This topic describes the lifecycle of Ubuntu and provides solutions to mitigate risks when an Ubuntu version enters the extended support phase.
Overview of the Ubuntu lifecycle
Ubuntu is a Linux distribution from Canonical that is known for being user-friendly and available free of charge. It is widely used by desktop users, developers, and server administrators. Its high stability also makes it suitable for production environments.
Ubuntu releases a Long Term Support (LTS) version approximately every two years. Each LTS version receives five years of security updates and technical support during its Mainstream Support (MS) phase. After the MS phase ends, the version can receive an additional five years of Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM). You can also purchase two more years of Legacy Support. When all support for an Ubuntu LTS version ends, the version reaches its end of life (EOL).
The following table describes the lifecycle of each Ubuntu LTS version. For detailed lifecycle plans for Ubuntu, visit the Ubuntu releases page.
Version | Release date | End date of the Mainstream Support (Standard Support) phase | Extended Support phase | |
End date of ESM (Expanded Security Maintenance) | End date of Ubuntu Pro with Legacy support add-on | |||
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | 2024-04-25 | 2029-04 | 2034-04 | 2036-04 |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | 2022-04-21 | 2027-04 | 2032-04 | 2034-04 |
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | 2020-04-23 | 2025-04 | 2030-04 | 2032-04 |
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | 2018-04-26 | 2023-06 | 2028-06 | 2030-04 |
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | 2016-04-21 | 2021-04 | 2026-04 | 2028-04 |
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | 2014-04-17 | 2019-04 | 2024-04 | 2026-04 |
Impacts of Ubuntu end of service
According to the official Ubuntu lifecycle plan, users are affected in the following ways:
As of April 2019, users of Ubuntu 14.04 LTS no longer receive software maintenance or support, such as bug fixes or feature updates.
As of April 2021, users of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS no longer receive software maintenance or support, such as bug fixes or feature updates.
As of June 2023, users of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS no longer receive software maintenance or support, such as bug fixes or feature updates.
As of April 2025, users of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS will no longer receive software maintenance or support, such as bug fixes or feature updates.
Alibaba Cloud public images and ECS services are also affected:
ECS instances created from Ubuntu 14.04, 16.04, 18.04, or 20.04 LTS images will continue to run normally.
Service support for the Ubuntu operating system aligns with the official dates from Ubuntu.
Considering these impacts, we recommend that you take action for your ECS instances running Ubuntu 14.04, 16.04, 18.04, or 20.04 LTS. This ensures you continue to receive software updates and security patches, which helps prevent issues caused by the end of OS maintenance.
Overview of recommended solutions for Ubuntu end of service
Your response to an operating system's end of life (EOL) should depend on your business needs. For example, if the corresponding business is about to be unpublished, you can ignore this event. For businesses in a private network environment, the risks are more controllable, and you can address them selectively. For businesses that provide services over the Internet and require high system stability and security, you must carefully evaluate the risks and create a response plan in a timely manner.
For new business
You can use a newer Ubuntu LTS version or a compatible operating system that is in its mainstream support phase. Avoid creating new ECS instances from an Ubuntu image that has reached its EOL.
For existing business
In the short term, you can subscribe to Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) to receive five more years of security updates for the Ubuntu LTS version. This helps prevent data leaks caused by unpatched vulnerabilities.
For long-term business stability, we recommend that you upgrade to a later version.
Upgrade to a later version
Ubuntu supports sequential upgrades between LTS versions. For example, you can upgrade from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, but not directly to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. To upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, you must first upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
You can use the do-release-upgrade command to upgrade the Ubuntu LTS version. For more information, see Ubuntu Server upgrade guide and Ubuntu Desktop upgrade guide.
Subscribe to Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM)
You can subscribe to Ubuntu Pro for Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) to receive five more years of security updates for an Ubuntu LTS version. For example, standard support for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ends in April 2025. By subscribing to Ubuntu Pro, you can extend security support to April 2030. You can also purchase an additional two years of Legacy Support to extend the security maintenance period to April 2032. This helps ensure your system remains operational and compliant with minimal impact on business continuity.
To obtain ESM, you can subscribe to the Enterprise or Personal edition of Ubuntu Pro on the Ubuntu Subscription page. For more information, see Get started with Ubuntu Pro.
References
For more information about operating system lifecycles, the characteristics of each phase, and general solutions for end-of-service or extended support phases, see Overview of operating system lifecycles.