Lubuntu 26.10 Released!

Key points

Lubuntu 26.10 "Stonking Stingray" has been released. It is the project's 31st release and the 17th to use LXQt as its default desktop. The headline changes are LXQt 2.4 and an experimental Wayland session.

Support period

• 26.10 is an interim (non-LTS) release with the standard nine-month support window, ending in July 2027.
• The team is now working on Lubuntu 27.04. This release will get only critical bug fixes and security updates.

How to get it

• Install images are available from the Lubuntu download page linked in the announcement.
• To upgrade an existing 26.04 system, follow the upgrade instructions in the Lubuntu Manual.

What changed

• LXQt 2.4 is the default desktop. The release notes for LXQt 2.4.0 are linked from the announcement.
• X11 is still the default display server for desktop sessions.
• An experimental Wayland session based on the Miriway compositor is now installed by default. To try it, open the "Session" drop-down in the top-left corner of the login screen and choose "Lubuntu (Wayland)".
• The project says it has no current plans to drop X11 support.
• New wallpaper and login-screen artwork were made for this release.

Default software versions

• LXQt 2.4.0
• Qt 6.11.2
• Firefox from the snap package, version 157 at release time
• LibreOffice 26.8
• VLC 3.0.23
• Featherpad 1.6.4
• Discover Software Center 6.7.5

Known issues

• KWallet and KWalletManager are installed by default where gnome-keyring was expected.
• Alacritty is installed alongside QTerminal.
• Both problems have bug reports linked from the announcement.
• Users should also read the Ubuntu release notes for issues that affect all Ubuntu flavors.

Documentation

• The Lubuntu Manual is at manual.lubuntu.me. Stable, LTS and development (work-in-progress) editions are available.
• The team credits Lyn Perrine for her work on the manual.
• Manuals for older releases remain in the Git repository but are no longer published online.
• The manual opens from the "Lubuntu Manual" icon on the desktop.

Getting involved

• Contributors are invited to join the project's Matrix chat to help with translation, testing or documentation.
• Supporters can also donate or buy a t-shirt.
• Bugs can be filed by following the instructions on the Lubuntu Wiki. Users who prefer not to file a report can describe the problem in enough detail to reproduce it, and the team will file it.
• The Lubuntu Global Team supports non-English communities: Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Chinese, German, Japanese, Arabic and French.
• Anyone wanting to start a new language group should contact the Global Team in the development channel. A group needs a few active organisers and at least one English-speaking administrator.

Contributors

• This cycle's contributors include Simon Quigley, Walter Lapchynski, Lyn Perrine, Dan Simmons, Chris Guiver, Thomas Ward, Rober, Leó Kolbeinsson, Rik Mills, Erich Eickmeyer and Aaron Rainbolt.
• The announcement also thanks past contributors Raman Sarda, sudodus and KGIII, and founder and Project Lead Emeritus Julien Lavergne.

Summary by DistroNews, based on the original post.