Ubuntu Lifecycle: End Of Life And Support Status
Last updated on November 10, 2023
Ubuntu is one of the many distributions of Linux. Ubuntu is an open-source operating system based on the Debian Linux-based OS. When compared to other Linux distributions, Ubuntu is designed for both professionals and novices.
The different Ubuntu versions are available in different editions, which are Desktop, Server, and Core, where the latter is designed for IoT devices and machines.
Support status guide
End of life (EOL) is the end of a product’s useful life. When a product reaches the end of its life cycle, the manufacturer no longer supports it. The following table explains the different phases of a product’s lifecycle. Testing status is when the product is initially released and EOL is when product support is no longer offered. The time between these two points is the support timeframe.
Testing
The software is not yet publicly available. It is in testing phase i.e., alpha, beta, release preview etc.
Active
The software is actively supported by the vendor.
Phasing Out
The software will soon reach its end of life. You need to look for upgrade or migration options. The software will automatically go into phasing out status 2 months before end of life.
End Of Life
The software is no longer supported by the vendor. You need to make sure your system and environment are safe.
Version
Released
Active Support
Security Support
Extended Support
(12 October 2023)
(1 July 2024)
(1 July 2024)
(20 April 2023)
(20 January 2024)
(20 January 2024)
(20 October 2022)
(20 July 2023)
(20 July 2023)
(21 April 2022)
(30 September 2024)
(1 April 2027)
(9 April 2032)
(14 October 2021)
(14 July 2022)
(14 July 2022)
(22 April 2021)
(20 January 2022)
(20 January 2022)
(22 October 2020)
(22 July 2021)
(22 July 2021)
(23 April 2020)
(1 October 2022)
(2 April 2025)
(2 April 2030)
(17 October 2019)
(6 July 2020)
(6 July 2020)
(18 April 2019)
(23 January 2020)
(23 January 2020)
(18 October 2018)
(18 July 2019)
(18 July 2019)
(26 April 2018)
(31 May 2023)
(31 May 2023)
(1 April 2028)
(19 October 2017)
(19 July 2018)
(19 July 2018)
(13 April 2017)
(13 January 2018)
(13 January 2018)
(21 April 2016)
(2 April 2021)
(2 April 2021)
(2 April 2026)
(22 October 2015)
(28 July 2016)
(28 July 2016)
(23 April 2015)
(4 February 2016)
(4 February 2016)
(23 October 2014)
(23 July 2015)
(23 July 2015)
(17 April 2014)
(2 April 2019)
(2 April 2019)
(2 April 2024)
(26 April 2012)
(28 April 2017)
(28 April 2017)
(26 April 2019)
(13 October 2011)
(9 May 2013)
(9 May 2013)
(28 April 2011)
(28 October 2012)
(28 October 2012)
(10 October 2010)
(10 April 2012)
(10 April 2012)
(29 April 2010)
(9 May 2013)
(9 May 2013)
(29 October 2009)
(30 April 2011)
(30 April 2011)
(23 April 2009)
(23 October 2010)
(23 October 2010)
(24 April 2008)
(9 May 2013)
(9 May 2013)
(12 May 2011)
(18 October 2007)
(18 April 2009)
(18 April 2009)
(19 April 2007)
(19 October 2008)
(19 October 2008)
(26 October 2006)
(26 October 2006)
(26 April 2008)
(10 August 2006)
(1 June 2011)
(1 June 2011)
(14 July 2009)
(13 October 2005)
(13 April 2007)
(13 April 2007)
(8 April 2005)
(31 October 2006)
(31 October 2006)
(20 October 2004)
(26 October 2004)
(30 April 2006)
Ubuntu Support Lifecycle
A newer version of Ubuntu is released every 6 months (in October and April) which is actively supported for 9 months. These releases are referred to as “interim” releases because they are released between the LTS versions.
During the 9-month support tenure, the supported Ubuntu version receives hardware, maintenance, and security support. Before the version reaches EOL, a newer Ubuntu version is already available.
Moreover, the Long Term Servicing (LTS) release is also published every 2 years in April. The LTS releases are initially supported for 5 years. However, in the case of the LTS releases, the 5-year active support is divided into two: 2 years of “Hardware and maintenance updates,” and another 3 years of “Maintenance and security updates.” In the table above, the “Active support” column signifies the “Hardware and maintenance support,” whereas the “Security support” column signifies the “Maintenance and security support.”
After the initial 5-year support, the LTS release enters the “Extended security” support cycle which lasts for another 5 years. This makes the total support tenure for Ubuntu LTS releases 10 years.
Ubuntu Naming Convention
Ubuntu is released with a version number. The version is listed as “YY.MM”, which means that the first portion is named after the release year, and the second portion after the period denotes the month it was released i. For example, Ubuntu 16.04 means that it was released in April (4th month) 2016.
Additionally, a development codename is also assigned to each release. So you may see different naming nomenclature with Ubuntu releases, as you used to with Android.
EOLs
