Ubuntu has announced the codename for Ubuntu 26.10 is… “Stonking Stingray”.
As codenames go it’s certainly unique. The distro gives each release a codename: an alliterative pairing of adjective and animal, the latter of which becomes the release mascot. The tradition dates back to the first Ubuntu release in 2004 (dubbed ‘Warty Warthog’).
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS was ‘Resolute Raccoon’, making ‘s’ the next letter alphabetically, and ‘Stonking Stingray’ was the distro’s standout choice.
But what does it mean?
Stonking is a strange choice as (to my knowledge) it’s mainly used here in the UK as an informal term for something that’s huge or exceptionally good. Interim (short-term) releases often use colourful codenames1 (Wiley Werewolf, Disco Dingo, Groovy Gorilla) so it tracks.
Whether those outside of the UK will understand it in that context… You tell me down in the comments!
Stingray is the name of a 1964 Gerry Anderson—wait, no; it’s the animal, isn’t it? In that case, a stingray is a cartilaginous (boneless) fish found in coastal waters around the world. It lives close to the seabed, often partially buried in sand.
As an adaptable animal that thrives even in the weirdest places, it’s not unlike Ubuntu.
Thus, Ubuntu 26.10 is the ‘Stonking Stingray’ – does that signify it’ll be an exceptionally good and adaptable release? Whether the name was selected on that basis or not, it’s the one the distro is saddled with for the next six months…
What to expect in Ubuntu 26.10
Formal development on Ubuntu 26.10 will kick off in early May. The first step in that process is setting up the official repos – and as those repos use the first part of the codename, the codename is typically announced around the same time.
Ubuntu 26.10 is out on 15th of October, and will receive 9 months of updates
Ubuntu 26.10 is an interim (short-term) release supported for 9 months. It’s release date is set for 15 October, 2026.
It’s too early I development right now to know much about what it this release will offer, but the GNOME 51 desktop (and most of the changes it introduces) is likely, as is more work on expanding App Center’s package management beyond snaps.
The kernel it ships with (likely to be v7.3 if traditional kernel timelines hold, as it’d be in RC status by September and meet Ubuntu’s kernel selection policy) and its GPU driver stack will get backported to users of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, sometime in early 2027.
And Canonical has been putting effort into refining TPM-backed disk encryption, and plans to improve security for systems with Secure Boot by adopting a minimal GRUB approach that rips out a number of (popular) features to reduce the attack surface.
Plus, we’ll get our first glimpse at the new AI features in Ubuntu too.
Expect full and frank coverage of Ubuntu 26.10’s plans on these pages, so if if you’re keen to ride the next release wave, stay tuned to this blog for all the details – you can add our RSS feed to your preferred service, install our Chrome extension or follow us on social media.
- LTS’ by comparison typically choose an adjective that imparts more value, like hardy, noble and (out on 21 April) resolute – okay, and, er, jammy I guess (also British slang) which undoes my point slightly, but indulge me. ↩︎
Instagram Engineering
Shopify Engineering