Guide to Upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon)

Overview

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon) was released on April 23, 2026. This version, which comes with current technologies such as Linux kernel 7.0, GNOME 50, Python 3.14 and PHP 8.5, stands out especially with its post-quantum cryptography support and TPM-based disk encryption features. This guide will help you safely upgrade your system to version 26.04.

Preliminary Preparation and Requirements

Make sure you have a user account with root or sudo authority on your system.

Be sure to back up all your data before starting the upgrade process. If you are using a virtual server, it is safest to create a system snapshot.

Make sure your internet connection is stable.

Note: The upgrade path for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS users will be activated after the 26.04.1 version is released. If you are using an older version, you must first upgrade to 22.04 and then to 24.04.

Step 1: Update Existing Packages

It is critical that the system is fully up to date before upgrading. Execute the following commands one by one:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo apt --purge autoremove

If the packages are in "held back" state, list them with the sudo apt-mark showhold command and release them with sudo apt-mark unhold package_name.

Step 2: Starting the Upgrade Process

Start the process using Ubuntu's upgrade tool:

First install the required tool: sudo apt install update-manager-core

Check the upgrade policy: Make sure Prompt=lts or Prompt=normal in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades.

If you are connecting via SSH, allow port 1022 to prevent connection drops: sudo ufw allow 1022/tcp

Start the upgrade: sudo do-release-upgrade

Step 3: Post-Upgrade Verification

After the process is completed and the system has rebooted, use the following command to verify the version:

lsb_release -a

You should see "Release: 26.04" in the output. You can also confirm that the 7.0.x kernel is installed by running the uname -r command to check the kernel version.

Troubleshooting

Third party repositories: They are automatically disabled during upgrade. After the process, they can be reactivated manually under /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
SSH Connection: If the connection is lost, you can return to the session with the sudo screen -r command.
Wayland: Ubuntu 26.04 now only supports Wayland session. Legacy X11-based applications will automatically run via XWayland.

Guide to Upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon)

Contents

Overview

Preliminary Preparation and Requirements

Step 1: Update Existing Packages

Step 2: Starting the Upgrade Process

Step 3: Post-Upgrade Verification

Troubleshooting

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