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If you are a home Linux desktop user, chances are you enjoy living on the cutting edge of technology. When a new version of a Linux distribution is released, you may find yourself immediately upgrading. After all, if something breaks, you can simply reinstall the operating system or revert to the previous version. This is especially easy if you store your data on a secondary drive and can format your startup drive without worry.
For business users, however, constantly upgrading to the latest and greatest versions is often not possible. Instead, an organization may want to install a Linux distribution and make it work – with several years of official support. For example, Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty Tahr) and 16.04 (Xenial Xerus) are quite dated, as they were released in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Age aside, they are rock solid from a stability standpoint. . While newer versions of Ubuntu are available, some organizations just don’t have the resources to upgrade. Besides, why fix what is not broken?
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If your organization is still running Ubuntu 14.04 or 16.04, I have a few unbelievable new. Today, Canonical announces that it is extending the lifespan of both versions of the operating system to a decade. In other words, the Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) periods of Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04 are getting longer, as Canonical pushes their End of Life (EoL) dates back. The former will now receive security updates until 2024, while the latter will receive them until 2026. Impressive.
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“This lifecycle extension allows organizations to balance the costs of upgrading their infrastructure, giving them more time to implement their upgrade plan. The Extended Extended Security Maintenance Phase (ESM ) Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and 16.04 LTS enables a secure, low-maintenance infrastructure with security updates and kernel fixes provided by Canonical. The announcement represents a significant opportunity for organizations currently implementing their transition to new applications and technologies, â€says Canonical.
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The Ubuntu maker adds, “Organizations are constantly challenged by attackers who take advantage of vulnerabilities to access or deploy malware. Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) and Kernel Livepatching provide the foundation for ongoing vulnerability management. Extended security maintenance ensures that the Ubuntu OS receives security updates, while the Livepatch service reduces unplanned work from Linux kernel vulnerabilities, making organizations more efficient when managing Ubuntu systems. “
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Before you get too excited, official extended support for Ubuntu Linux is not free. To enjoy the benefits of ESM, you must subscribe to a paid Ubuntu Advantage (UA) plan. Fortunately, while AU comes at a cost, it’s not expensive at all. You can view the annual rates here. Don’t want to pay for extended security updates? You can simply upgrade to a newer supported version, such as 18.04 (Bionic Beaver) or 20.04 (Focal Fossa).
Image credit: Photoroyalty / Shutterstock
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