Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17

Thread: Release Support Question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Beans
    85

    Release Support Question

    I understand that Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is the "long-term support" version and will have support until April 2017. While 12.10 will have support until April 2014, and fianlly 13.04 will only be supported until January 2014.

    I'm just curious, how do the developers arrive at these dates, and at what point does 12.10 and, eventually 13.04, become LTS?

    Thanks for your clarification.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Beans
    58,282

    Re: Release Support Question

    Have a browse here..

    https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    /dev/root
    Beans
    Hidden!

    Re: Release Support Question

    There is a two year cycle for LTS releases (April even years, 8.04, 10.04, 12.04, 14.04 ...). It is possible to upgrade from one LTS version to the next one. There are also point releases. The current one is 12.04.3 LTS.

    The other versions (released in October and April between the LTS releases used to get 18 months support, but it was decreased to 9 months from 13.04. The idea is to use the LTS releases for production and the other releases for development, testing, and in cases new hardware is not supported in the LTS version. So you are supposed to upgrade from 13.04 to 13.10 between October and January.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Beans
    85

    Re: Release Support Question

    Thanks.

    I sort of get it now. So if I am understanding it correctly, 13.04 is next in line to become LTS, in April of 2017. Is this assumption this correct? If not, which version will bcome the new LTS in 2017?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    London, England
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Ubuntu Development Release

    Re: Release Support Question

    To add a little more. Someone very important in Canonical, the company that supports Ubuntu, wanted to do away with the Interim releases altogether and just have 2 yearly releases with Long Term Support of 5 years for those users who want stability and a rolling development branch for those who wanted to run Ubuntu at the edge of its development. But the decision was not his alone and a compromise was reached to reduce the support of Interim releases from 18 months to nine months.

    It is expensive in time and money (if the developer is a paid employee) to maintain all the different Ubuntu versions. Support has only just ended for Ubuntu 8.04 server edition because each server edition is supported for 5 years. Desktop editions were supported for 3 years. But now the LTS desktop edition has the same length of support as the server edition. But whether you see costs as being money or time they have to be reduced somewhere.

    To answer your last question, the next LTS version will be Ubuntu 14.04 and then after that it will be Ubuntu 16.04. So, users have these options:

    1) Install an LTS version and use it for 5 years and then upgrade to the LTS version that was released a year earlier.
    2) Install an LTS version and upgrade to the next LTS version in 2 years time.
    3) Install an LTS version and upgrade to the newest LTS version if not after 2 years then after 4 years.
    4) Install Ubuntu and go from version to version upgrading between 6 and 9 months each time.
    5) Install the development branch of the next Ubuntu release under development and keep doing that for as long as the novelty exists.
    6) Mix and Match as they want.

    Regards.



    Regards
    Last edited by grahammechanical; September 28th, 2013 at 05:20 PM.
    It is a machine. It is more stupid than we are. It will not stop us from doing stupid things.
    Ubuntu user #33,200. Linux user #530,530


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Not heaven... Iowa
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Ubuntu

    Re: Release Support Question

    Quote Originally Posted by cessanfrancisco View Post
    Thanks.

    I sort of get it now. So if I am understanding it correctly, 13.04 is next in line to become LTS, in April of 2017. Is this assumption this correct? If not, which version will bcome the new LTS in 2017?

    LTS releases are predefined, releases do not "become" LTS.
    Next LTS release will be 14.04.
    If the pattern holds, expect LTS versions 16.04 and 18.04.
    Last edited by Iowan; September 28th, 2013 at 05:15 PM.
    Linux User #415691 Ubuntu User #8629
    Iowa Team (LoCo): [Wiki] [Launchpad]
    IRC channel: #ubuntu-us-ia on irc.freenode.net

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Beans
    85

    Re: Release Support Question

    Ok. This is all very interesting. So if LTS are predefined, which one is scheduled to be the next one after 12.04, in 2017?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Beans
    85

    Re: Release Support Question

    Just for clarity, I am assuming that other Ubuntu-based distros, i.e. Mint, Kubuntu, etc, must obviously adhere to this schedule as well?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Not heaven... Iowa
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Ubuntu

    Re: Release Support Question

    Sorry - I was editing ahead...
    Next LTS release will be 14.04.
    If the pattern holds, expect LTS versions 16.04 and 18.04.
    Not all "other Ubuntu-based distros, i.e. Mint, Kubuntu, etc, ... adhere to this schedule".
    Unlike Ubuntu, Lubuntu 12.04 is not a LTS
    Mint seems to have their own release schedule.
    Last edited by Iowan; September 28th, 2013 at 05:31 PM.
    Linux User #415691 Ubuntu User #8629
    Iowa Team (LoCo): [Wiki] [Launchpad]
    IRC channel: #ubuntu-us-ia on irc.freenode.net

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    London, England
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Ubuntu Development Release

    Re: Release Support Question

    Quote Originally Posted by cessanfrancisco View Post
    Just for clarity, I am assuming that other Ubuntu-based distros, i.e. Mint, Kubuntu, etc, must obviously adhere to this schedule as well?
    No, not at all. The flavours, as they are called, are independently developed. The developers may or may not have the resources to support a version for 5 years or not. For example, Lubuntu 12.04 is not given 5 year (LTS) support status.

    By the way, Linux Mint is not a Ubuntu flavour. Do not include it. Those developers may say that it is built upon Ubuntu but they have moved away from Ubuntu so far that they are not allowed to use any form of the name "ubuntu" in their name. What support they give I do not know.

    Ubuntu is open source software so people can take the source code and "fork" it and that is allowed but possible misrepresentation of the code being Ubuntu is not allowed. I answered some of your recent questions in my earlier post. You may need to re-read it.

    Regards.
    It is a machine. It is more stupid than we are. It will not stop us from doing stupid things.
    Ubuntu user #33,200. Linux user #530,530


Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •