Ubuntu Stonking Stingray swims into spotlight with pre-release kernel

Ubuntu's latest interim release, named Stonking Stingray, has been released with kernel 7.3, though it is not officially out yet. The release follows closely after the beta version, indicating no major issues were encountered during development. This release cycle, accelerated due to Canonical's adoption of a faster AI-boosted kernel release schedule, has led to the pre-release kernel being included in the final Ubuntu 26.10 version.

Users can expect the updated kernel to be installed automatically once it's officially released. The GNOME edition of Ubuntu 26.10 remains unchanged from the beta version, with the exception of a new window-tiling assistant that displays Windows-like transient pop-up boxes for tiled arrangements. The Myna speech-to-text tool, announced earlier this year, is now available in a technology preview mode.

Testing on an older ThinkPad revealed that while the OS ran smoothly, the speech-to-text functionality was not yet functional. However, on a newer Dell XPS 9370, the installation process was more straightforward, and the inclusion of nearly a gigabyte of dependencies and language model files did not cause any issues. The new speech-to-text functionality showed promise, particularly when paired with a USB headset, which significantly improved accuracy.

Despite its limitations, this feature represents a significant step forward for Ubuntu, particularly for users who face challenges with using their arms. The release also brings updates to all flavors of Ubuntu, including Kubuntu, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Unity, Ubuntu Budgie, and Ubuntu Cinnamon. Notably, the Ubuntu Unity edition has adopted some accessories from the Lomiri desktop, a continuation of the Unity 8 community project.

Additionally, the minimal installation of Ubuntu 26.10 is even more stripped back than Xubuntu Minimal, excluding the Snap subsystem entirely. Other significant changes include the use of Rust versions for core CLI tools, updated versions of the NTP-sync daemon, dbus-daemon replaced with dbus-broker, and systemd 261.3, along with the integration of AMD ROCm 10.0, OpenSSL 4, OpenSSH 10.5, and the Rust upki tool for revoking security certificates.

The release also boasts an updated TPM-backed full disk encryption, though upgrading from a previous LTS version is currently not supported. Overall, Ubuntu 26.10 appears to be a robust and feature-rich interim release, setting the stage for the final kernel release and offering a range of options for users across various desktop environments.