What is different from Ubuntu
Nubo OS is Ubuntu 26.04 LTS plus Nubo packages. This page lists what stays the same, what Nubo changes, removes and adds.
Nubo OS is Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (“resolute”) plus a set of Nubo packages that change the look, the defaults and some network behaviour. It is not a rewrite or a fork of the kernel or the package system. Anything not listed here behaves as on Ubuntu, so Ubuntu’s own documentation applies.
What stays the same?
The kernel, boot loader, libraries and nearly all packages come unchanged from Ubuntu and stay signed by Ubuntu. apt and dpkg work as usual. Secure Boot keeps working. /usr/lib/os-release still says ID=ubuntu and VERSION_ID=26.04, so vendor repositories that check for Ubuntu keep working.
What does Nubo change on the desktop?
| Area | Nubo OS |
|---|---|
| Look | Nubo glass theme with frosted blur; dark by default, light supported. |
| Top bar | The Nubo logo with “Nubo OS 1” at the left; clicking it opens the Activities overview. |
| Dock | A floating dock centred at the bottom. |
| Launcher | Nubo Search on Super+Space. Switching keyboard layouts moves to Alt+Shift. |
| Widgets | Draggable desktop cards for clock with weather, system usage and calendar. |
| Notifications | A history panel plus a background agent that keeps messaging apps running so notifications arrive. |
| Apps | Firefox and others from Flathub; Geary for mail; Collabora Office instead of LibreOffice. Grey placeholder icons for popular apps download from Flathub on click. |
What does Nubo remove or switch off?
Ubuntu Pro adverts and client, Apport crash reporting prompts, the news in the login message, the release-upgrade prompt, LibreOffice, and Ubuntu’s store, Firefox and Thunderbird snaps. On servers snapd is not installed.
What does Nubo add?
A signed package archive with stable and beta channels, Nubo Cumulus (a cache of Ubuntu’s archive), four server editions, and early-access sign-in with a Nubo account.
What does it still send to Canonical?
Some contacts remain, mainly the snap store on the desktop, because the Nubo account sign-in broker is distributed as a snap. The project keeps a list in docs/ubuntu-endpoints.md of the Nubo OS repository. Nubo Search is configured with system-info telemetry off; no other telemetry is published.
Is it endorsed by Canonical?
No. “Ubuntu” is a trademark of Canonical Ltd and is used only to name the base system.