Canonical is preparing Ubuntu 26.10 with the codename Stonking Stingray for release on October 15, 2026. The interim version will test changes ahead of the next long-term support release.
The distribution will ship with Linux kernel 7.x and switch its D-Bus implementation from dbus-daemon to dbus-broker for better performance under load.
GNOME 51 will form the desktop environment, bringing refinements to the shell, settings, and calendar applications. A new local speech-to-text tool called Myna is also planned as part of broader AI efforts focused on on-device models.
The installer is undergoing redesign to simplify partitioning, while a post-install onboarding flow will handle personalization. Both changes target the Ubuntu 28.04 LTS release.
Additional updates include an Ubuntu Certified status check in settings, a rebuilt App Center supporting multiple package formats, and continued work on Rust-based tools such as ntpd-rs.