Long Term Support Isn't Forever
Long term support (LTS) does not mean that your operating system will be supported forever. Learn how to upgrade your OS and what extended security maintenance (ESM) is.
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Long Term Support (LTS)
When you install an operating system, especially a Linux distribution like Ubuntu, you may notice that some versions are labeled as LTS (Long Term Support). For example, consider the output below: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS
Release: 18.04
Codename: bionic
LTS designation signifies that the operating system will receive security updates and bug fixes for an extended period, typically five years. In other words, LTS does not last forever!
WARNING: As time progresses, older operating system versions become more susceptible to security vulnerabilities and exploits. Hackers and malicious actors continuously search for weaknesses in outdated software. The longer you run an unsupported OS version, the more exposed your system becomes to these risks.
Extended Security Maintenance (ESM)
After LTS, the support transitions to Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) or ends altogether, depending on the version. ESM provides essential security updates, but no new features or regular bug fixes. This means that non-security updates, like performance improvements or new features, are not part of ESM, so you might miss out on those benefits.
OS Upgrade
So, even if your OS is LTS, support for it eventually expires. When your version nears the end of its support lifecycle, plan for an upgrade. For example, if you're using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, consider upgrading to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or 22.04 LTS to continue receiving active support. To upgrade, you can run:
sudo do-release-upgrade
If it is not installed, you can install it with the following command:
sudo apt install update-manager-core