Ubuntu Linux raises minimum system memory requirements, but experts are calling it an 'honesty bump'

You'll now need at least 6GB of RAM to run Ubuntu 26.04 LTS comfortably, as Canonical has quietly raised the minimum memory requirements. According to the official specs, Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon) now requires a "2 GHz dual-core processor or better, a minimum of 6GB RAM, and 25 GB of free hard drive space." Most of it remains unchanged, except, of course, the increased RAM requirement.

Experts at OMG Ubuntu call the change a "honesty bump," noting that the extra memory isn't going toward the core OS but rather system resources. With GNOME 50, modern web browsers, and typical multitasking workloads, 6GB of RAM doesn't feel like a stretch. Moreover, key apps such as Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, and GIMP are updated in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.

The last time Canonical added extra GBs to its memory requirements was in 2018, when Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver) arrived, requiring 4GB. Prior to that, Ubuntu LTS RAM requirements had been sitting at just 1GB, as seen with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) in 2014.

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While the increase in memory is tied to usability in modern apps, the timing is notable. Ongoing RAM shortages have already shaken the gaming market by making memory modules harder to find and often more expensive. It started with memory, then NAND, then CPU, and now even affordable, tiny computers are feeling the impact of the AI boom and its insatiable hunger for resources. The situation also shows no sign of slowing down, and in such a climate, increasing RAM requirements by 50% is a big ask.

That said, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS isn't making 6GB a hard requirement. The OS will install on systems with lower specs, but performance will be slow. For users running a machine with 4GB of RAM or less, there are alternatives like Lubuntu, a lightweight and efficient distillation of Ubuntu that requires just 1GB of RAM, a 1GHz CPU, and under 10GB of storage. If you know what you're doing, you can also use the manual route with the Ubuntu netboot installer to set up a base system and build a more minimal setup from there.