How to upgrade from Ubuntu 26.04 LTS to 26.10

If you’re running Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, move to 26.10 only if a specific feature or hardware need is worth taking on a shorter support cycle. When you’re ready, enable interim releases, prepare your system, then run sudo do-release-upgrade and follow the prompts.

Should you upgrade from Ubuntu 26.04 LTS to 26.10?

Rich Hein recommends that most people whose 26.04 LTS systems already meet their needs wait unless they want a particular feature or need newer hardware compatibility. The support window is a major part of that choice: Ubuntu 26.10 is an interim release with nine months of support, through July 2027. Hein reports that Ubuntu 26.04 LTS receives five years of standard security maintenance, through April 2031.

Ubuntu 26.10 includes GNOME 51 and Linux kernel 7.3. Rich Hein describes GNOME’s changes as workflow refinements, including file-operation feedback, touchpad behavior when a mouse is connected, and monitor arrangement. Ubuntu’s release notes say the release images used kernel 7.3.0-9.9, based on Linux 7.3-rc6 because the final upstream 7.3 release was due after general availability. Ubuntu’s release notes give the release and support details.

Hein reported that Ubuntu 26.10 recognized the processor, integrated graphics, and other hardware on a Dell Inspiron 3250 with a sixth-generation Intel Core i3. If you’re considering the move for hardware compatibility, that observation concerns that specific computer. It does not predict performance on your own system.

Before you upgrade

You’ll need to enable interim releases on your LTS installation. Ubuntu’s upgrade process is interactive, and its guidance recommends backing up your data, freeing several gigabytes of disk space, connecting a laptop to power, and installing available updates first.

Ubuntu describes an in-place upgrade as avoiding a reinstall and reconfiguration, but still recommends an external backup because data loss is possible. Downgrading an installed system is unsupported; returning to an earlier release requires reinstalling.

Upgrade Ubuntu 26.04 LTS to 26.10

1. Check your installed version. Open Settings > System > About, or run lsb_release --description in a terminal.
2. Enable interim releases. In Software & Updates, open the Updates tab and set “Notify me of a new Ubuntu version” to “For any new version.” Alternatively, edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and set Prompt=normal. Ubuntu explains both options in its guide to switching between LTS and interim releases.
3. Back up important files. Keep the backup somewhere separate from the computer you’re upgrading.
4. Check space and power. Make sure several gigabytes of disk space are free; connect a laptop to power before starting.
5. Install available updates. In a terminal, run sudo apt update and then sudo apt upgrade. Restart if prompted.
6. Start the release upgrade. Run sudo do-release-upgrade, or use Software Updater when it offers the release. Review the proposed package changes and follow the interactive prompts. Ubuntu’s desktop upgrade guide describes the process.
7. Restart and check your system. After the upgrade completes, restart, then check that your applications and hardware work. Review third-party repositories and PPAs, which may have been disabled, and re-enable only sources with compatible packages.

If the upgrade offer doesn’t appear

Ubuntu says interim-release offers generally appear several days after a release while critical bugs are addressed. Make sure the interim channel is enabled before trying again. The offer timing does not guarantee that every system will receive it on a particular day.

Use sudo do-release-upgrade for the normal upgrade to the released version. The -d or --devel-release option targets a development release; Ubuntu warns that this route is unsupported and may break the system.

For the release date and support context, see NeoTeo’s earlier coverage of Ubuntu 26.10.