Support lifespan
Kubuntu 20.04 LTS will be supported for 3 years until April 2023.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JammyJellyfi...eNotes/Kubuntu
Support lifespan
Kubuntu 22.04 will be supported for 3 years.
Only the Gnome-based, bloated, "flagship" Ubuntu Desktop gets 5 yrs of standard support that can actually be extended under ESM. I hate to say this, but you fell for Canonical's FUD marketing. There are probably some items which get slightly longer support under PRO/ESM, but if you run KDE, best to just move to the next LTS release within 1 yr of that release so you are always on a supported version.
Some installed packages will lose support. Heck, I suspect some don't actually have support on the day we install a new OS.
On a 20.04 system here:
Code:
$ ubuntu-security-status
This command has been replaced with 'pro security-status'.
1719 packages installed:
1295 packages from Ubuntu Main/Restricted repository
390 packages from Ubuntu Universe/Multiverse repository
28 packages from third parties
6 packages no longer available for download
...
This machine is receiving security patching for Ubuntu Main/Restricted
repository until 2025.
This machine is NOT attached to an Ubuntu Pro subscription.
Ubuntu Pro with 'esm-infra' enabled provides security updates for
Main/Restricted packages until 2030.
...
Ubuntu Pro with 'esm-apps' enabled provides security updates for
Universe/Multiverse packages until 2030. There are 31 pending security updates.
Scary when you read that, right?
From what I can tell, "pro" is a way to track systems running Ubuntu in a little more depth. I see it as FUD, using human nature for corporate types to want to pay, which is 100% fine. Actually, for servers in a corporate world, ESM makes all sorts of sense if the team can't migrate to the next LTS easily. There are always systems in a corporate IT farm with that problem.