26.04.1 / 26.04.2 Update Summary

About Point Releases

Ubuntu LTS Point Releases are updated ISO images published periodically after the original LTS release. Point Releases integrate all published security updates and bug fixes into the installation image, allowing new users to get the latest system state when installing.

Already installed systems do not need to reinstall: If you have already installed Ubuntu 26.04 and keep your system updated, you already have all the updates included in the Point Release.

26.04.1

Release date: August 27, 2026 (ISO built on August 26)

What Is Actually Included

• All security updates since the 26.04 release, up to August 25, 2026
• Refreshed Desktop / Server / Netboot / WSL images, plus 26.04.1 images for the official flavors
• Installer fixes: livecd-rootfs riscv64 earlycon, netboot kernel/initrd permissions, nocloud password data format, and more
• Upgrade fixes: ubuntu-release-upgrader sets Prompt=lts for resolute and fixes the rust-coreutils regression that blocked upgrades
• Desktop fixes: GNOME Shell search providers being removed, Mutter multi-monitor hot-plug/cursor/drag-and-drop, GTK4 memory corruption, GNOME Control Center autostart toggles, PackageKit TOCTOU, and more
• Server/cloud fixes: QEMU/libvirt HWE, systemd postinst with rsyslog, rsync security regression, Exim4, and more
• Kernel/hardware support: still the Linux 7.0 series, with the image kernel at 7.0.0-30; Mesa 26.0.8, GNOME Shell 50.1
• TPM-backed FDE: mandatory PIN can now be disabled on hardware whose firmware cannot be verified automatically (this lowers tamper protection)

How Existing Users Update

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

Settings -> About should show 26.04.1. New installations should use the 26.04.1 ISO directly.

Upgrading from 24.04 LTS

26.04.1 is the point at which automatic upgrade prompts for 24.04 LTS open. Canonical says a few updates are needed first to address regressions in a recent rust-coreutils version, so the automatic prompt is expected about two weeks after the release (early September 2026); in the meantime you can upgrade immediately with do-release-upgrade -d.

26.04.2

Expected release date: February 2027

Expected Contents

• Continued integration of security updates and bug fixes
• New HWE kernel stack (possibly based on a newer upstream kernel)
• Updated Mesa graphics driver stack
• Improved hardware compatibility (especially for next-generation CPUs/GPUs)

HWE Stack Update

26.04.2 will bring the new HWE (Hardware Enablement) stack from Ubuntu 26.10 (officially confirmed):

• Updated Linux kernel (improved new hardware support)
• Updated Mesa graphics drivers (improved GPU performance)
• Updated Wayland-related components

# Install the HWE stack
sudo apt install linux-generic-hwe-26.04
 
# Verify the HWE kernel version
uname -r

How to Get Point Releases

New Installations

Download the latest Point Release ISO directly:

https://releases.ubuntu.com/26.04/

The ISO filename includes the point release number, e.g., ubuntu-26.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso.

Existing Installations

Simply keep your system updated; no reinstallation needed:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Check Your Current System Version

lsb_release -a
cat /etc/os-release

Point Release Schedule

Each Point Release is approximately 6 months apart. 26.04.1 still uses the Linux 7.0 series (7.0.0-30); starting with 26.04.2, the Ubuntu 26.10 kernel and graphics stack will be backported.

HWE vs. GA Kernel

# Check whether you are using the GA or HWE kernel
dpkg -l | grep linux-image
 
# Switch to the HWE kernel
sudo apt install linux-generic-hwe-26.04
 
# Switch back to the GA kernel
sudo apt install linux-generic

26.04.1 still uses the Linux 7.0 series kernel (7.0.0-30). For the newest hardware (such as platforms released in the second half of 2026), wait for the 26.04.2 HWE stack or install linux-generic-hwe-26.04 as needed.