Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Resolute Raccoon is now available with Linux 7.0 and native CUDA

Canonical releases Ubuntu 26.04 LTS with 10 years of support, GNOME updates, Linux 7.0 kernel, and AI hardware acceleration for NVIDIA and AMD.

The 11th long-term support release of Ubuntu has just been made available for public consumption. This version is Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, codenamed Resolute Raccoon, and it will get standard support until 2031 and extended support until 2036. There will also be a purchasable add-on if you ever wanted to take support all the way up to 2041, but this will be geared toward organizations that need a legacy system to run certain applications.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ships with the latest GNOME desktop environment and a modernized set of default applications. It also means that Ubuntu has completed its shift to Wayland which gives users smoother visuals, per-monitor scaling, native touch and gesture support, no screen tearing, and optimized performance across platforms, including support for the latest NVIDIA production drivers.

This update to GNOME also includes a broad set of accessibility fixes across the Shell and the default applications that Ubuntu ships with. The App Center has also been updated to feature improved Debian package support.

Another notable detail with this update is that Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is the first Ubuntu release to natively distribute NVIDIA CUDA as part of its software repositories. Users now also have the option to install NVIDIA DOCA-OFED for higher performance networking through an official PPA. Canonical, the maker of Ubuntu, said that the AMD ROCm software platform is also available. This open software ecosystem is used for hardware-accelerated AI, machine learning, and HPC workloads on AMD Instinct and AMD Radeon GPUs.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS also ships with Linux 7.0, which just came out in the last few weeks. One of the biggest things in this kernel update is support for Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors (Panther Lake). It also brings targeted optimizations for Intel Xe3 integrated graphics and the integrated NPU, enabling strong AI performance and better power efficiency.

To get started with the new Ubuntu, head over to the Ubuntu download page. There you will find the desktop download file but also upgrade instructions if you already have Ubuntu installed.