Canonical Urges Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Users to Upgrade or Purchase Extended Support

As a long-term support release, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Long-Term Support) will be supported with continuous updates for a total of 5 years, meaning it will reach end-of-life around April 2025. Although Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is still 5 months away from reaching end-of-support, developer Canonical has already started urging users to upgrade to a newer version of Ubuntu.

Specifically, Canonical recently issued a warning to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS users, recommending that those still running this version consider upgrading to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, which will be supported until 2029. The second option is to subscribe to the Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) package. Expanded Security Maintenance is currently available as an add-on to the Ubuntu Pro subscription. While large-scale enterprises will have to pay a fee, individual users who want to enable ESM can get up to five additional years of extended support by following the instructions on the Ubuntu Advantage website. Enterprises also have the option to purchase the Legacy Support add-on, which extends support until April 2032.

It is important to note that the Expanded Security Maintenance program will adhere to its stated expiration date and will not be a repeat of what happened with Windows XP, where the support policy was continually extended because businesses were not ready to upgrade. For this reason, Ubuntu customers should look to upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible.

In its statement, Canonical said:

Planning for next steps is important. Running Ubuntu 20.04 without ESM means you will no longer receive security updates after April 2025. Unpatched CVE vulnerabilities could leave your system vulnerable to attack.

For those working in data-management sectors such as financial services, healthcare, or telecommunications, timely application of security patches is essential to meeting compliance standards. If you are running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, it is time to consider your next step: upgrade to the latest Ubuntu LTS or get ESM protection through Ubuntu Pro until 2032.

Generally, the in-place upgrade process is quick and easy, but you should still make sure you have backed up important files on your system to avoid any risk of data loss. The upgrade process will also go smoother if you are using a fast, stable internet connection.

Samuel Daniel

Update 09 December 2024