Ubuntu is still one of the most popular Linux distributions, with a large install base across desktop PCs, servers, and embedded devices. Canonical is about to say goodbye to Ubuntu 18.04, unless you use Ubuntu Pro.
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, also known as “Bionic Beaver,” will reach the end of its promised five-year support window on May 31, 2023. After that point, it won’t receive critical security updates or updates to most apps in the default software repositories. Flatpak and Snap-based applications may continue to work, since they usually aren’t tied to specific OS releases, but they may start breaking in unexpected ways (if they haven’t already).
Ubuntu 18.04 was released in April 2018, replacing 16.04 as the new Long Term Support (LTS) release. For people upgrading from 16.04 (Canonical recommends most people stick to the LTS versions), it switched from the defunct Unity desktop to GNOME Shell, reworked the login and lock screens, improved the Settings app, and more. Ubuntu 18.04 LTS also served as the base for countless other distributions, including official derivatives like Lubuntu 18.04 and third-party spins like elementary OS 5.0 Juno.
If you have a desktop PC or server still running Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, you should probably upgrade (or do a fresh install) to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or 22.04 LTS. Canonical will still provide security updates to Ubuntu 18.04 until April 2028 — a whopping 10 years after its release — but only on systems enrolled in Ubuntu Pro.
Ubuntu Pro is mostly targeted at companies and other organizations that are slow to upgrade their systems, but it’s also free for “personal and small-scale commercial users on up to 5 machines.” If you absolutely can’t upgrade for some reason, check out the official FAQ for information on how to sign up.
Source: Ubuntu
