Canonical released Ubuntu 26.10, codenamed Stonking Stingray, on October 15, 2026. The interim release receives nine months of maintenance updates through July 2027. Its desktop images are available to download, but an in-place upgrade from Ubuntu 26.04 has separate eligibility conditions, including an exception for systems using TPM-backed full-disk encryption. (Ubuntu Release Team; Ubuntu 26.10 release notes)
Download sizes, requirements, and an ARM installation caveat
Canonical lists two Ubuntu 26.10 desktop images: a 5.9 GB Intel/AMD 64-bit image and a 4.3 GB ARM 64-bit image. (Ubuntu Desktop downloads)
| Desktop image | Architecture | Download size |
| Intel/AMD 64-bit | amd64 | 5.9 GB |
| ARM 64-bit | arm64 | 4.3 GB |
Canonical’s listed minimum desktop requirements are a 2 GHz dual-core processor or better, 6 GB of memory, and 25 GB of free drive space. For ARM64 installation on a Snapdragon X1 laptop, Canonical advises connecting an external USB keyboard because the built-in keyboard may be unusable during installation. (Ubuntu Desktop downloads)
Kernel and software changes, with important qualifications
Ubuntu 26.10 includes GNOME 51 and Linux kernel 7.3. Canonical identifies the Ubuntu kernel image as 7.3.0-9.9, based on upstream 7.3-rc6; the final upstream 7.3 release was due after Ubuntu’s general availability. (Ubuntu 26.10 release notes) NeoTeo’s earlier coverage of the Ubuntu 26.10 beta discussed the release-candidate kernel before the final release.
The default core utilities now use the Rust-based uutils implementation, including cp, mv, and rm. Canonical also makes dbus-broker the default for system and per-user session buses. The App Center brings Snap and Debian packages into a unified details view, adds a graphics-driver page, and supports on-demand codec installation for one-time playback. (Ubuntu 26.10 release notes)
Myna is an early speech-to-text preview, not a preinstalled feature. It is activated by holding a configurable key; Canonical says transcription runs locally and audio is not sent to a network service. For TPM-backed full-disk encryption on computers without a hardware root of trust, the TPM-backed key must also have a PIN or passphrase. (Ubuntu 26.10 release notes)
What Ubuntu 26.04 users need to know before upgrading
Canonical says Ubuntu 26.04 users who choose notifications for all Ubuntu releases, rather than LTS releases only, will be offered an automatic upgrade. Systems using TPM-backed full-disk encryption cannot upgrade from 26.04 LTS to 26.10 at release. That makes the installation image and the in-place upgrade different paths: downloading the image does not remove that encryption-related restriction. (Ubuntu Release Team; Ubuntu 26.10 release notes)
Hardware and configuration issues in Canonical’s release notes
Canonical lists several issues tied to particular hardware or system configurations. A dangling /lib32 symbolic link may stop an upgrade; certain legacy GRUB customizations on systems with TPM-backed full-disk encryption may cause boot trouble. The notes also flag display freezes on some AMD dual-GPU laptops, Wi-Fi instability on some Intel AX211 systems, and a keyboard-clock regression on some Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops. (Ubuntu 26.10 release notes)
