The day and the hour have arrived. Canonical has officially announced the launch of Ubuntu LTS 26.04which will have the codename Resolute Raccoon. In this article, we'll cover the entire launch, which means we'll detail the most important new features of all the official flavors and provide download links. We've published this before all the flavors have officially announced their releases, right after Canonical announced the arrival of the main flavor.
It's worth remembering that Ubuntu 26.04 is an LTS versionTherefore, it will be supported for a longer period. Also, as we will detail later, there have been of the Three flavors that have had some issues, or four if we consider that Kubuntu considered not releasing an LTS version and leaving its raccoon theme resolved in a provisional release. In any case, let's get to everything that interests us.
General updates to the Resolute Raccoon family
As always, the family shares some news:
- Supported for a longer period, the main version will be supported for a minimum of 5 years, and the official flavors for 3 years. Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Unity, and Ubuntu Kylin will not be LTS versions.
- Linux 7.0.
- Firefox 149.
- LibreOffice 26.2.2, the February 2026 edition with two maintenance fixes.
- APT 3.2.
- Python 3.14. 4.
- GCC 15.2.
- Open JDK 25.
- gilbc 2.43.
- Table 26.0.
- systemd 259.5.
- PipeWire 1.6.2.
- binutils 2.46.
- Blue Z 5.85.
- GStreamer 1.28.2.
Ubuntu 26.04: New default applications and minor tweaks
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS arrives with the main new feature of GNOME 50 and Linux 7.0, for which we already have two related articles. But they have also introduced other new features worth highlighting. For example, asterisks will now appear by default when entering a password while using sudoMany distributions prefer not to display anything, as a number of characters can give away what might be underneath. But the security improvement is so small that Canonical has decided to show something.
The application center, which is basically a Snap Store now allows you to manage DEB packages.This makes it better than ever. Many complain that it still doesn't support Flatpak packages, so they prefer to stick with GNOME Software.
Speaking of software, Resolute Raccoon arrives without "Programs & Updates," a long-standing application for managing repositories and drivers, among other things. Since repositories, including system repositories, can be deleted, the application has been removed, and as the saying goes, "kill the dog, and the fleas are gone." The Ubuntu Pro tab will move to the Security Center, and adding and removing repositories will have to be done from the terminal. If you're wondering how... In theory, the operating system will manage the drivers..
Moreover, The colors of the folders will be different.Until now, they were gray and purple, which gave them some personality. In version 26.04, they will be orange by default, which is closer to the GNOME experience.
Ubuntu 26.04 will also change some default applications: Totem will be replaced by Showtime and the system monitor will be Resources, two more modern applications.
It's noteworthy that 6GB of RAM is now recommended as a minimum. It's noteworthy, but it's just a recommendation; 26.04 doesn't appear to be any heavier than 25.10. In fact, some tests suggest otherwise.
Kubuntu 26.04 upgrades to Plasma 6.6 and switches to Wayland by default
The KDE edition is one of the most beloved by the community, and Kubuntu 26.04 has arrived with significant changes. The first of these is the decision to use Wayland sessions by default, with X11 no longer supported out of the box (it can be installed with sudo apt install plasma-session-x11).
The remaining new features specific to this flavor are included in Qt 6.10.2, KDE Frameworks 6.24, and KDE Gear 25.12.3. They may have erred on the side of conservatism, but that's to be expected given that it's an LTS version.
Lubuntu 26.04 continues on its own path: slowly but surely.
Lubuntu is the lightest edition. This version switches to LXQt 2.3, which is the most notable new feature. The Qt version will be Qt 6.10.2. The software package is rounded out by Featherpad 1.6.2 and Discover (the KDE software store) 6.3.3.
Xubuntu 26.04 gets up to date
Xubuntu is essentially an updated release. It retains Xfce 4.20 as its core, but also uses components from GNOME 49 and 50 and MATE 1.28.
Ubuntu Budgie 26.04 joins the “Wayland-Only” trend
It's been a long time since GNOME switched to Wayland, but not so long since it only offered that option by default. All desktop environments are moving in the same direction, and that's precisely one of the most notable new features of Ubuntu Budgie.
As for the desktop, it now uses Budgie Desktop 10.10.2, the second maintenance update of the 10.10 series which just dropped support for X11. Other decisions have led them to switch to SDDM as their login manager and make changes to applications: VLC replaces Parole, icon sizes in Nemo have been enlarged a bit, and the font viewer now follows the default system theme.
The capture tool has taken a great leap forward, and now allows you to select a region (in addition to the full screen), record audio as well, includes start and stop buttons, and also configure a recording time.
Ubuntu Budgie 26.04 is not just another version; it's a release worth having.
Ubuntu Studio 26.04 lowers the panel to the bottom
Ubuntu Studio 26.04 has listened to the community, and among the changes they've made is to the panel, which in Resolute Raccoon is now located at the bottom by default. To please all users, it's still possible to keep the panel at the top, and they've also introduced a layer similar to what you find in macOS, with a dock at the bottom and another panel at the top. The desktop remains on Plasma 6.4, which seems to differentiate it somewhat from Kubuntu.
Among the improvements we found were:
- Blender 5.0.1
- Kdenlive 25.12.3
- Krita 6.0.1
- GIMP 3.2.2
- Ardor 9.0.0
- NOTE Studio 32.1.0
- New packages:
- Loopino — A lightweight, creative audio sampler with drag-and-drop sample loading, real-time recording, full ADSR envelope, filters, and effects. Available as a standalone application, CLAP plugin, and VST2 plugin, making it a flexible addition to any audio production workflow.
- DistroAV Formerly known as obs-ndi, DistroAV adds NDI (Network Audio/Video) support to OBS Studio, enabling high-quality, low-latency, multi-channel audio and video streaming over a local network. Ideal for live streaming and networked A/V production environments. It is not installed by default; you can install it by running
sudo apt install distroavIn the terminal. - snd-hdspe — An updated ALSA kernel driver for RME HDSPe PCIe sound cards (MADI, AES, RayDAT, AIO, and AIO Pro). This maintained fork of the original driver provides compatibility with newer kernels and extends hardware control via standard ALSA interfaces, offering RME professional users a reliable solution. It is not installed by default; if you have compatible RME hardware, install it with
sudo apt install snd-hdspe. - Plasma PipeWire Settings — A panel widget for KDE Plasma 6 that lets you adjust PipeWire's quantum and sample rate on the fly, without touching configuration files. It's included by default and appears in the system tray, complementing Ubuntu Studio Audio Configuration to keep the most common settings readily available.
- Plasma Window Title Applet — A panel applet for Plasma 6 that displays the title of the active window. It is used in the macOS-style desktop layout to complete the global menu experience.
Edubuntu 26.04 introduces a new accent color and improves the installer
Edubuntu 26.04 arrives packed with new features. In addition to sharing the same base as the main version (GNOME 50 and Linux 7.0), the installer and administration menu have been significantly improved. Furthermore, the accent color has been changed to blue, replacing the red of recent versions. As always, they have also taken the opportunity to update the educational applications.
Ubuntu Cinnamon 26.04 remains at Cinnamon 6.4, but improves its stability
Ubuntu Cinnamon 26.04 has prioritized stabilityInstead of going up to Cinnamon 6.6 Available since December and already used by Linux Mint, they have opted to stick with the 6.4 series, which is much more stable. It's important to remember that Resolute Raccoon is an LTS version.
Yes, they use the Cinnamon 6.6 menus, but the rest remains in the 6.4 series. For the desktop, it's Cinnamon 6.4.13, an upgrade from 6.4.12, which was used in 25.10. Furthermore, it uses some GNOME 50 applications, while the majority of suites and libraries have been updated.
Ubuntu Unity 26.04 won't be an LTS release, but there is a release this time.
Ubuntu Unity 26.04 has arrived. There wasn't a 25.10, but there was Resolute Raccoon. There aren't many new features, as they remain based on Unity 7.7, and the focus has been on fixing bugs, catching up... and delivering something. Otherwise, they might have lost their official status.
It won't be an official LTS version, so it should only be supported for 9 months. But The team promises that they will offer extended support..
Ubuntu Kylin 26.04 comes with UKUI 4.2, and it's not an LTS release either.
And finally, we have Ubuntu Kylin 26.04, the third non-LTS flavor this time. Therefore, it will be supported for 9 months. Its most notable new feature is the upgrade to UKUI 4.20, with improvements such as a start menu and taskbar that now work together.
Ubuntu MATE 26.04 will not be an LTS release… and it may be released.
The Ubuntu MATE project is in trouble. Martin Wimpress is stepping down as lead and a replacement and maintainers are being sought. For these reasons, they cannot guarantee extended support. In fact, at the time of writing, it doesn't even appear in the official list of flavors for Resolute Raccoon.
Enjoy Resolute Raccoon
Whatever you choose, enjoy it. And if you use it for work, may you be more productive.