Ubuntu 26.10 ships with Linux 7.3 and Rust coreutils

Canonical released Ubuntu 26.10, codenamed "Stonking Stingray", on October 15, 2026. It ships Linux 7.3, the GNOME 51 desktop and a complete switch to Rust-based core command-line tools. It is an interim release with nine months of support, so it suits developers who want newer toolchains before the next long-term support (LTS) version.

What's new in Ubuntu 26.10

The release announcement on Ubuntu Discourse lists these headline changes:

• Linux 7.3 and GNOME 51. The images use kernel 7.3.0-9.9, built from the release candidate Linux 7.3-rc6, the release notes say.
• Rust coreutils. The basic file commands, including cp, mv and rm, now all come from uutils, a Rust rewrite of GNU coreutils.
• New install images. There are RISC-V desktop images, plus amd64v3 images built for newer x86 processors.
• Stronger security. Package signing is now post-quantum-ready, meaning it is designed to resist future quantum computers. Full-disk encryption backed by a TPM, a chip that stores encryption keys, now works on more PCs.
• Enterprise sign-in. Users can log in with Microsoft Entra ID, using a password and multi-factor authentication.
• Myna. An opt-in speech-to-text preview that runs on the machine itself.

Ten official flavors launched alongside it, including Kubuntu, Xubuntu and Ubuntu Studio.

Toolchain and server versions

The release notes list these default developer tools:

Tool	Version in Ubuntu 26.10
GCC	15.2.0
LLVM	22.1.8
Python	3.14.7
Rust	1.97.1
Go	1.27
OpenJDK	25.0.4
.NET	10.0.112
Zig	0.16
systemd	261.3

GCC 15 stays the default compiler. Server packages include OpenSSH 10.5, OpenSSL 4.0, PHP 8.5.9 and MySQL 9.7 LTS.

Rust coreutils finish their move

In September, we reported that Ubuntu 26.10 would move cp, mv and rm to Rust coreutils. They were the last GNU commands left. The final release completes the switch, and Phoronix describes the migration as fully completed.

The release also adds Sequoia PGP tools, sq and sqv, to the main archive. The older gpg and gpgv tools remain. On the desktop, dbus-broker replaces dbus-daemon, the service programs use to send each other messages.

The desktop itself is GNOME 51, which we covered when GNOME 51 was released in September. Michael Larabel of Phoronix reports "nice performance improvements over Ubuntu 26.04 LTS" in benchmark tests.

What was removed

The release notes list several removals and deprecations:

• Support for old System V init scripts, through systemd-sysv-generator, is gone.
• WEP, an old and insecure Wi-Fi encryption method, is removed from Settings.
• The xxd tool is dropped from minimal images, and pollinate from cloud images.
• Postfix's BerkeleyDB hash: and btree: maps are deprecated.

Upgrading from Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

Users of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS are offered the upgrade automatically only if they chose to hear about every release, the announcement says. Users set to receive LTS upgrades only are not offered it. The upgrade is free.

Some machines must wait. Systems that use TPM-backed full-disk encryption cannot upgrade from 26.04 LTS at release. Canonical expects to allow it later in the 26.10 cycle.

The release notes also flag these known issues:

• Upgrades may stop on a broken /lib32 link.
• Legacy GRUB changes may stop TPM-encrypted systems from booting.
• Keyboards may fail on some Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops, because of a Linux 7.3 bug.
• OpenSSH packages left in the "rc" state should not be purged until a pending fix ships.

What this means for developers

For developers deciding whether to move to Ubuntu 26.10:

• Pick the right release. Support ends in July 2027. Production servers that need years of updates should stay on 26.04 LTS.
• Test scripts against Rust coreutils. Build and deploy scripts that depend on exact GNU cp, mv or rm behavior should run in a 26.10 container or virtual machine first.
• Convert old init scripts. A service still shipped as a System V init script will no longer start through the compatibility layer. Rewrite it as a systemd unit.
• Try the newer toolchains. Python 3.14.7, Rust 1.97.1, Go 1.27 and LLVM 22 make 26.10 a quick way to test code before the next LTS.
• Read the known issues first. Laptops with TPM encryption or Snapdragon X2 Elite chips should wait for the listed fixes before upgrading.