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Downloads
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| Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| Windows 10, 11 x64 (system level install) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-Setup-x64.exe |
| Windows 10, 11 x64 (user level install) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-UserSetup-x64.exe |
| Windows 10, 11 arm64 (system level install) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-Setup-arm64.exe |
| Windows 10, 11 arm64 (user level install) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-UserSetup-arm64.exe |
| MacOS 11.0+ (arm64/Apple Silicon) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-arm64.dmg |
| MacOS 11.0+ (x64/Intel) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-x64.dmg |
| Debian-based Linux x64 (Ubuntu 22+) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-x64.deb |
| Debian-based Linux arm64 (Ubuntu 24+) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-arm64.deb |
| Red Hat-based Linux x64 (RHEL9) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-x64.rpm |
| Red Hat-based Linux arm64 (RHEL9) | Positron-2026.08.1-2-arm64.rpm |
| REH Linux x64 | positron-reh-linux-x64-2026.08.1-2.tar.gz |
| REH Linux arm64 | positron-reh-linux-arm64-2026.08.1-2.tar.gz |
| Installer Checksums | positron-2026.08.1-2-checksums.json |
Patch notes
The 2026.08.1 patch release (2026-08-10) fixes problems with autoupdating on Windows.
Release highlights
Check out all the changes for this release.
Data Connections
Data Connections is our new way to work with database-like resources in Positron, from local files and database servers to cloud data warehouses. It is currently available as a preview feature, and you can enable it with the dataConnections.enabled setting. This release more than doubles the number of data sources you can reach. Amazon Redshift, Snowflake, Databricks, and Posit Connect pins join the existing DuckDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite support.
The panel itself is more capable as well. Refresh and Refresh All reload the tree while preserving what you have expanded, briefly highlighting the rows that were reloaded. Open connections now show an indicator. Collapsing a connection keeps it open while Data Explorers previewed from it are still open. Removing a connection asks for confirmation and reports how many Data Explorers will close with it.
Data Connections is still an experimental preview, and your feedback continues to shape it. Tell us which databases and warehouses you need, and anything confusing, missing, or broken, in the Data Connections discussion.
Inline output for Quarto
Inline output for .qmd documents came out of preview last release, and this release brings you a substantial round of polish for this way of working. Be aware that the Quarto settings have moved into a dedicated quarto.* namespace with its own group in the Settings editor. The previous positron.quarto.* keys still work but are deprecated, and Positron will prompt you to update your settings.
Before a kernel starts, the kernel status names the interpreter it will start and offers an explicit Start Kernel action. When a cell fails, Fix and Explain buttons send the error to Posit Assistant, matching the Positron notebook experience. The editor also scrolls to reveal output as it is produced, which you can turn off with the new quarto.inlineOutput.autoScroll setting.
Output renders more faithfully as well. Running a cell now tells you much more about what is happening, as the editor gutter shows per-statement progress, so you can see which statement is currently executing. Positron draws images at your display's pixel ratio, so plots are sharp on retina screens, and Python figures now respect the fig-width and fig-height cell options.
HTML widgets no longer stick in the editor corner when you scroll past them, or trap scrolling instead of letting the document scroll. HTML widgets no longer render as raw HTML after a reload, and collapsed output no longer springs back open when its cell re-runs. Running code in a Quarto document also pins the editor tab now, so Positron does not silently close the document and its session when you open another file.
AI model providers
Positron now reads AI model provider configuration from a single providers.json file rather than a scattered set of settings. The new release will migrate your existing configuration automatically when you start it, and deprecates the authentication.* and positron.assistant.provider.*.enable settings in favor of it. Two new commands give you direct access: Open AI Provider Settings (JSON) opens providers.json from the Command Palette, and Migrate Provider Settings to providers.json runs the migration on demand.
Install missing packages
Positron now notices when your code refers to a package you do not have installed and offers to install it for you. The prompt appears for packages referenced by your scripts and notebooks in both R and Python. A library() or import call for something missing becomes a single click instead of an error you have to go resolve by hand.
Performance and memory
We continue to invest in the memory footprint, performance, and reliability of Positron. Several components now load only when they are actually needed, and turning off ai.enabled now means Positron never loads some heavy AI-related components at all. We fixed a cluster of long-standing reliability problems around session restarts and lifecycles.
Startup and editing are faster as well. R and Python kernels start much faster on Windows systems with aggressive antivirus software. The interpreter session picker appears immediately instead of waiting for interpreter discovery to finish. We also fixed slow typing, formatting, and saving in long R and Python files.