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I'm looking to install Ubuntu on my desktop. I currently have it on my laptop and really enjoy it. I am running 15.04 on there. I started out with 14.04, but it updated to 15.04 a while ago.

I was curious, what is the difference between the LTS download and the 15.04. I understand that there is only support for 15.04 until January 2016, but what does that mean? Wouldn't there be an Ubuntu 16.* before then?

Isn't it just a matter of downloading the update to the next version and waiting? No reformatting? I don't remember having to backup data or anything when I did the update on my laptop. It just took a while and eat my internet data up.

I'm in school to become a computer network technician, so I love to use all of the latest software and would prefer to have 15.04, but not if it means that I will have to reformat after January 2016, as I have read in other online threads.

ComputerWhiz
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3 Answers3

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You have everything correct there.

Ubuntu that is not LTS has support only for 8 months or so, after which support is dropped - no more updates or bug-fixes. However, you can upgrade to the latest release - keeping all of your data, without requiring a backup (although doing so would be a good idea).

The advantage over LTS is that you get the latest software without too much trouble, with the downside being that you'll need to upgrade every six months or so.

My advice is to install 15.04, since you'll get the newer versions of software and can upgrade easily, with no hassle.

TellMeWhy
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  • It should be stated that there is some risk of things going wrong while upgrading, hence why you should back your data up. – Eric Power Sep 13 '15 at 20:03
  • Excuse me, is there any statistics about how many people uses LTS and how many uses latest version, or any statistics that can show that? – Daniyal Javani Mar 28 '16 at 14:07
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I strongly advice you to stick with LTS. It just crashed my 14.10 while distro upgrading to 15.04. My data now seems away.

empedokles
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When a new Ubuntu version comes out you can update your 15.04 by following the instructions in this post.

Most of the time it is just as easy as typing sudo do-release-upgrade in a terminal window and then wait.

No, you don't have to format your existing installation. It does make sense however to back up you data before you upgrade, because there is always a risk that something breaks.

I administer a number of Ubuntu servers and I always use the LTS version. The reason for that is that I don't want to upgrade my servers every 6 months and I don't need the latest-and-greatest. I want a stable configuration and as little churn as possible. Any down-time costs money.

Some of our developers also use the LTS version for those reasons, other developers always update to the latest version so they can use all the latest features.

What version you should use depends on what the intention is of your Ubuntu installation and personal preference.

Community
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NZD
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