Canonical rolls out Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS point release, paving way for next updates

Canonical announced the availability of Ubuntu 26.04.1, the inaugural point release of the 2026 LTS series, which will be supported through 2031. Consistent with prior LTS cycles, four more point releases are expected, with the final one arriving after Ubuntu 28.04, likely around September 2028. Eight of the ten official Ubuntu flavors - such as Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Lubuntu and Xubuntu - have received corresponding updates, but Ubuntu MATE was not released due to maintainer Martin Wimpress stepping down, and Ubuntu Unity missed the cycle while its lead developer Rudra Saraswat is in university.

System76 confirmed that its Pop!_OS 26.04 will be built on this Ubuntu version, incorporating the COSMIC desktop, which recently advanced to version 1.7.0 and is slated for further rapid development. Users running Ubuntu 24.04 “Noble Numbat” will now see upgrade offers, including via the command-line apt tool. The release also signals continued momentum for community-driven Linux desktops amid shifting maintainer landscapes.