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 has 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 is expected to begin later this month, after the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS stable release. The first step in that process is setting up the official repos. As those are tied to the first part of the codename, the codename gets announced first.
As the next interim release, Ubuntu 26.10 will be supported for 9 months. The kernel it ships with, which is likely to be 7.3 based on the typical kernel timelines, and its GPU driver stack will see a backport to users of Ubuntu 26.04 LTS in early 2027.
It’s too early to know too much about what it will bring, but the GNOME 51 desktop (and most of the changes it introduces) is likely, as is further work to expand App Center’s package management beyond snaps.
Canonical is putting a lot of effort into refining TPM-backed disk encryption, and there are plans afoot to improve security on systems using Secure Boot via a minimal GRUB approach that strips out a number of features to reduce the attack surface.
I’ll be bringing you coverage of Ubuntu 26.10’s plans as I hear and spot them, so stay tuned to the blog for details on all of that as it happens.
- 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. ↩︎