What's new in Ubuntu 26.10 "Stonking Stingray"
With an expected in mid-October, the next Ubuntu release will have enhancements that will benefit those who have lots of Teams meetings and who like speaking to type.
The next major release for Ubuntu, version 26.10, carrying the nickname "Stonking Stingray," is set for October 15, 2026. This simple breakdown shows what the average person installing this release can expect. I'll keep updating as news breaks and the release gets closer.
Why this update matters: While it isn't a long-term support release like Ubuntu 26.04 was, and will only be supported until July 2027, this one will mark a significant step forward for the exceptionally popular Linux distribution.
What's new
You can expect a lot new in Ubuntu 26.10, including a refreshed desktop environment (that's the look, feel, and layout of the desktop), enhanced accessibility, and improved technical controls.
GNOME 51
Trying motion reduction in Ubuntu 26.10 (Snapshot 3)
This Ubuntu release will debut an upgraded version of the GNOME desktop, moving to version GNOME 51. (The previous Ubuntu release came with GNOME 50). It'll feature enhancements like hardware acceleration for Remote Desktop on devices with AMD graphics cards, integration with Microsoft Teams meetings in the Calendar app, and a fingerprint management feature in Control Center.
The desktop has also been optimized for screencasting, and a new accessibility feature lets you reduce animated motions in one click, as you can see my toying with in the video above.
Speech-to-text typing
This version of Ubuntu will have a voice dictation feature built into the desktop. It's called Myna, and it lets you type text into just about any field by speaking into the microphone after hitting the Meta+T shortcut, which activates Myna's listening.
- It works similar to the speech-to-text feature that Windows has had for many years, but it prioritizes privacy. To that end, you'll need to download a large model file that Myna will use to process your speech.
- Joey Sneddon over at OMG Ubuntu has a good hands-on demonstration with the tool, for the curious.
"Ubuntu Certified" checks
Now when you check for information about your device, you can allow Canonical to remotely verify that your device is "Ubuntu Certified," meaning it's guaranteed to run Ubuntu properly and reliably.
This is totally optional, though. You'll probably know from using it whether Ubuntu is working or not.
Other technical changes
For those interested in the under-the-hood upgrades, there are a few notable examples.
dbus-broker, a custom-built message bus, will replacedbus-daemon.- Continuing with Rust rewrites, an experimental Rust-based version of
ntpdcalled `rs-ntpd will be available, with a plan to make it the default time sync client next spring's Ubuntu release. - Experimental "amd64v3" software archive, potentially allowing for optimized software operations on x86-64-v3 processors.
What's getting better
Some aspects of Ubuntu 26.10 will be getting overhauled or just generally improved.
Installation experience
The wizard that you interact with when you first install Ubuntu is being redesigned with this release. You can expect something simpler and easier for an everyday person to understand, with advanced options hidden by default.
What's more, several settings that you previously had to decide during installation are now part of a "welcome" onboarding walkthrough after the installation has completed.
App management
Ubuntu's App Store in 26.10 will let you manage all the software you install in one place. If you've been frustrated by the way your DEB packages and Snap packages were handled separately and sometimes inconsistently in earlier Ubuntu releases, this one aims to fix that.
The kernel
For you kernel nerds out there, the default Linux kernel inside of Ubuntu 26.10 will be kernel 7.2, or possibly 7.3. I recommend 9to5Linux's breakdown of the kernel 7.2 to learn what to expect.
What's going away
As with every release, some elements seen in previous iterations of Ubuntu will no longer be here as of version 26.10.
Windowing system indicator
When looking at your computer's About page, you'll no longer see a "Windowing System" field. Previously, it would tell you if you were running either X11 or Wayland. Since GNOME 50 fully dropped support for the X11 windowing system, a dedicated indicator is no longer necessary.
Jordan Gloor
Older Nvidia drivers
GNOME 51, the desktop Ubuntu 26.10 will use, will no longer support certain legacy Nvidia drivers. This only affects you if you're using very old graphics cards, like 2013 and earlier.
Some GRUB features (maybe)
A discussion on Ubuntu's forum indicates developers may decide to get rid of some features in GRUB (the bootloader that appears and initializes Ubuntu when you first start up your computer). Features that might go away include boot partition LUKS encryption and Btrfs or ZFS filesystems. The idea is to keep GRUB minimal so as to increase security.
- If you're not sure what LUKS, Btrfs, or ZFS are or why you would apply them to the boot partition, then you this change wouldn't affect you.
Zooming out
When to expect it: Like I said, this Ubuntu release isn't expected to arrive in full until October 15. The beta, though, is expected to start September 24.
My take: Ubuntu isn't really my cup of tea, but I think voice dictation should come standard with any modern operating system. I also appreciate simplifying some of the settings and options, since Ubuntu is meant to be a simple and user-friendly operating system anyway.
Diving in
The fineprint: It's under construction at the time of writing but you can check the official Ubuntu 26.10 release notes for more details.
Get it now: If you can't wait for the beta release, you can download the latest snapshot image and liveboot it or install it fully (at your own risk, of course). You can find it at the Ubuntu 26.10 release archive.
