8

Whenever Ubuntu releases a new version during six months, they offer support for that version for the coming six months right? What does that support mean? Does it mean that I cannot use apt-get to install any more softwares in it once that six months is over?

If that is the case, then is my ubuntu 10.04 of no use to me in installing applications and softwares anymore? If that is not what it means, then what exactly does a 5 year support for an LTS mean?

Braiam
  • 67,791
  • 32
  • 179
  • 269
harisibrahimkv
  • 7,256
  • 11
  • 44
  • 71

1 Answers1

8

It means that you will only be able to get security updates during that period. One it is over, the repositories are closed and moved to an archive.

Apt-get will stop working unless you change your software-sources, and even then no one will fix bugs or security problems.

You can still use an unsupported version, but expect some problems.

You can still use 10.04 until April 2013 in desktops or 2015 in servers. That means that Firefox (and similar packages) won't be updated after April 2013, but Apache and MySQL (for example) will get updates until 2015. You can check the status of each release here.

Peter Mortensen
  • 884
Javier Rivera
  • 35,153
  • Strange. So does that mean 10.04 is still supported? Because without changing the software sources, I'm still able to use apt-get to download softwares. Also, are security updates the only thing that are issued by Ubuntu during their support? – harisibrahimkv May 02 '12 at 14:10
  • What do you see in the update manager? only security updates? no, there are more, like kernel updates, and more..... – Prasad RD May 02 '12 at 14:14
  • Ummm.. Does that mean Ubuntu provides more than just security updates as support? – harisibrahimkv May 02 '12 at 14:18
  • Yes 10.04 is still supported, and Canonical provides new version of some packages like firefox. I added a reference to the official life chart. – Javier Rivera May 02 '12 at 14:19
  • 1
    I see. The usual ones are supported for 18 months and the older LTS for 3 and 5 years for Desktop and Servers respectfully. The new LTS for 5 years for both Desktop and Servers. And during this period, Ubuntu provides security fixes and version upgrades for certain softwares right? Is there a reference for knowing which all softwares's version upgrades will be supported or do we have to add a backport repo to get them? – harisibrahimkv May 02 '12 at 14:28
  • Rigth. I'm not aware of any reference. – Javier Rivera May 02 '12 at 15:21