Hello Ubuntu Desktop community, With Ubuntu 26.04 LTS “Resolute Raccoon” now shipped and settling in, the Desktop Engineering team is already deep into the next development cycle. Ubuntu 26.10 “Stonking Stingray” arrives in October 2026. While non-LTS releases often focus on delivering new capabilities, they also play another important role: laying the foundation for the next LTS release. Much of the work happening in Ubuntu 26.10 is part of a broader vision for Ubuntu 28.04 LTS. That visi...

Some of the more interesting points:

  • transition from dbus-daemon to dbus-broker
  • package-agnostic App Center
  • simplified installation experience that dramatically reduces complexity during partitioning and storage configuration
  • new onboarding experience that moves personalization and system setup into a dedicated first-boot experience. Rather than asking users to make every decision during installation
  • on-device speech-to-text engine integrated as a native desktop input method, providing a foundation for fast, private, and offline voice interaction