By Patrick Kennedy
Publication Date: 2026-04-23 17:52:00
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon) was released today in April 2026 (hence the “26.04”) with significant updates for server and infrastructure deployments. This long-term support release brings Linux kernel 7.0, a new HWE virtualization stack model, Intel TDX confidential computing host support, and numerous improvements across virtualization, databases, and security. Since the Ubuntu LTS edition releases only happen every two years and offer a five-year support cycle, they tend to be important industry milestones given how popular Ubuntu is. Let us get into some of the details.
Here are just a few of the highlights from the release. We were able to download the server and desktop images for the amd64 and arm64 ISOs and install them, but it appears some mirrors are still catching up.
Linux Kernel 7.0 and Hardware Enablement
The generic kernel stack upgrades from version 6.8 to Linux kernel 7.0, delivering improved hardware support and performance optimizations. A few of the highlights are:
- Intel Panther Lake Support – Enhanced support for Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors with targeted optimizations for Intel Xe3 integrated graphics and the integrated NPU (Neural Processing Unit)
- EtherCAT Industrial Networking – Integrated IgH EtherCAT module and generic driver for real-time industrial Ethernet networks
- Real-Time Kernel Availability – The PREEMPT_RT real-time kernel is now available in the main…
