> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Beta Shows You There's Potential in the Stable Release - URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta/ - Published: 2026-03-27T14:36:33.000Z - Updated: 2026-04-20T12:48:02.000Z - Description: Canonical has opened up Resolute Raccoon for testing, and the beta shows promise. - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: News, Development Updates For regulars in the open source space, [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) is kind of a household name that introduced many to the diverse world of Linux, where you have all kinds of flavors. Want some work done? You have [Fedora](https://www.fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). Want to earn the rights to say "*I use Arch, btw*," and get work done? You have [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). We are now weeks away from Ubuntu's next [long-term support release](https://itsfoss.com/long-term-support-lts/), and Canonical have now provided everyone with [a beta build](https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-announce/2026-March/000322.html?ref=itsfoss.com) for testing purposes. Let's see what it delivers. ## Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Beta: A Functional Upgrade ![the desktop view of ubuntu 26.04 lts beta is shown here with the quick settings dropdown visible on the top-right](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta-desktop-view.jpeg) While the beta release offers variants like *Server*, *WSL*, and *Cloud* images, alongside the official [Ubuntu flavors](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors?ref=itsfoss.com), I have only focused on *Desktop* here. We start with the **new boot animation** that looks clean but will be easy to miss if you have a decently powerful system. Powering the release is **Linux 7.0**, whose development is still wrapping up, but it marks a significant jump from the [Linux 6.8](https://itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-8-release/) kernel that shipped with [Ubuntu 24.04 LTS](https://itsfoss.com/news/ubuntu-24-04-lts/). For the desktop, it ships with [GNOME 50](https://itsfoss.com/news/gnome-50-release/), which has **finally managed to let go of X11**. 0:00 /0:08 1× The new boot animation. The shell picks up a power mode indicator in the top bar, better screen time controls, and fixes for some long-standing annoyances like deleted default folders reappearing after a reboot. Variable refresh rate and fractional scaling are now stable features and are no longer buried behind an experimental flag. [Resources](https://apps.gnome.org/Resources/?ref=itsfoss.com) replaces [System Monitor](https://apps.gnome.org/SystemMonitor/?ref=itsfoss.com) for hardware monitoring and process management. It is built on *GTK4* and *libadwaita*, so it slots in naturally with the rest of the desktop, and was picked over [Mission Center](https://itsfoss.com/news/mission-center/) largely because of its [stronger accessibility support](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-26-04-lts-the-roadmap/72740/9?ref=itsfoss.com). ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta-gnome-50-resources-app.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/03/ubuntu-26-04-lts-beta-app-center.png) **GNOME 50 demo and the Resources app on the left; on the right is the App Center.* The [App Center](https://github.com/ubuntu/app-center?ref=itsfoss.com) has also been updated to show and manage [Deb](https://itsfoss.com/install-deb-files-ubuntu/) packages installed from Ubuntu's repositories, not just snaps. You can head over to the *Manage* section to find a new package type filter that lets you view them separately. On the graphics side, [Mesa 26.0](https://docs.mesa3d.org/relnotes/26.0.0.html?ref=itsfoss.com) is on board, bringing **OpenGL 4.6** and **Vulkan 1.4** support along with a broad set of driver improvements across Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA hardware. [Docker Engine 29](https://www.docker.com/blog/docker-engine-version-29/?ref=itsfoss.com) is also included, which makes the [Containerd](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/features/containerd/?ref=itsfoss.com) image store the default for fresh installs and adds experimental [nftables](https://netfilter.org/projects/nftables/?ref=itsfoss.com) firewall backend support. There are more [new features in Ubuntu 26.04 that we have covered here](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/). [Ubuntu 26.04: Release Date and New FeaturesThe development for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS has started and it’s time to start looking towards the features and changes it is bringing.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-350.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/ubuntu-26-04-features-4.webp)](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-26-04-release-features/) ## Start Testing You can download the beta builds for *x86* systems from the [release portal](https://releases.ubuntu.com/26.04/?ref=itsfoss.com) (*which is also where the stable release will go live*), and for other platforms like ARM64, you will have to visit the [image mirror](https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/26.04/beta/?ref=itsfoss.com). Stay tuned to here and on [our socials](https://itsfoss.com/#:~:text=Guides%20%F0%9F%93%92-,Social) for more detailed coverage when the stable release comes out!