Switcher 2026: Ubuntu 26.04 ⭐️

Now available in stable, Ubuntu 26.04 is a major step forward, with Linux kernel 7, GNOME 50, the latest WINE 11, and other new platform updates. Ubuntu has long been the go-to mainstream Linux distribution, meaning it's almost boring in some ways. But this release is particularly interesting for Windows switchers, including those who play videogames.
📦 Distribution variants and schedule
Most Linux distributions come in multiple variants, but Ubuntu is somewhat unique in this regard because it offers so many. I've typically stuck with stock Ubuntu, in part because I like GNOME, but some of the other choices here include Edubuntu (education), Kubuntu (KDE and Plasma), Lubuntu (LXQt for older PCs), Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Cinnamon, Ubuntu Kylin (for China), Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio (for creators), Ubuntu Unity, and Xubuntu (Xfce), many of which come with alternative desktop environments. Ubuntu is also available on Raspberry Pi devices and, as you may know, in the Windows Subsystem for Linux for Windows 11.

It's also worth pointing out that Canonical releases two major versions of Ubuntu each year, a short-term support release each April and October (25.10 being the most recent release) and then a long-term support (LTS) release every other April. Ubuntu 26.04, as its name implies, is an LTS release, so it is supported for individuals for five years, whereas as interim short-term releases are supported for 9 months. Those who need longer support can subscribe to Ubuntu Pro, but that's outside of my interest area.
✅ Hardware compatibiltiy
It's likely you saw at least one recent news headline about Ubuntu 26.04 before it was released: This is the release that raises the minimum RAM requirement from 4 GB to 6 GB, triggering stories that Linux "now has higher minimum requirements than Windows 11." But that is, of course, ludicrous: Windows 11 works best with 16 GB or more of RAM, and I wouldn't touch a Windows PC with less RAM than that. Plus, there are many variants of Ubuntu, or what it calls flavors, some of which target lower-end and older PCs.

Installing Linux on older PCs is common enough, but I've been testing many distributions on the newest hardware I can, including recent generation Intel Core Ultra- and AMD Ryzen-based laptops, and often with some form of dedicated Nvidia laptop GPUs. Those types of PCs are particularly good if gaming is a goal, as it is for me.

For this install, I used a 16-inch laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265H processor, Nvidia RTX 500 graphics, 32 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB SSD. As has been the case with other recent Linux distributions, Ubuntu had no issues with any of the hardware, well, beyond the facial recognition capabilities in the webcam. I was able to configure a fingerprint-based sign-in and used proprietary Nvidia drivers for the best possible graphics performance.

My experience on this PC has been so good that I will install it on a second PC later today.
✅ Software...