3 Min Read · From Ubuntu 26.04 LTS · Keeps Your Files
Upgrade to Ubuntu 26.10 from 26.04
To upgrade, change Prompt=lts to Prompt=normal in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades, then run sudo do-release-upgrade. Your files, settings and apps stay. Plan on about an hour.
Below: the five steps, what the upgrade asks you along the way, the setups that cannot upgrade yet, and what changes once you leave the LTS track.
Open a terminal with Ctrl + Alt + T. Keep the laptop on mains power for the whole upgrade.
1
Back up, and check you can upgrade
An upgrade rarely loses files, but back up your home folder first. Our backup guide covers the Backups app and rsync.
Cannot upgrade yet
If you installed 26.04 with hardware-backed (TPM) disk encryption, the upgrade to 26.10 is not supported at release. Canonical expects to enable it later in the 26.10 cycle. Normal passphrase encryption (LUKS) is fine.
2
Install every 26.04 update and restart
Bring 26.04 fully up to date
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo reboot
The upgrade tool refuses to start while updates are pending, so do this first.
3
Allow upgrades to non-LTS releases
26.04 only offers the next LTS by default. This changes it to offer every release. Ubuntu 26.04 removed the Software & Updates app, so the terminal is the way to do it:
Switch the release prompt to normal
sudo sed -i 's/^Prompt=lts/Prompt=normal/' /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades
grep ^Prompt /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades
It lists what will change and asks to continue. Type y.
Asked about a changed configuration file? Press Enter to keep your version unless you know you want the new one.
Asked to remove obsolete packages near the end? y is safe.
Do not add -d. That flag is for development releases, and once 27.04 opens it would take you there instead.
If it answers No new release found, see Troubleshooting: the upgrade path does not always open on release day.
5
Restart and confirm the version
When it finishes, it asks to restart. Then check:
Show the release you are running
lsb_release -a
mike@ubuntu:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 26.10
Release: 26.10
Codename: stonking
Then run the updates once more, since packages often change on release day:
Pick up release-day updates
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
Upgrade With Software Updater Instead
Do steps 1 to 3 above first, because the prompt change still has to happen in the terminal. Then open Software Updater from the app grid. After it installs any pending updates, it shows Ubuntu 26.10 is now available. Click Upgrade and follow the prompts. It runs the same upgrade with a progress window.
What Changes When You Leave LTS
26.04 LTS gets updates until April 2031. 26.10 gets them until July 2027.
You must upgrade again by July 2027, to 27.04, and every nine months after that until 28.04 LTS.
There is no way back to 26.04 without reinstalling. To return to the LTS track without a reinstall, wait on interim releases for 28.04 LTS in April 2028.
Prefer five quiet years? Stay on 26.04. You can still try 26.10 from a USB stick: download the ISO.
Troubleshooting
Fix
“No new release found”
Check the prompt line again. It must read exactly Prompt=normal:
Check the release prompt
grep ^Prompt /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades
If it does, run sudo apt update and try again. Pending updates and a stale release list both cause this message.
Still nothing? Canonical opens the upgrade from 26.04 to 26.10 shortly after the release, not always on the same day. Wait a day and run it again. Do not reach for -d to force it.
Fix
The upgrade stops while installing base-files
Canonical lists this as a known issue at release: a leftover /lib32 link that points nowhere stops the upgrade. Check before you start:
Look for a broken /lib32 link
test -L /lib32 && ! test -e /lib32 && echo "broken /lib32 link"
No output means you are not affected. If it prints the message, wait for the fix to land before upgrading.
Fix
The NVIDIA driver is missing after the upgrade
Reinstall the recommended one, then restart. Older GTX 900 and 10 series cards stay on the 580 driver; the 615 driver needs a GTX 16 or RTX card.
r/Ubuntu ↗Where 26.10 problems get asked about and answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I upgrade from Ubuntu 26.04 to 26.10?
Yes. Change Prompt=lts to Prompt=normal in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades, then run sudo do-release-upgrade. Your files and apps are kept.
Will upgrading to Ubuntu 26.10 delete my files?
No. The upgrade replaces system packages and keeps your home folder, settings and installed apps. Back up first anyway, because a power cut halfway through can leave the system unbootable.
How long does the upgrade take?
Usually 30 to 60 minutes. Most of it is downloading packages, so a slow connection makes it longer.
Why does Software Updater not offer Ubuntu 26.10?
Ubuntu 26.04 only offers LTS releases by default. Change the prompt to normal in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and Software Updater will offer 26.10.
Can I go back to Ubuntu 26.04 after upgrading?
Not by downgrading. Restore a backup or reinstall 26.04. Otherwise keep upgrading through 27.04 and 27.10 until 28.04 LTS.
Can I upgrade if my disk uses TPM encryption?
Not at release. Canonical says upgrades from 26.04 with TPM-backed encryption will be enabled later in the 26.10 cycle. Passphrase encryption upgrades normally.
Upgraded?
See what is new in 26.10
The tiling picker, drivers in App Center, and the rest of the changes.
