This is our biggest leap in years. Ubuntu 26.04 moves the desktop to GNOME on Wayland, and we rebuilt remote access around it from the ground up. At its heart is a brand-new in-browser client: a full Ubuntu desktop that opens in a plain web browser through a real RDP client compiled to WebAssembly -- no plugins, no VNC, nothing to install. It is the first of its kind in the world.
You can reach your desktop two ways:
- Any web browser -- just open the page and connect. Best in Chrome and Edge; Firefox and Safari work too.
- Any RDP client -- the Windows App, Microsoft Remote Desktop (mstsc), or any RDP-compatible client.
All the features you expect, and then some more:
- Simple and secure, encrypted connections
- Sound
- Copy-and-paste -- seamless in Chrome/Edge, plus a shared-clipboard panel that works reliably in every browser
- Live desktop resizing
- Multiple simultaneous users
- Bandwidth-smart RemoteFX Progressive streaming for crisp fonts at economical bandwidth
- The default Ubuntu GNOME desktop with a rich application set (Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, games, and more)
- Both x86_64 and 64-bit ARM
Please check them out on AWS Marketplace:
A note for existing customers: 26.04 is built on a modern RDP foundation and the new browser client, so the older VNC / noVNC access is retired in favor of this more secure and capable experience. Separately, we have recently retired the aging Ubuntu Desktop 18.04 and 20.04 products; 22.04, 24.04, and now 26.04 remain available.
Below is how 26.04 compares with our recent releases.
| Feature | Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 / 24.04 | Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 |
| Access | HTTP/HTTPS, VNC, RDP | Web browser (in-browser RDP client) and RDP clients |
| Desktop | Ubuntu / Unity | Ubuntu GNOME (Wayland) |
| Browser access | noVNC (VNC in the browser) | Native RDP client in the browser (WebAssembly) |
| Copy'n'paste | Clipboard widget; direct for Chrome/Edge | Direct for Chrome/Edge; shared-clipboard panel for all browsers |
| Desktop resizing | Auto for browser/some VNC; client-sized for RDP | Live resizing |
| Sound | Yes (RDP) | Yes |
| Multi-user | Yes (RDP) | Yes |
| 64-bit ARM | Yes | Yes |
| Encrypted connection | Yes | Yes |
Netspectrum has offered Ubuntu Desktop on AWS Marketplace since 2014 -- more than ten years, and the longest continuous run of any provider. We were among the first to bring the Ubuntu desktop to the cloud and the first to ship a 64-bit ARM Ubuntu desktop, and we remain committed to keeping it modern, secure, and a joy to use. Thank you for a decade of trust -- we are just getting started.
Enjoy!
jsun