Ubuntu 26.04 Snapshot 1 is now available to download, the first of 5 monthly development release planned between now and April 2026.
Canonical began publishing monthly Ubuntu snapshots during the Ubuntu 25.10 development cycle as a way to test and fine-tune a new automated build and testing infrastructure. They’re produced for all flavours too, not just the main edition.
As their name implies, Ubuntu Snapshots are simply a snapshot of development on the date they were made. Canonical’s engineers refer to them as “throwaway artefacts” so don’t assume they’re vetted alpha builds.
Though not a targeted ‘milestone’ in the way that the beta is, Canonical engineers encourages the distro’s developers who want to see their changes in a snapshot to land things in the archives in a timely manner.
Anything Notable?
Snapshot 1 offers with a bunch of low-level package updates, tooling churn and other requisite early-stage changes. But the big new features in 26.04 are yet to arrive. Unless you’ve a specific need or want to try this snapshot, you aren’t missing much.
That will change as development ramps up — there is lots to look forward to in Ubuntu 26.04, including new desktop apps, an expanded App Center with DEB and APT management, and the Prompting Client rollout so Snaps can offer Windows Vista UAC vibes ;)
Ubuntu 26.04 Snapshot 2 is due for release around December 18, a bit earlier than usual to not collide with the upcoming Christmas holidays.
The final, stable release of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is out on April 23, 2026.
If you want to the try the snapshot you can download it from the link below. If you install it — do keep in mind 26.04 is in development — keep installing updates as they arrive and you’ll be riding the release wave (you don’t have to reinstall with Snapshot 2, beta, etc).