<p>Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ‘Resolute Raccoon’ bumps the minimum recommended RAM for the desktop from 4 GB to 6 GB — the first such increase since 2019. CPU and disk requirements stay the same: a 2 GHz dual-core processor and 25 GB of storage.</p>
<p>Canonical is calling this an ‘honesty bump’ rather than a sign of bloat. The 4 GB figure was always optimistic. In practice, GNOME, a modern browser with a handful of tabs, and a few background apps will push a 4 GB machine into swap fairly quickly. The 6 GB number is meant to reflect what actually works day-to-day.</p>
<h2>The Windows 11 comparison is a bit misleading</h2>
<p>Several outlets have noted that Ubuntu’s new minimum now exceeds Windows 11’s official 4 GB requirement, which sounds like a strange reversal. But Windows 11 also requires TPM 2.0, and virtually every machine that meets that requirement ships with 8 GB RAM or more. The 4 GB Windows 11 minimum is technically accurate and practically useless as a benchmark — performance at that level is poor.</p>
<p>Ubuntu’s 6 GB figure is at least honest about what you need for a usable experience.</p>
<h2>What if you have less than 6 GB?</h2>
<p>Ubuntu 26.04 will still install on machines with less RAM — it just won’t be fast. If you’re working with older hardware, lighter alternatives are worth considering:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Lubuntu</strong> (LXQt) and <strong>Xubuntu</strong> are official Ubuntu flavors built for lower-spec machines</li>
<li>A minimal netboot install skips the full desktop environment entirely</li>
<li>Window managers like i3 or bspwm are an option if you’re comfortable configuring things yourself</li>
</ul>
<p>None of this is a dramatic shift. It’s more of an acknowledgment that the old number wasn’t really telling the truth.</p>


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Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 'Resolute Raccoon' raises the minimum recommended RAM for the desktop from 4 GB to 6 GB, the first increase since 2019. Canonical frames this as an 'honesty bump' — the 4 GB figure was always optimistic given GNOME, a browser, and background apps routinely push such machines into swap. Ubuntu 26.04 will still install on lower-RAM machines but performance will suffer. Lighter alternatives like Lubuntu, Xubuntu, minimal netboot installs, or tiling window managers like i3 are suggested for older hardware. The comparison to Windows 11's 4 GB minimum is noted as misleading since virtually all TPM 2.0-capable machines ship with 8 GB anyway.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS raises minimum RAM requirement to 6 GB