Grab your calendar as Canonical’s engineers have embarked on developing Ubuntu 26.04, codenamed ‘Resolute Raccoon’. This upcoming Long-Term Support (LTS) release will provide five years of ongoing updates until 2031, with an additional five years of Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) available through Ubuntu Pro for businesses and free for home users.
The Ubuntu 26.04 LTS final release date is scheduled for April 23, 2026, which coincidentally happens to be a common release date, aligning with previous versions like Ubuntu 9.04, 15.04, and 20.04 LTS.
Here’s the anticipated timeline for the key development milestones:
- February 19, 2026: Feature Freeze
- March 12, 2026: User Interface Freeze
- March 19, 2026: Kernel Feature Freeze
- March 23, 2026: Beta Freeze
- March 26, 2026: Ubuntu 26.04 Beta Release
- April 9, 2026: Kernel Freeze
- April 16, 2026: Final Freeze, Release Candidate
- April 23, 2026: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Final Release
- August 6, 2026: Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS Release (enables upgrades from 24.04 LTS)
During this cycle, monthly snapshots of Ubuntu 26.04 will be provided, starting in November and continuing until March when the beta is released.
As for features, details are yet to be determined, but some expected updates include GNOME 50, the latest Linux kernel, and enhanced graphics drivers. There may also be continued integration of Rust into core components and advances in TPM-backed encryption. Additionally, the Snap package format’s prompting client could move out of experimental status.
For those eager to test Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, you can bookmark this schedule for updates or simply wait for the stable release. Be aware that upgrading is not a necessity right away, as Ubuntu 24.04 LTS will continue to receive support until 2028.
If interested, daily builds of Ubuntu 26.04 are available and can be downloaded anytime from the Ubuntu image server.