GoKawiilThe release notes for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS show that Canonical has quietly raised the minimum RAM requirement for its popular Linux-based operating system by 50%. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon), the newest long-term support (LTS) release, requires at least 6GB of precious RAM, alongside a minimum dual-core CPU with a clock speed of 2 GHz, and 25GB of free storage.
The last time that Canonical upped the minimum RAM requirements of its well-known Linux distro was in 2018. That was when Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver) arrived, demanding 4GB. Ubuntu LTS RAM requirements had been as low as 1GB for the preceding four years, as established by Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) in 2014. In that context, the latest change in RAM requirements isn’t as big of a shock.
Ubuntu experts at OMG Ubuntu characterize the latest revision in RAM specs as “an honesty bump.” In other words, the core OS isn’t really more demanding on system resources this time around, but Canonical recognizes that with the latest Gnome desktop, modern web browsers, and typical multitasking workflows, users should look at a minimum of 6GB of RAM.
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Key apps like Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, and the GIMP are all updated in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. Moreover, the Gnome desktop has been upgraded from version 46 to 50, and there are a host of underlying changes.
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS doesn’t make 6GB a hard requirement. The OS will still install on systems that don’t match the new spec. But obviously, users shouldn’t complain about Ubuntu’s poor performance on systems with lower memory quotas. OMG Ubuntu actually tested 26.04 (Beta) on a laptop with 2GB of RAM and noted it was functional but slow.
In the Linux world, there are plenty of alternatives
No one likes to see minimum system specs rise, especially during component shortages directly affecting potential upgrades. But progress must march on, and if this revision is indeed just for ‘honesty’ regarding usability with modern apps, then it is difficult to argue against the update.
If you are someone who would have installed Ubuntu LTS, and perhaps you were intending to do so on a machine constrained by a maximum of 4GB of RAM, remember that alternatives are readily available. Even within the ‘Ubuntu family,’ there is Lubuntu, a lightweight and efficient distillation of Ubuntu. This ‘essentials remix’ of Ubuntu is only up to 24.04 LTS right now but requires just 1GB of RAM, as well as a 1GHz CPU and a smidgen under 10GB of storage.
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