Canonical enabled supported upgrades from Ubuntu 24.04 LTS to Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS on 29 September 2026. Desktop users will receive the offer gradually through Update Manager, while administrators and users who do not want to wait can start the supported upgrade with sudo do-release-upgrade. Back up the system, install all current 24.04 updates and review third-party software before beginning.
Key takeaways
- The Ubuntu 24.04 LTS to 26.04.1 LTS upgrade path is now officially open.
- The notification is rolling out progressively, so it may not appear on every desktop immediately.
sudo do-release-upgradeis the supported command; the development-release flag is unnecessary and should not be used.- Ubuntu 24.04 remains supported until May 2029, so production systems do not need to upgrade on the first day.
- Ubuntu 26.04 LTS receives standard security maintenance until May 2031 and introduces GNOME 50, a Wayland-only desktop session and newer developer and AI tooling.
What changed on 29 September?
Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS itself was released on 27 August, but that did not immediately mean every Ubuntu 24.04 LTS installation could use the normal LTS-to-LTS upgrade route. Canonical waited while the supported upgrade path was tested and prepared.
The Ubuntu Release Team announcement now confirms that work is complete. Ubuntu 24.04 users are being offered the upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04.1 through Update Manager over the coming days. The gradual rollout helps Canonical control the transition instead of prompting every eligible machine at once.
This distinction matters. A point-release ISO is mainly useful for a new installation, while opening the upgrade path allows an existing Ubuntu 24.04 system to move forward without being reinstalled. Users who already installed Ubuntu 26.04 and applied normal updates should already have the 26.04.1 fixes.
| Situation | What is available now | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS desktop | Gradual Update Manager offer or manual supported upgrade | Back up, fully update 24.04, then upgrade when ready |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server | Supported command-line upgrade | Test applications and arrange console access before running it |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | No direct jump to 26.04 | Upgrade sequentially to 24.04 first |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | 26.04.1 fixes arrive through normal package updates | Install regular updates; no reinstall is required |
| New installation | Updated 26.04.1 installation images | Use the current official ISO |
What does Ubuntu 26.04.1 add?
Ubuntu 26.04.1 is a consolidated point release rather than a second major operating-system launch. Its updated images collect security updates and bug fixes delivered after Ubuntu 26.04 appeared in April. Canonical’s 26.04.1 change summary lists installation, upgrade, desktop, cloud and hardware-support corrections.
The larger change for an Ubuntu 24.04 user is the move to the 26.04 generation. Canonical highlights GNOME 50, a completed move to Wayland for the default desktop session, newer language toolchains, memory-safe Rust components, post-quantum-aware cryptographic defaults and current GPU-compute packages. Those are meaningful changes, but they also make application, driver and workflow checks important before an in-place upgrade.
Should you upgrade from Ubuntu 24.04 now?
Desktop users with a current backup and ordinary repository software can reasonably upgrade now, but critical workstations and production servers should test first. The upgrade path being enabled means Canonical supports it; it does not guarantee that every third-party driver, PPA, management agent or business application is ready.
| Upgrade now | Wait and test first |
|---|---|
| You need newer hardware support or the 26.04 developer stack | The machine hosts a production database, website or customer service |
| Your applications are available from Ubuntu’s official repositories | You depend on vendor repositories, PPAs or proprietary kernel modules |
| You have a verified backup and time to troubleshoot | You lack a current backup, recovery media or console access |
| You have tested important peripherals and VPN software | You require an X.org-only workflow or an application not validated on Wayland |
There is no security deadline forcing every 24.04 user to move today. Canonical’s release lifecycle lists standard security maintenance for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS through May 2029. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS extends that standard-maintenance window to May 2031.
Our recommendation is simple: upgrade personal systems when you have a reliable backup and a free afternoon. For production machines, clone or snapshot the workload, test the 26.04 environment and schedule a maintenance window. An in-place downgrade is not supported, so a backup or platform snapshot is the practical route back.
What should you do before upgrading?
Canonical recommends connecting a laptop to power, checking free space, backing up user data and fully updating the existing installation. We would add an application inventory and a recovery check, especially for servers.
- Confirm the current release. Run
lsb_release -ds. The direct LTS upgrade covered here starts from Ubuntu 24.04. - Back up important data. Verify that the backup can actually be opened or restored. For a virtual machine, take a platform snapshot in addition to an application-aware backup where appropriate.
- Check free space. The release upgrader needs several gigabytes for downloaded and unpacked packages. Canonical lists 25 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM as the comfortable minimum for Ubuntu Desktop 26.04.
- Record third-party software. PPAs and external repositories may be disabled during the upgrade. Confirm that vendors support Ubuntu 26.04 before re-enabling them.
- Test remote recovery. On a server, arrange hypervisor, cloud serial-console or physical console access before changing the operating system remotely.
- Allow enough time. Canonical says the interactive process can take up to an hour, but slow mirrors, large installations and post-upgrade application checks can take longer.
If the machine provides internet-facing services, review the firewall after the upgrade. Our current UFW guide for Ubuntu explains how to verify rules without locking out SSH. Administrators running a web stack should also confirm supported packages and virtual-host configuration rather than assuming every older configuration will behave identically.
How to upgrade Ubuntu 24.04 to 26.04.1 LTS
Option 1: Use Update Manager on Ubuntu Desktop
- Open Software Updater and install all available Ubuntu 24.04 updates.
- Restart if Ubuntu requests it.
- Open Software Updater again. When the Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS offer appears, select Upgrade.
- Review the packages that will be installed or removed and follow the interactive prompts.
- Restart after the upgrade completes.
The notification is rolling out gradually. Its absence on the first day does not mean your installation is broken.
Option 2: Start the supported command-line upgrade
First bring Ubuntu 24.04 fully up to date:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo rebootAfter the restart, begin the release upgrade:
sudo do-release-upgradeRead the package summary and configuration-file prompts rather than accepting every choice blindly. The upgrader may disable third-party repositories and may ask whether obsolete packages should be removed.
Do not add -d or --devel-release. The stable LTS upgrade path is now available, and Canonical warns that upgrading to a development release is unsupported and can break the system.
Can Ubuntu 22.04 upgrade directly to 26.04?
No. Ubuntu supports sequential release upgrades. An Ubuntu 22.04 LTS machine must move to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS before it can proceed to 26.04 LTS. Skipping an LTS release is not the supported path.
What should you check after the upgrade?
Do not treat the first successful login as the end of the maintenance window. Verify the operating system and the services that matter:
lsb_release -ds
uname -r
systemctl --failed
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgradeThen test networking, DNS, VPN access, printers, audio, graphics acceleration and any development toolchains. On a server, check every application endpoint, scheduled job, database service, monitoring agent and backup job.
Review disabled repositories before turning them back on. A repository built for Ubuntu 24.04 should not simply be relabeled as 26.04 unless its vendor explicitly supports that change. Reinstall or replace third-party packages using the vendor’s 26.04 instructions.
The upgrade also brings a newer desktop and toolchain generation. Our coverage of recent GNOME changes provides context for where the Linux desktop is heading, while the Ubuntu Rust Coreutils transition explains why administrators should check familiar command-line behavior as Ubuntu continues adopting memory-safe replacements.
Common Ubuntu 26.04.1 upgrade problems
The upgrade is not offered yet
Install all Ubuntu 24.04 updates, restart and try again. Check that /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades contains Prompt=lts. Because the graphical offer is progressive, you can use the supported sudo do-release-upgrade command instead of waiting for the notification.
Third-party packages block the upgrade
Remove or disable the conflicting package or repository, finish updating Ubuntu 24.04 and retry. Canonical’s documentation notes that PPAs and third-party repositories may be disabled. Re-enable only sources that explicitly publish packages for Ubuntu 26.04.
The system lost power or the package process stopped
If the machine still boots, Canonical recommends configuring unpacked packages and repairing dependencies:
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt --fix-broken installIf the system does not boot normally, use recovery or console access rather than repeatedly restarting an incomplete upgrade.
The upgraded system feels slow
Give the first boot time to finish initial configuration and background work. Then inspect failed services, disk pressure and hardware support. Canonical lists a 2 GHz dual-core processor, 6 GB RAM and 25 GB free storage as comfortable Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 requirements; a lighter Ubuntu flavor may be more suitable for older hardware.
A server service does not start
Use systemctl --failed and inspect the affected unit with journalctl -u service-name. Compare configuration files, verify package availability and restore only the affected workload if possible. This is why a tested snapshot and application-specific backup matter more than relying on an unsupported downgrade.
Our assessment
Opening the Ubuntu 24.04-to-26.04.1 route is more important to existing LTS users than the point-release ISO becoming downloadable. It turns 26.04 from a clean-install option into the officially supported next step for a large installed base.
The right response is not to race the notification. Home and development systems can move once their backups and essential applications are checked. Production administrators should use the same announcement as a signal to begin structured testing, not as permission to skip it.
Ubuntu 24.04 remains supported, so waiting for vendor certification or a maintenance window is responsible rather than outdated. When the benefits of newer hardware support, GNOME 50, current toolchains and the longer lifecycle justify the change, the normal supported upgrade path is finally ready.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ubuntu 24.04 to 26.04 upgrade officially supported now?
Yes. The Ubuntu Release Team enabled upgrades from Ubuntu 24.04 LTS to Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS on 29 September 2026.
Why do I not see an Ubuntu 26.04 upgrade notification?
Canonical is rolling out the Update Manager offer progressively. Fully update and restart Ubuntu 24.04, or use sudo do-release-upgrade if you are ready and do not want to wait.
Do I need to reinstall Ubuntu to get 26.04.1?
No. Existing Ubuntu 24.04 systems can use the supported in-place upgrade. New 26.04.1 images are mainly for clean installations and recovery media.
Should I use do-release-upgrade -d?
No. The stable LTS upgrade path is open. The development-release option is unnecessary and Canonical warns that development upgrades are unsupported.
Can I return to Ubuntu 24.04 after upgrading?
Ubuntu does not support an in-place downgrade. Restoring a verified backup or virtual-machine snapshot, or reinstalling Ubuntu 24.04, is the practical rollback method.
Sources
- Ubuntu Release Team: Ubuntu 24.04 to 26.04.1 upgrades enabled
- Canonical: Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS upgrade overview
- Ubuntu documentation: Upgrade Ubuntu Desktop
- Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release notes
- Ubuntu 26.04.1 point-release changes
- Canonical Ubuntu release lifecycle
- OMG! Ubuntu: independent report on the enabled upgrade path
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