Products

Valuable maintenance policy and life cycle

Ubuntu Server Edition has a dual release cycle. Every 6 months a version is released that contains the latest packages and updates. This is maintained for 18 months from release with an upgrade path to the next 6 month release version.
For greater robustness and easier planning, every two years an LTS version is released that is maintained for 5 years. This is a target platform for ISVs looking to build solutions on Ubuntu and also for larger deployments in need of a more stable release with fixed features.

6 month regular versions

• Always contains the latest stable version of the mainstream packages and kernel
• Regular package maintenance until the next regular update or LTS, whichever comes first
• Security updates delivered for 18 months
• Seamless upgrade from one version to the other

Long Term Support version (LTS)

• Packages and kernel version selected for their stability and robustness
• Regular package maintenance until the next LTS
• Security update delivered for 5 years
• Seamless upgrade from one LTS to the other
• Point release for last LTS released every 6 month until the next LTS to provide new versions of CD images allowing to install the last LTS release on new hardware.

Life-cycle & Upgrade paths for Ubuntu Server Edition

In case you wonder how our version numbering works, we are using the the YY.MM format, where YY is the release year and the MM the month.