There are major Linux distributions dropping releases and patches every week.That means it can be hard to tell which ones really matter.There's one in particular coming later this year though that will change the game for me.
I've been on Kubuntu LTS for over a year In my PC configuration, I have a tower computer where I do a lot of distro-hopping.I want to try out new distros on the scene and find out how (if at all) they differ from each other.So I'm constantly replacing the operating system on that computer and having to rebuild my desktop.
One of the ways I stay sane in such a chaotic and ever-changing setup is by having a go-to computer on backup that I'm confident will always work just the way I need it to.That computer runs Kubuntu Linux, and I've been on it for about a year and a half now.Specifically, it's a Kubuntu Focus Ir14 Gen 2 laptop, and it runs Kubuntu Focus 24.04 LTS, which is a slight variation of Kubuntu 24.04 LTS.
It adds the Kubuntu Focus suite of tools and a custom kernel developed by the folks at Kubuntu Focus, all optimized to run on the company's devices.LTS versions of Kubuntu are rock-solid in terms of stability, which means I can generally expect it to "just work" when I turn it on.I can attest that level of reliability has been my experience, too.
Kubuntu Focus Ir16 (Gen2) 8 Operating System Kubuntu CPU Intel Core i5-13500H The Ir16 GEN 2 marries the enterprise-class hardware from Carbon Systems with the meticulous OS integration and Linux-first support from Kubuntu Focus.GPU Intel Iris Xe (Integrated) RAM Up to 96GB Storage Up to 8TB Battery 80Wh Display (Size, Resolution) 16 in, 2,560 x 1,600 Speakers 2 x 2W Memory Dual Channel DDR5-4800 or DDR5-5200 Ports USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, 3.5mm audio, SD card Network Wi-Fi 6E AX211 Dimensions 14.0 x 9.7 x 0.7in Weight 3.3lbs Webcam 2.1MP HD 1080p $1240 at Kubuntu Focus Expand Collapse Kubuntu 26.04 LTS is coming in April Given how much I rely on Kubuntu 24.04 LTS, it's going to be a very exciting day when Kubuntu 26.04 LTS "Resolute Raccoon" becomes available.Every LTS release in the Ubuntu family brings with it a major package base upgrade, so a lot of the applications installed will get boosted to more recent editions.
You see, one of the criticisms often put to Ubuntu is that its packages tend to be out of date.This is often true because the development team doesn't deliver any packages that aren't thoroughly tested to work for the end user.Testing takes time and effort, and for that reason major package updates only happen on the occasion of major point releases.
That's why it's so exciting when an LTS release arrives.That means that you get (more or less) up-to-date software with a high level of stability.These new desktop features will be game-changers When Kubuntu 26.04 LTS, it'll bring with it KDE Plasma 6 and a big upgrade to KDE's suite of apps.
I use Plasma clipboard manager extensively, and Plasma 6.5 added the ability to pin clipboard items for persistent access to commonly copied items.There's also automatic dark and light mode switching based on time of day.Searching is also going to get a lot better.
Plasma 6.5 brought fuzzy search to the application launcher and KRunner interfaces.Fuzzy search absolutely changes the game for finding files and applications when you aren't precisely sure how words and names are spelled.Related I Wish I'd Found This Hidden KDE Plasma Feature Sooner This little gem will really let you hit the ground "running" with your Linux PC.
Posts 3 By Jordan Gloor The upgrade to KDE's Spectacle screenshot tool will mean gaining the ability to record video too.No longer will I need an external recorder tool just to make simple screencasts and GIFs of my desktop.There are optimizations coming too One of the major upgrades will be a switch to Wayland as the default session.
My Kubuntu 24.04 release is running X11, but virtually everything in the Linux world is moving to Wayland, so this will bring Kubuntu LTS into the future.HDR support is part of that future too.Going back to Plasma search, it's being optimized too.
When Plasma 6.0 was first announced, the development team reported an improvement of 200 percent when searching through recent documents.Subscribe for in-depth Kubuntu 26.04 coverage Join the newsletter for hands-on coverage of Kubuntu 26.04: clear breakdowns of KDE Plasma 6 changes, Wayland transition, amd64-v3 benefits, and how to evaluate snapshots so you can upgrade with confidence.Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe anytime.What's better is that Ubuntu's developers recently started rebuilding the entire package base for 26.04, optimizing software structure and functionality across the board.It also expands the number of packages with amd64-v3 variants.
That brings me to another major advantage of upgrading from Kubuntu 24.04: it will enable access to amd64-v3 package variants.Those variants of popular packages run with just a bit more efficiency than their counterparts, so long as you have a CPU that supports amd64-v3.This was already possible on Kubuntu 25.10, of course, and the boost to efficiency won't be anything dramatic, but I'd like to squeeze every ounce of speed I can from my Kubuntu laptop.
Related This is the Linux distro I recommend to every Windows user Switching to Linux is not a painful process anymore.Posts 14 By Nick Lewis You can try the preview snapshots now Thanks to the snapshot release cycle Ubuntu started last year, you can easily download and boot up a reasonably usable preview of Kubuntu 26.04 now.I managed to do it on my laptop by going to the index of Kubuntu 26.04 releases and clicking the latest one.
Once you have the ISO, you can spin it up as a virtual machine or try making a bootable drive and live-booting it on your hardware.While it's not a good idea to fully install and daily-drive Kubuntu snapshots, clicking around in the live boot will give you an idea of what to expect come April.
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