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Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop requirements at a glance
Canonical’s Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release notes, dated 23 April 2026, say Desktop requires the following for a comfortable experience:
| Specification | Published requirement |
|---|---|
| Memory | 6 GB RAM |
| Processor | 2 GHz dual-core processor or better |
| Storage | 25 GB free space |
Ubuntu’s Desktop download page also lists 6 GB of system memory for Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS. These are the published specifications for a comfortable desktop experience, not a statement that installation is impossible on anything below them.
Does “raises” mean Canonical officially increased the minimum?
The 6 GB figure is official for Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 LTS. However, the available release-specific official material does not establish the previous release’s baseline, so it cannot support a definitive claim that Canonical raised an official 4 GB minimum to 6 GB.
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A Ubuntu Community Help Wiki page lists 4096 MiB for physical installs and 2048 MiB for virtualized installs. The page does not tie those figures to a particular Ubuntu release, so they should not be treated as proof of the official 24.04 requirement or as a reliable like-for-like comparison with 26.04.
Can you install Ubuntu 26.04 with less than 6 GB RAM?
Yes, installation below the comfortable-experience specifications is possible. Canonical says so in the release notes, while recommending an Ubuntu flavor for lower-specification systems. It names Xubuntu and Lubuntu as examples for computers with 2 GB RAM or more.
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That guidance is not a benchmark or a guarantee of how a particular computer will perform. The cited specifications do not establish expected performance below 6 GB or compare memory use across Ubuntu flavors. If you have less than 6 GB, consider whether a lower-resource flavor fits your needs rather than assuming standard Ubuntu Desktop will be comfortable.
Why does the installer mention 1024 MiB?
Canonical’s Ubuntu release-image page states that 1024 MiB RAM is needed to install from the image. This is an installer threshold, not the 6 GB comfortable-use specification for the desktop. Meeting the image’s stated installation figure does not promise a comfortable or supported day-to-day desktop experience at that memory level.
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What to check before upgrading a computer’s RAM
If your computer has less than 6 GB and you are considering an upgrade, check its exact model before buying memory. Ubuntu’s requirements do not specify the type of RAM your device accepts, whether its memory is soldered, or its maximum capacity. Those details depend on the computer, so there is no universal RAM module recommendation.
An 8 GB-or-larger USB flash drive is recommended for trying or installing Ubuntu Desktop, according to Ubuntu’s installation guide. That is the size of the installation media, not a substitute for system RAM.
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Support period
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is supported through April 2031. Canonical says Ubuntu Pro provides access to ten years of Expanded Security Maintenance; this support option does not change the desktop’s RAM requirements. Details are on the Ubuntu release cycle page and in the 26.04 release notes.
Quick Recap
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