Canonical has released the beta for Ubuntu 26.10, codenamed "Stonking Stingray," ahead of its scheduled final launch on October 15, 2026. The interim distribution release expands Canonical's initiative to replace standard Unix system tools with Rust equivalents and introduces support for local machine-learning speech tools alongside updated desktop components.
Core Tool Oxidization and Speech Utilities
Canonical's ongoing effort to update foundational system components, referred to as "oxidization," advances in Ubuntu 26.10 by adopting Sequoia-PGP for default OpenPGP encryption tasks. The Rust-based cryptography suite replaces older C-based software implementations.
The release also introduces Myna, an optional speech-to-text tool that leverages large language models and local speech-recognition packages. While Myna is not installed by default, users can manually add the application along with their choice of supported speech models.
GNOME 51 Features and System Requirements
Ubuntu 26.10 incorporates the GNOME 51 desktop environment, which brings revised system settings such as automatic trackpad disabling when an external mouse is connected. However, GNOME 51 drops support for legacy Wi-Fi networks using WEP encryption and deprecates support for older Nvidia graphics hardware.
According to testing by The Register, the beta experienced cosmetic glitches regarding missing theme icons, though secondary displays and dedicated graphics outputs continued to function. The revised operating system installer provides clearer visual highlights for selected controls and fetches software package updates during setup. A complete installation uses around 13 GB of disk space including a 4 GB swap partition, with memory usage idling at approximately 1.2 GB under GNOME.
Kernel Updates and Kubuntu Display Transition
Under the hood, Ubuntu 26.10 currently runs on release candidates of Linux kernel 7.3. Official desktop flavor Kubuntu 26.10 ships with KDE Plasma 6.7.5.
Because subsequent KDE Plasma releases plan to drop the legacy X11 windowing system in favor of Wayland, Ubuntu 26.10 is expected to be the final Kubuntu release to offer supported X.org sessions, which remain accessible via optional package installation.
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Source: Ubuntu 'Stonking Stingray' beta swims out: Deeper Rust 'oxidization' plus LLM speech-to-text
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