Ubuntu Linux LTS releases get up to 12 years of support

Canonical, the company behind the popular Ubuntu operating system, has announced a significant extension to the support lifecycle of its long-term support (LTS) releases. The new Legacy Support add-on for Ubuntu Pro subscribers will now provide security maintenance and support for an impressive 12 years, extending the previous 10-year commitment.

This enhancement is available starting with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and will benefit both enterprises and individual users who rely on the stability and security of Ubuntu for their critical systems. By default, Ubuntu LTS releases receive five years of standard security maintenance. However, with Ubuntu Pro, this is expanded to 10 years for both the main and universe repositories, offering access to a broader range of secure open-source software.

The Legacy Support add-on further extends this period by an additional two years, ensuring that organizations can maintain their systems with the latest security patches and support services without the immediate need to upgrade to a newer OS version. This is particularly beneficial for large, established production systems where transitioning to a new OS can be a complex and risky endeavor due to the potential need to update the entire software stack.

Maximilian Morgan, Global VP of Support Engineering at Canonical, expressed enthusiasm for the new offering, stating, "With Legacy Support, we empower organizations to navigate their operational needs and investments into open source with confidence, ensuring their systems remain available, secure, and supported for many years to come."

The extended support includes continuous vulnerability management for critical, high, and medium Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) across all software packages shipped with Ubuntu. Canonical's security team actively backports crucial fixes to all supported Ubuntu LTS releases, providing peace of mind to users and enterprises.

In addition to security maintenance, the Legacy Support add-on also offers phone and ticket support, enhancing Canonical's commitment to assisting customers with troubleshooting, break fixes, bug fixes, and guidance.

For organizations running systems on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS Trusty Tahr, the availability of Legacy Support means they can now plan for an additional two years of security maintenance and support, allowing IT managers and software architects more time to prepare for the next LTS upgrade and focus on application-level development.

With this announcement, Canonical is clearly demonstrating its dedication to providing long-term stability and security for its users, reinforcing Ubuntu's position as a trusted platform for both personal and enterprise use.