Ubuntu 26.10 beta adds GNOME 51 and optional AI transcription
Ubuntu 26.10, codenamed “Stonking Stingray”, has entered beta testing ahead of its scheduled 15 October release. The release brings GNOME 51 and extends Ubuntu’s move towards Rust-based replacements for core tools, while adding an optional speech-to-text feature powered by language models.
The beta ran well in tests on both older hardware and in a virtual machine, though it showed a cosmetic missing-icons issue and the installer did not use a selected swap partition. GNOME 51 adds trackpad controls and drops support for WEP Wi-Fi; Ubuntu’s new Myna speech-to-text tool is not installed by default and could not be tested by the article’s author. Updates are fetched during installation when the machine is online, speeding up the first update for traditional packages.
- Ubuntu 26.10 beta is available ahead of its 15 October release.
- It includes GNOME 51 and Rust-based OpenPGP support.
- Optional Myna speech-to-text could not be tested.
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Ubuntu is a free computer operating system based on Linux, used by millions of people worldwide. Ubuntu releases a new version roughly every six months, and the upcoming version 26.10, codenamed "Stonking Stingray", is preparing for its official launch on 15 October. The software is currently in beta testing, meaning it is nearly complete but developers are still checking for problems before the full release.
This release includes GNOME 51, the latest version of the graphical interface that controls how Ubuntu looks and works. Behind the scenes, Ubuntu is gradually replacing key underlying software tools with versions written in the Rust programming language, which is designed to be more secure. The update also introduces an optional speech-to-text feature called Myna that can transcribe spoken words into text using artificial intelligence.
For everyday users, these changes mean a more modern, secure operating system with new features available if they want them. Ubuntu is one of the most widely-used versions of Linux, so updates to its core software affect millions of computers ranging from personal laptops to servers running websites.
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Originally published by The Register as “Ubuntu ‘Stonking Stingray’ beta swims out: Deeper Rust ‘oxidization’ plus LLM speech-to-text”.