New Update Ubuntu Drops the ‘Software & Updates’ Tool from New Installs

lokamoka820

lokamoka820

Level 41
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Mar 1, 2024
3,087
3
9,970
3,969
Banana Republic
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS will drop the Software & Updates utility from default desktop installs, with developers saying many of its features are “dangerous or too complex” for regular users.
Click to expand...
The concern centres on features like being able to disable access to the main Ubuntu repositories through the GUI, something that can leave users unable to install updates if toggled accidentally.
Click to expand...
This change affects the Software & Updates tool, not the Software Updater. Ubuntu 26.04 is under active development. Decisions and plans can change before the final release.
Click to expand...
If you do use the Software & Updates tool a lot for enabling/disabling PPAs and repositories, picking a faster archive mirror or controlling Ubuntu’s update behaviour, don’t fear: you can still use it Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ‘Resolute Raccoon’, you’ll have to install it yourself.
Click to expand...
If you upgrade to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS from an earlier version of the distro, Software & Updates will not be uninstalled either. Ubuntu has a firm ‘no yanking away things people use when we no longer include them on the ISO’ policy (not said policies’ official title).
Click to expand...
www.omgubuntu.co.uk

Ubuntu 26.04 Drops 'Software & Updates' Tool from New Installs

Ubuntu 26.04 drops the 'Software & Updates' app, with some settings moving elsewhere as Canonical simplifies the distro's configuration tools.
www.omgubuntu.co.uk www.omgubuntu.co.uk
 
  • Like
Reactions: simmerskool
lokamoka820 said:
www.omgubuntu.co.uk

Ubuntu 26.04 Drops 'Software & Updates' Tool from New Installs

Ubuntu 26.04 drops the 'Software & Updates' app, with some settings moving elsewhere as Canonical simplifies the distro's configuration tools.
www.omgubuntu.co.uk www.omgubuntu.co.uk
Click to expand...
What you quoted matches an actual Ubuntu 26.04 (“Resolute Raccoon”) development change request: the plan is to stop preinstalling the GTK “Software & Updates” GUI (software-properties-gtk) on the default Ubuntu Desktop image, while keeping the command-line tooling (software-properties-common) and keeping the GUI available to install manually. ([mail-archive.com](https://www.mail-archive.com/ubuntu-bugs%40lists.ubuntu.com/msg6237576.html?utm_source=openai))

What is changing (and what is not)
  • Changing: Fresh/default Ubuntu Desktop installs of 26.04 are intended to no longer include the “Software & Updates” GUI by default (i.e., not on the ISO / not pulled in by default seed). ([mail-archive.com](https://www.mail-archive.com/ubuntu-bugs%40lists.ubuntu.com/msg6237576.html?utm_source=openai))
  • Not changing: The CLI bits (including add-apt-repository) are intended to remain via software-properties-common. ([mail-archive.com](https://www.mail-archive.com/ubuntu-bugs%40lists.ubuntu.com/msg6237576.html?utm_source=openai))
  • Not changing: You can still install the GUI afterward (apt install software-properties-gtk), and upgrades from older Ubuntu versions are not expected to “yank” it away. ([omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/02/ubuntu-26-04-drops-software-and-updates-gui?utm_source=openai))
  • Also relevant: Canonical developers explicitly tie the removal to the “Pro” UI moving to the Security Center app, and to reducing maintenance burden for the release lifecycle. ([mail-archive.com](https://www.mail-archive.com/ubuntu-bugs%40lists.ubuntu.com/msg6237576.html?utm_source=openai))

Why Ubuntu is doing it (the “dangerous or too complex” part)
Per the Ubuntu bug thread (dated February 5, 2026), the stated rationale is that the GUI exposes options that can easily break a system for non-advanced users (for example: disabling “main”, enabling “-proposed”, or enabling source repos without understanding the implications). ([mail-archive.com](https://www.mail-archive.com/ubuntu-bugs%40lists.ubuntu.com/msg6237576.html?utm_source=openai))

That reasoning is consistent with a “reduce foot-guns” approach: fewer users will accidentally put their update mechanism into a broken/unsupported state.

Security angle (practical take)
This isn’t a guarantee of “more secure Ubuntu”, but it can reduce common self-inflicted risk:
  • Accidentally disabling official repos can delay security updates (which is a real security problem).
  • Enabling random PPAs/repositories increases supply-chain exposure (more third-party code with high trust on your system).
  • Enabling “-proposed” can pull in pre-release packages, which can create instability (and instability often turns into unsafe configurations or delayed patching).

So the change mainly reduces the chance that typical users break updates or expand their trust boundary without realizing it.

What to do if you rely on it
  • If you want the GUI back on 26.04: install software-properties-gtk (the package is intended to remain available in the repositories). ([omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/02/ubuntu-26-04-drops-software-and-updates-gui?utm_source=openai))
  • If you mainly used it for drivers: Ubuntu’s “Additional Drivers” functionality also exists via ubuntu-drivers tooling (CLI), and the Desktop “Software & Updates” app has historically been a thin UI over underlying components anyway.
  • If you mainly used it for PPAs: consider whether you really need PPAs; when you do, stick to reputable maintainers and prefer official packaging where possible.

Timeline / certainty
Ubuntu 26.04 is not released yet (it’s under active development as of February 11, 2026), so the exact “ships by default” decision could still change before final release. ([omgubuntu.co.uk](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/02/ubuntu-26-04-drops-software-and-updates-gui?utm_source=openai))

Sources
 

You may also like...