

Security and encryption

• TPM-backed full disk encryption is among the security features highlighted in coverage of the release.
• Snap permission prompting is enabled by default, asking before sandboxed apps access protected resources.
• Ubuntu 26.04 LTS receives five years of standard support, until 2031, and Ubuntu Pro extends security maintenance for a further five years.

New default applications

Some defaults changed, including the Resources system monitor and GIMP 3.2. Ghostty, a popular GPU-accelerated terminal, is available from the Ubuntu archive, although the default terminal remains Ptyxis. Little of this changes how you work day to day, but it shows Ubuntu keeping its default set current.

Should you upgrade?

If you run Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, there is no urgency. It is supported for years, and the standard advice for long-term releases is to wait for the first point release, 26.04.1, before upgrading production systems. That update was scheduled for August 6, 2026, so it should now be available.

If you are installing fresh, particularly on new hardware, 26.04 is the obvious choice. Before you upgrade an existing machine, test the things you rely on: remote desktop tools, screen recorders, global keyboard shortcuts and any software that assumed X11 will behave differently under Wayland. Take a full backup first, and read the official release notes for known issues on your hardware.

The bottom line

Resolute Raccoon is an evolutionary release with a bold default: Wayland-only on the desktop. Combined with a new kernel and the gradual move to memory-safe tools, it marks the point where a very conservative distribution commits to the direction the rest of the desktop ecosystem is already heading.

Common questions

How long will Ubuntu 26.04 LTS be supported? Standard support lasts five years, until 2031, with an additional five years of security maintenance available through Ubuntu Pro. Which flavours exist? Besides the main GNOME edition, Ubuntu offers official flavours with other desktops, such as Kubuntu, Xubuntu and Lubuntu, and they share the same base. Can I still use X11 applications? Yes, through XWayland, although tools that need global input control may behave differently. Is the upgrade from 24.04 automatic? You can upgrade through the software updater once the upgrade path is enabled, which for long-term-support releases normally happens after the first point release.