Canonical has released the Beta version of Ubuntu 26.10 “Stonking Stingray,” giving users an early look at the changes headed for the final release on October 15.
The distro ships with the upcoming Linux kernel 7.3 series; the current Beta images include a 7.3 release candidate, and Canonical is targeting Linux 7.3 for the final release.
On the desktop side, Ubuntu 26.10 is built around GNOME 51, bringing performance and usability improvements. Mutter received reworked frame scheduling to keep animations smoother under load. Screen recording and capture now involve less redundant work and buffer copying. GNOME can also remember monitor brightness across reboots and HDR changes.
GNOME Settings introduces several additions, including automatic display rotation on supported devices, an option to disable the touchpad when a mouse is connected, improved display arrangement, a refreshed fingerprint enrollment interface, and new DNS search-domain settings.
Files benefits from faster folder handling and improved responsiveness during slow operations. Calendar has been reworked internally to improve scrolling and performance with large calendars, and GNOME Maps now supports downloading regions for offline use.
Another major shift concerns coreutils. In Ubuntu 26.10, the default core command-line utilities are now entirely provided by the Rust-based uutils implementation. Ubuntu had previously kept the GNU versions of cp, mv, and rm due to compatibility concerns, but those remaining tools have now been migrated as well.
Under the hood, the distro switched from the traditional dbus-daemon implementation to dbus-broker for D-Bus messaging. The multimedia stack moves forward with GStreamer 1.30, while graphics support is based on the Mesa 26.2 series. Developers get a refreshed toolchain including GCC 16, Python 3.14, Rust 1.97, and OpenJDK 27.
Moreover, Ubuntu 26.10 includes improved Microsoft account authentication through authd, with password-based login and MFA workflows, plus additional smart-card and PKCS#11 integration in NetworkManager.
Another area receiving attention is RISC-V. Canonical is working to provide a full Ubuntu Desktop experience on systems using the newer RVA23 profile, extending Ubuntu’s efforts beyond traditional x86-64 and Arm desktops.
The initramfs stack receives further refinement as well. Ubuntu moved toward Dracut in earlier releases, so that transition is not new in 26.10. However, work this cycle focuses on reducing unnecessary recompression of already compressed kernel modules and firmware, helping decrease initrd generation time and size.
On the accessibility side, GNOME 51 expands reduced-motion support across more desktop components, improves keyboard control of screenshot selections, and includes cleaner screen-reader behavior in GNOME Shell.
The Beta is available for download for Ubuntu Desktop, Server, WSL, and Cloud, alongside Beta images for the official Ubuntu flavors, including Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Cinnamon, Ubuntu Studio, Ubuntu Unity, Edubuntu, and UbuntuKylin.
As expected for a Beta, these images are intended primarily for testing rather than production use. Canonical will continue fixing bugs and updating packages ahead of the planned Ubuntu 26.10 final release on October 15.
