Desktop environment and technology: GNOME 51 brings the latest improvements in performance, usability and polish to the Edubuntu desktop; Linux kernel 7.3 provides updated hardware support and performance improvements; Edubuntu GRUB branding - the boot menu now identifies the system as Edubuntu; refreshed branding assets - fixes to the System, About logo, and the correct Edubuntu mascot is now shown when installation completes on amd64. The Edubuntu installer (now at version 1.1) gains finer control over what gets installed, in the desktop (GTK4/Qt6) interfaces and the Cockpit module alike: expandable package lists - each metapackage can be expanded to show its individual Depends and Recommends packages; individual package selection - install or remove specific Depends and Recommends entries directly, with checkbox behavior that better matches what the APT resolver expects....
Ubuntu Unity 26.10 'Stonking Stingray' is out. This release was focused mostly on maintenance, packaging updates, adaptation to general changes in Ubuntu 26.10 and preparation for including Lomiri by default in the installation media. As such Ubuntu Unity 26.10 continues to use Unity 7.7, which has undergone maintenance. Our primary focus for this release has been to fix issues and bugs, so we can keep Unity 7 going, while we work on an successor. This includes long standing bugs and moving away from unmaintained packages towards supported alternatives. Notable changes we've made are: included Lomiri Calculator, Lomiri Files and Lomiri Terminal by default; fixed policy violation in nux library; updated packaging of unity-settings-daemon, new wallpapers. Changes we did not include in this release but we were working on them and are going to be included in next release in April 2027: switch to Ayatana indicators (which Lomiri also uses), notification improvements - no more separate windows for notifications that have buttons in them....
It’s that time again. I am happy to announce that Ubuntu Cinnamon 26.10 'Stonking Stingray' has been released. A lot of the changes are the usual 'general bug fixes' and improvements, these are just some of the new features: Cinnamon 6.6.9; the default menu applet has been updated; the user avatar is now shown at the top; applications are now displayed with their description under them; a new settings module has been added for managing Thunderbolt/USB 4 devices; hot corners now work in fullscreen applications; theming improvements; Cinnamon Control Center 6.6.0; Cinnamon Desktop 6.6.2; Cinnamon Menus 6.6.0; Cinnamon Screensaver 6.6.1; Cinnamon Settings Daemon 6.6.4; CJS 140; Muffin 6.6.3; more progress towards Wayland protocol support; Nemo 6.6.4; can now search for files by regex; file operations can now be paused; XDG Desktop Portal (XApp) 1.1.3. Other software: Atril 1.28.4, Brasero 3.12.3, Deja Dup 50.1, Eye of GNOME 50.3, Evince 49, File Roller 44.7....
On October 15, 2026, the Kylin team officially released Ubuntu Kylin 26.10, which will be supported for 9 months. Based on the Linux 7.3 kernel, Ubuntu Kylin 26.10 brings major upgrades to core libraries, subsystems and essential software, improving system stability and compatibility, and delivering a smoother and more reliable user experience. Ubuntu Kylin 26.10 includes Linux kernel 7.3 with a series of enhancements: initial support for Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops, including the ASUS Zenbook A14, HP EliteBook X G2q 14 AI, and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11; broader support for Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus systems, with built-in camera support for selected laptops; enablement for AMD Zen 6 client platforms, including HSMP, CPPC boost frequencies, EPP tuning, fTPM, and Sensor Fusion Hub; additional Intel platform support, including the TI TAC5xx2 audio codec for Nova Lake and selected MIPI camera sensors....
The FunOS team is proud to announce the release of FunOS 26.10, built on top of Ubuntu 26.10 'Stonking Stingray'. This release introduces significant upgrades to core utilities, multimedia handling, and hardware support, while providing a refreshed look and feel. What's New in FunOS 26.10? Based on Ubuntu 26.10 - FunOS 26.10 is built on the robust foundation of Ubuntu 26.10, ensuring access to the latest software packages and improved system performance and modern hardware compatibility; Linux Kernel 7.3 - this release ships with the Linux Kernel 7.3, providing enhanced support for the newest hardware, performance optimizations, updated driver management; 100% Rust core utilities - continuing the focus on security and reliability, FunOS 26.10 completes the transition to using Rust-based core utilities; transition to dbus-broker - FunOS 26.10 moves from dbus-daemon to dbus-broker; transition to PipeWire - we have fully transitioned to PipeWire as the default multimedia server.
Lo and behold, Ubuntu MATE 26.10 'Stonking Stingray' is here. We are back after a hiatus where the project skipped the 26.04 LTS release earlier this year. This is the first official release from the new circle of friends. And we intend to continue the 'tenacious' efforts into the future. What changed in Ubuntu MATE 26.10? The team. Joking apart, in terms of new features, we must admit we could not complete upgrade of all of MATE packages to their latest released version even with our best efforts. The urgency with which we gathered and worked, the high standard of Debian packaging, overall quality process involved in a release and not to forget the challenges of balancing personal life, all weighed in. On a positive note though, the available packages are stable. Many bugs were fixed by upstream. Some of those fixes have made it to the release and we are planning to backport others after the release. As Ubuntu MATE builds on top of Ubuntu, please see the Ubuntu 26.10 Release Notes for details of all the changes and improvements.
Kubuntu 26.10, code-named 'Stonking Stingray', is out today, released on the same day as the Ubuntu 26.10 base. It is an interim release, supported with security updates and critical fixes for nine months, until July 2027. What's on the ISO image: Plasma 6.7.5, with the Wayland session as the default, Qt 6.11.2, KDE Frameworks 6.29, KDE Gear 26.08.1 (Dolphin, Konsole, Okular, Kdenlive and the rest), Firefox 157 (Snap) and LibreOffice 26.8.1, Linux kernel 7.3. The Plasma X11 session is not installed by default and is not supported by the Kubuntu team. Kubuntu 26.10 is the last release where the plasma-session-x11 package will be available. If you still rely on X11, test Wayland on your hardware now and report what breaks. Plasma 6.7 brings per-screen virtual desktops, so each display can keep its own set. Discover has a clearer Install button and redesigned app cards. Switch between light and dark themes with a quick toggle, and try the new Union theming system as a tech preview.
Ubuntu Studio’s audio package selections now include Sonic Pi, SuperCollider, and the SuperCollider 3 plugin suite, giving you a complete live-coding and algorithmic-composition toolkit alongside Ardour, Carla, and the rest of the audio stack. Also new is JNoise, a simple white/pink noise generator included purely for its utility, handy for testing audio setups and room or speaker checks. Logo featuring the Greek letter pi on a pink background with decorative curved lines. The inclusion of Sonic Pi was inspired by DJ_Dave, a musician who builds and performs entire tracks as live code. While she currently uses Strudel, a browser-based live-coding environment, similar results can be obtained with Sonic Pi: write a few lines, hear them loop instantly, and keep reshaping the music as it plays. Sonic Pi runs natively on your desktop and is built on top of SuperCollider’s synthesis engine, so you can start with simple loops and samples and grow into deeper sound design.
Ubuntu 26.10 brings significant progress for security, and strengthens the platform with the full adoption of Rust-based coreutils, post-quantum-ready package signing, and expanded TPM-backed full-disk encryption support. Enterprise authentication gains deeper integration with Microsoft Entra ID, including password and multi-factor authentication. Linux kernel 7.3 extends support for the latest hardware, alongside new RISC-V desktop images and optimized amd64v3 installation images. On the desktop, GNOME 51 brings improvements to responsiveness, accessibility, and usability, complemented by more consistent software management and greater resilience under memory pressure. Ubuntu 26.10 also introduces Myna, an opt-in, locally processed speech-to-text solution that marks the first step towards a more natural, context-aware desktop experience.
Ubuntu Budgie 26.10 'Stonking Stingray' is a Standard Release with nine months of support by your distro maintainers and Canonical, from Oct 2026 to July 2027. The key focus for this cycle was the budgie-desktop 10.10.3 uplift. We are pleased how well this has been received - more information on the Buddies Of Budgie blog. Whilst the release date fell beyond Ubuntu's mid August freeze date we still have had lots of fun with the 26.10 release. Highlights - Budgie on Wayfire, creating a brand new radio search and play Raven widget, weather applet updates galore, supporting nighttime and daytime wallpapers via our Wallstreet app together with 'wallpaper of the day' from Bing and Wikimedia. Applets and mini-apps: lots of updated translations from our brilliant translators; our wallpaper manager and switcher app now include two additional options; Budgie Weather now includes the ability to display wind speed in various units....