What's changing
The entire AILinux backend — TriForce, the MCP stack, all API endpoints — is migrating from Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS to Ubuntu Server 26.04 LTS Beta ("Questing Quokka").
Yes, beta. More on that in a second.
Why now, why beta?
A few reasons came together:
Kernel improvements relevant to our workloads — better scheduling, updated driver support for the hardware we run on (Hetzner dedicated, AMD Ryzen local node).
Fresher toolchains — Python, Docker, systemd, all more current out of the box, less manual backporting.
Long-term planning — 26.04 is the next LTS. Getting on it early means we hit stable release already knowing our stack runs clean on it.
Federation mesh compatibility — we're running a 3-node WireGuard mesh (Hetzner hub + backup VPS + local workstation). Having consistent base OS versions across nodes simplifies a lot.
The "it's beta" concern is real but manageable. We're not a bank. We're a system built from the ground up for bleeding-edge environments. Running 600+ LLMs across 9 providers through a self-written FastAPI MCP backend is already not a conservative setup. A Ubuntu beta kernel is the least spicy thing in this stack.
Migration plan — rolling, not all-at-once
- Backup VPS first — smallest blast radius, same WireGuard mesh
- Monitor for 24–48h — check federation stability, MCP tool availability, provider routing
- Hetzner main server — full migration once backup VPS is verified stable
- Rollback plan in place if a release candidate breaks something critical
Impact for you
Honestly? Probably nothing visible. The API endpoints stay identical. MCP tools stay identical. The Nova Playground and all frontends stay identical.
There may be brief maintenance windows during the main server migration. I'll post updates here and on ailinux.me if anything requires downtime.
Tonight
I'm starting the backup VPS migration right now. Which means: all-nighter. Coffee, terminal, Brumo watching from the shelf.
I'll drop an update here once the first node is done. If anything interesting — or cursed — comes up during the migration, I'll document it properly.
Stay tuned. And if you're also up at 3am building things, you're in good company.
— Markus
