Keepers of Noble Numbats to be offered a Resolute Racoon: Ubuntu 26.04.1 is coming
Canonical has released Ubuntu 26.04.1, the first point update to April’s long-term support release, enabling Ubuntu 24.04 LTS users to receive upgrade offers. The release matters because Canonical normally waits until the first point release before promoting LTS-to-LTS upgrades, offering a more settled version supported until 2031.
Most official Ubuntu flavours have issued matching updates, including Kubuntu, Xubuntu and Ubuntu Studio, but Ubuntu MATE is absent after its maintainer stepped down, while Ubuntu Unity 26.04 is not classed as LTS. The article also expects System76’s delayed Pop!_OS 26.04 soon, now likely based on Ubuntu 26.04.1 and using its rapidly developing COSMIC desktop.
- Ubuntu 26.04.1 opens upgrades from Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
- The new Ubuntu LTS is supported until 2031.
- Pop!_OS 26.04 is expected to follow soon.
New here? Start with this
Ubuntu is a family of Linux operating systems, with versions maintained by Canonical. Long-term support (LTS) releases are intended for people and organisations who want a stable system and several years of updates; the April release is supported until 2031.
Canonical generally waits for the first point update before offering users of the previous LTS an upgrade, giving time for early fixes to arrive. Ubuntu also has community and partner versions with different desktop layouts, and their releases can follow separate schedules.
System76 makes Pop!_OS, a separate Linux system built on Ubuntu and paired with its own COSMIC desktop. Its next release depends partly on the Ubuntu base it adopts, while COSMIC is being developed rapidly.