Ubuntu 26.04 LTS templates are now available across QDE VPS and dedicated server deployments. New customers can select Ubuntu 26.04 LTS during ordering, and existing customers can reinstall from the control panel when they are ready to rebuild.
For server operators, the useful parts are the new kernel, package-management behavior, OpenSSH defaults, database versions, and upgrade work around older cgroup, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SSH setups.
Release overview
Ubuntu published Ubuntu 26.04 LTS "Resolute Raccoon" on April 23, 2026. Canonical lists it as a long-term support release with standard security updates and critical bug fixes until April 2031. With Ubuntu Pro ESM, that support window can extend to April 2036.
For small VPS plans, the baseline remains practical. Ubuntu's release notes state that Server 26.04 LTS requirements start at 1.5 GB RAM and 4 GB of storage, depending on workload. QDE's template includes cloud-init support and Fail2Ban for SSH protection.
What is new for servers
Kernel, init, and package management
Ubuntu 26.04 ships with Linux kernel 7.0 for the GA generic stack and HWE stack, according to the LTS user summary. The same summary notes that the real-time Linux kernel is now available in the main archive, outside Ubuntu Pro.
systemd moves to 259, and the important compatibility change is cgroup v1 removal. Legacy and hybrid cgroup hierarchies are gone. If you still run old LXC hosts, monitoring agents, or custom service units that assume cgroup v1 paths, test before doing an in-place upgrade.
APT moves to the 3.x line. Ubuntu's notes list APT 3.1 and call out two server-relevant changes: TLS and file hashing now use OpenSSL, and apt-key has been removed. Repository signing should use keyrings and signed-by, not scripts that still pipe keys into apt-key add.
Dracut is now the default initial ramdisk infrastructure, replacing initramfs-tools. initramfs-tools remains available, but the default boot plumbing has changed. Custom kernels, storage drivers, remote unlock setups, and recovery playbooks need checking.
Memory safety and cryptography
Ubuntu 26.04 continues Canonical's memory-safety work. sudo-rs is now the default sudo provider, while the original C sudo remains available as sudo.ws. The core utilities are provided by rust-coreutils; Ubuntu still provides GNU fallbacks, and cp, mv, and rm remain GNU implementations because of unresolved compatibility issues.
The cryptography stack also changes. OpenSSL 3.5 includes post-quantum cryptography support for ML-KEM and ML-DSA. OpenSSH 10.2 is included, and Ubuntu's OpenSSH notes list the hybrid post-quantum key exchange mlkem768x25519-sha256 as available by default. DSA support is removed, and host DSA keys are no longer generated.
For operators, the short version is simple: rotate any remaining DSA SSH keys before you upgrade. Modern clients should negotiate post-quantum hybrid key exchange without extra configuration.
Virtualization, identity, and compute
The 26.04 virtualization stack includes QEMU 10.2 and libvirt 12.0. Ubuntu also documents confidential-computing support around Intel TDX and AMD SEV-SNP in its virtualization notes. Platform operators and dedicated server users building their own virtualization hosts should notice this first.
For identity, authd is available from the Ubuntu archive and supports OpenID Connect workflows, including Google IAM and Microsoft Entra ID device registration. Teams standardizing Linux login through an identity provider should evaluate it in staging before using it on production access paths.
Updated server stack
Ubuntu 26.04 brings a large server stack refresh. The versions below are the ones administrators will notice first when selecting the QDE template.
| Component | Version |
|---|---|
| GCC | 15.2 |
| glibc | 2.43 |
| Python | 3.14 |
| PHP | 8.5 |
| Go | 1.25 |
| Rust | 1.93 |
| LLVM | 21 |
| OpenJDK | 25 |
| .NET | 10 |
| PostgreSQL | 18 |
| MySQL | 8.4 |
| MariaDB | 11.8 |
| Valkey | 9.0 |
| containerd | 2.2 |
| Nginx | 1.28 |
| Apache | 2.4.65 |
| HAProxy | 3.2 |
| QEMU | 10.2 |
| libvirt | 12.0 |
| cloud-init | 26.1 |
| OpenSSH | 10.2 |
PostgreSQL 18 is one of the more important server updates. Ubuntu highlights the new PostgreSQL I/O subsystem, with storage-read improvements measured at up to 3x in upstream testing, and the database-friendly uuidv7() function. The upstream PostgreSQL 18 upgrade documentation is still required reading for existing database hosts.
Upgrade considerations
New deployments are straightforward. In-place upgrades need more care.
- cgroup v1 removal can break old container and service-management assumptions. Check old LXC hosts and custom service units before upgrading.
- PostgreSQL major upgrades are data migrations, not ordinary package updates. Plan
pg_upgrade, dump and restore, or logical replication. - Ubuntu documents a known PostgreSQL throughput and latency regression triggered by a Linux 7.0 change when huge pages are not enabled. For PostgreSQL on 26.04, turn huge pages on and set PostgreSQL
huge_pagestoon. - MySQL 8.0 to 8.4 includes configuration and default changes. Oracle's MySQL 8.4 upgrade notes list incompatible changes and changed server defaults, so review custom
mysqld.cnfbefore moving production databases. - DSA SSH keys should be removed before the upgrade. OpenSSH 10.2 no longer supports the weak DSA signature algorithm.
For new servers, use Ubuntu 26.04 LTS now. For production migrations from Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, especially database or container hosts, waiting for the 26.04.1 point release scheduled for August 27, 2026 is a reasonable default.
Current QDE Linux templates
The current QDE Linux template set is:
- Debian 12 and 13. Debian 11 is approaching the end of LTS on August 31, 2026, so use 12 or 13 for new deployments.
- Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, and 26.04.
- Rocky Linux 8, 9, and 10.
- AlmaLinux 8, 9, and 10.
- CentOS Stream 9 and 10.
All QDE Linux templates include Fail2Ban for SSH protection, and cloud-init is supported on all templates.
QDE also provides netboot.xyz.iso for customers who prefer to install an operating system manually. Use it for a custom partition layout, installer-driven setup, or a system image outside the standard template list.
How to deploy on QDE
For a new server, select the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS template during checkout. For an existing VPS or dedicated server, use OS reinstall in the control panel after taking backups.
If you are building a fresh service today, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is the right default. If you are moving a running 24.04 system, treat it as an upgrade project: test your containers, database engines, SSH keys, boot tooling, and monitoring agents first.
Start from the QDE VPS page when you are ready to deploy Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.