Ubuntu 26.04

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Ubuntu 26.04 “Resolute Raccoon” prompts mixed reactions: many praise its out‑of‑the‑box hardware support, high‑DPI handling and new features like TPM‑backed full‑disk encryption, while others report rough edges with installers, Wi‑Fi, ZFS upgrades and new Rust-based core utilities. Canonical’s continued push of Snap packages and GNOME’s opinionated UX changes (such as disabling middle‑click paste by default) drive some long‑time users toward alternatives like Debian, Fedora, Pop!_OS, Linux Mint and KDE‑based desktops. There is also concern over Ubuntu MATE skipping this LTS cycle and skepticism about Canonical’s long‑term direction and community focus.

Releases & Flavors

  • Fedora 44 is also greenlit, and some compare it favorably for stability and freshness of packages.
  • Ubuntu MATE is skipping 26.04; people worry about MATE’s future and note long-term support burdens if they skip an LTS.
  • Ubuntu Core Desktop (snap-only, immutable) seems stalled; some think its snap-store lock‑in made it unattractive.

TPM-Backed Full-Disk Encryption

  • Strong interest for servers and home servers (no passphrase at boot, protection against drive theft).
  • Multiple reports of the installer failing to set up TPM-backed encryption on various laptops/desktops; seems limited to certain TPM/firmware combos.
  • Some argue TPM auto‑unlock doesn’t protect against whole-machine theft or “evil maid” attacks; others say it’s still valuable against casual thieves.

Snaps and Distro Alternatives

  • Many dislike snap (sandbox quirks, access issues, redirection from apt, reinstallation after removal).
  • Workarounds: purge snapd, pin its priority, use Mozilla’s own Firefox deb, or start from “minimal” flavors.
  • Several recommend moving to Debian, Linux Mint (including LMDE), Pop!_OS, Fedora (Workstation/KDE), MX Linux, or Arch-based gaming distros.
  • Some warn that staying on Ubuntu while fighting snaps leads to stale packages or constant maintenance.

Desktop Environments & UX

  • Heavy criticism of GNOME decisions, especially disabling middle-click paste by default in GNOME 50; some welcome it (fewer accidental pastes), others see it as hostile to long‑time X users.
  • Strong praise for KDE Plasma 6.6 (HiDPI, configurability, Windows-like workflow) and Cinnamon as “GNOME-when-it-was-good.”
  • Ongoing GNOME vs KDE debate: KDE seen as powerful but complex; GNOME seen as simpler but opinionated and sometimes removing features.

Rust coreutils & sudo-rs

  • Concern over many CVEs in Rust-based coreutils; examples include TOCTOU bugs and potential silent data corruption.
  • Some argue this shows “rewrite in Rust” isn’t a panacea; others say long‑term benefits still justify it but current Ubuntu users are effectively beta testers.

Hardware, ZFS & Misc Issues

  • Mixed views on Ubuntu’s hardware support; once a clear leader, now seen as one good option among many.
  • ZFS upgrades from 24.04→25.04 had issues, especially for ZFS root; workarounds exist for non‑root pools.
  • Reports of installer networking problems (Wi‑Fi DHCP hangs), DNS configuration oddities, VPN client failures, and dislike of the new boot animation.

Canonical Direction & Community

  • Several long‑time users feel Canonical has become more top‑down and less community‑oriented, pushing snaps and big stack changes (coreutils, sudo-rs) without enough opt‑out paths.
  • Others counter that Ubuntu LTS remains a strong, low‑maintenance choice for production, education, and non‑expert users.