Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 LTS New Features And Release Timeline

Ubuntu's Long-Term Support (LTS) releases are important, because they stand as stable foundations for years to come. The upcoming release, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, codenamed Resolute Raccoon, is no different. Development is focusing intensely on stability, refinement, and creating a smooth experience for everyone, from new users to large enterprises.

The final release date for Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon is set for April 23rd, 2026.

Let's explore the major improvements Canonical's Desktop team is bringing to the table.

1. Linux Kernel 7.0

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS will ship with Linux kernel 7.0, not 6.20 as initially planned.

In December 2025, the Canonical Kernel Team had targeted Linux 6.20 for the 26.04 release. At the time, 6.20 was expected to land in early April 2026. However, Kernel upstream development took a different path.

In the Linux 6.19 announcement mail, Linus Torvalds confirmed that the next release would be version 7.0. There will be no 6.20. With that version transition confirmed upstream, Ubuntu adjusted its kernel target accordingly.

The updated Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release notes now explicitly list Linux kernel 7.0 as a core feature. They also highlight related changes, including cgroupfs being mounted with flags such as nsdelegate and memory_recursiveprot.

This decision aligns with Ubuntu's current kernel policy. Starting with Ubuntu 24.10, Canonical committed to shipping the most recent upstream Linux kernel available at the Feature Freeze date. Since 7.0 will be the active upstream release during that window, it becomes the default choice for 26.04 LTS.

A few days ago, the developers stated that integration work would begin once the first 7.0 release candidate (Linux 7.0-rc1) became available. After a short stabilization period, it is expected to serve as the default kernel for the final Ubuntu 26.04 release.

Throughout the development cycle, the Canonical Kernel Team intends to provide regular updates on the integration progress and encourages the community to participate in testing via the Ubuntu Kernel mailing list and Discourse.

2. A Sleeker Desktop Experience

Ubuntu 26.04 closely tracks the upstream cycle of GNOME 50, ensuring users benefit from the latest desktop improvements. Furthermore, Canonical plans several changes to make the default Ubuntu experience feel more modern and cohesive.

2.1. Introducing New Core Applications

To achieve a modern and consistent desktop environment, Ubuntu replaces two familiar applications with new defaults:

1. Showtime: This app replaces Totem as the default video player. Showtime provides a straightforward viewing experience with simple playback controls, adjustable speed, and support for multiple language and subtitle tracks.
2. Resources: This application replaces the current system resource monitor. Resources is designed to be user-friendly, offering a modern look that monitors essential components like the CPU, Memory, GPU, and Storage Devices. Importantly, the team chose Resources for the LTS because of its superior accessibility support, including better keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility. Users who prefer the older design will still find both the new default and other alternatives available in the archives.

2.2. Seamless Performance and Accessibility

Ubuntu is making Wayland the default session on modern GPUs, and now developers are refining this experience. Specifically, they are addressing outstanding performance and stability issues to ensure the Wayland session runs smoothly and reliably on a wider variety of hardware.

Canonical aims for Ubuntu to be accessible immediately, starting with the installation.

• Developers are fixing issues to improve keyboard navigation and screen reader behavior during installation and first boot.
• For screen reader users, the team explores a major enhancement: introducing the Piper neural speech engine as the backend for Orca's Speech Dispatcher. This engine delivers clearer, more natural speech output with lower latency, making the installation and daily use more comfortable.

3. Security and Enterprise Integration

LTS releases must meet strict security and integration standards for business use. Ubuntu 26.04 includes several key features that enhance security and cloud authentication.

3.1. sudo-rs Shows Password Asterisks by Default

Starting from Ubuntu 25.10, the default sudo tool is replaced with a new Rust-written version called sudo-rs.

In Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, password feedback—which typically displays asterisks as you type—is enabled by default for sudo-rs.

This change is part of the Ubuntu Foundations updates intended to improve the user experience by providing immediate visual confirmation during the authentication process.

If you prefer the traditional behavior where no characters are displayed, you can disable password feedback by following these steps:

Open the terminal and edit the sudoers file using:

sudo visudo

This will open the /etc/sudoers configuration file.

Add the following line:

Defaults !pwfeedback

Save the file and close it. Restart your terminal to take effect the changes.

This update aligns with the broader goal of this release to provide a more intuitive and user-friendly experience across both desktop and server environments.

3.2. Full Disk Encryption and Permissions

The work to bring TPM-backed Full Disk Encryption (FDE) to general availability continues. This cycle focuses on giving users more control after installation.

Users will now be able to add or remove a PIN or passphrase after installation, or re-encrypt a disk directly from the Security Center.

Furthermore, the design of app permission prompts is improving. They now have a cleaner, modern look that matches GNOME's visual style, and their tighter integration with the Security Center makes permissions easier to understand and manage.

3.3. Enhanced Cloud Authentication for Business

Ubuntu 26.04 strengthens its role in enterprise environments by enhancing cloud authentication and device-management capabilities. This helps integrate Ubuntu machines more easily into existing enterprise identity infrastructures.

A major highlight of the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release is the official inclusion of authd in the Ubuntu archive. Previously a standalone project, it is now an LTS-supported component maintained by Canonical for both Desktop and Server.

• Cloud Identity Integration: authd enables native authentication against Microsoft Entra ID and Google Cloud IAM.
• Expanded Provider Support: The introduction of a generic OpenID Connect (OIDC) broker allows organizations to integrate with any standards-compliant provider, such as Okta or Keycloak.
• Enhanced Login Flows: For Microsoft users, the system now supports password + MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) login flows, moving away from the older device flow.
• Operational Benefits: Inclusion in the official universe repository simplifies enterprise deployments by allowing authd to be integrated into standard "golden images" and automated provisioning workflows while receiving direct security updates from Canonical.

3.4. Biometric Integration

For certified OEM devices, the Desktop team has targeted secure, SPDM-based fingerprint authentication for more reliable biometric support.

4. Software Management and Packaging

The team is focusing on simplifying the software ecosystem for all users.

4.1. A Unified App Center

Currently, managing software might involve a few different tools, such as App Center, Software Properties, or Update Manager.

Ubuntu 26.04 takes the first steps to centralize software management by aiming to make App Center the single place to handle all applications, regardless of the packaging format.

This effort includes fully managing deb packages within App Center and starting to deprecate older system tools.

4.2. Snap Refinement

Canonical continues to invest in the Snap ecosystem to ensure applications feel fully native on the desktop.

For instance, they are automating updates for Canonical-maintained snaps, so applications stay up-to-date with less manual effort. They are also migrating key applications to the core24 base.

This groundwork helps improve how the desktop environment identifies applications and handles predictable behavior in launchers, file associations, and permission prompts.

4.3. Enterprise Toolchain

The default toolchain includes LLVM 21, Rust 1.93.1, and OpenJDK 25, ensuring a modern environment for developers and production workloads.

5. Enterprise Infrastructure and Database Updates

The server stack receives substantial updates to performance and reliability:

• PostgreSQL 18: This version introduces a new I/O subsystem with up to 3x performance gains for storage reads and includes native support for OAuth 2.0 authentication.
• MariaDB 11.8.6: Now promoted to the main repository, MariaDB receives full support from Canonical for the duration of the LTS.
• DocumentDB: Ubuntu 26.04 introduces DocumentDB, a scalable, MongoDB-compatible open-source database built on PostgreSQL.
• Samba 4.23: This update enables SMB3 Unix Extensions by default and improves Active Directory Domain Controller (AD DC) performance.
• OpenSSH 10.2: Includes support for new post-quantum key exchange algorithms and officially removes support for the weak DSA signature algorithm.

6. Documentation Overhaul

This release involves the most significant documentation push in years, covering Desktop, WSL, and Enterprise use. A major part of this effort is migrating tutorials to the new Desktop product documentation.

In parallel, Canonical is launching a new Ubuntu wiki for community-maintained content. This new wiki aims to replace the two existing public wikis (wiki.ubuntu.com and help.ubuntu.com/community), which are scheduled to be decommissioned in August 2026.

The creation of the new wiki is a collaboration, and a small team at Canonical is working on setting it up, targeting an Alpha release in 2026.

They will need community members, like the content creators, editors, and moderators who helped build the original wiki over 20+ years, to make the new wiki successful.

7. The Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Release Timeline

The Ubuntu 26.04 release schedule (codenamed Resolute Raccoon) includes specific deadlines to lock in features and ensure stability.

Throughout the cycle, archive-wide activities include adopting Python 3.14 as a supported version on October 16, 2025, and making it the default by January 8, 2026.

The release will also track the upstream GNOME 50 development, with the alpha release expected on January 1, 2026.

8. Download Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Racoon

If you're curious to try all the new features in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, you can download the monthly snapshots or daily builds from the links below.

8.1. Download Ubuntu 26.04 Monthly Snapshots

Ubuntu team releases monthly snapshots for the upcoming Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Racoon. Snapshots are produced for all Ubuntu flavours (Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu etc.), not just the main edition.

8.2. Download Ubuntu 26.04 Daily Builds

The Ubuntu Resolute Racoon daily builds are available for download in the following link:

• https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/