Ubuntu 18.04: End of Life is here

Rohan Timalsina

May 16, 2023 - TuxCare expert team

As the sun sets on Ubuntu 18.04’s standard support, you must take quick action to avoid vulnerability exposure and potential risks. However, it’s crucial not to rush your migration process and instead approach it carefully.

With TuxCare’s Extended Lifecycle Support for Ubuntu 18.04, you can continue receiving essential updates, bug fixes, and security patches beyond its original lifespan for up to additional five years.

It is a simple one-time deployment that allows you to continue using the server as if nothing happened regarding the Ubuntu 18.04 End of Life. With a price of just $102 per instance, you can immediately protect your Ubuntu 18.04 systems.

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, codenamed Bionic Beaver, was launched in April 2018 and was backed by Canonical with software and security updates for up to five years. The last maintenance update for the Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver) series was Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS, released in August 2020. And on May 31 2023, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS reached the end of its five-year LTS maintenance window.

Understanding Ubuntu End of Life (EOL)

An operating system reaches the end-of-life stage when the software vendor stops releasing patches for updates and vulnerabilities found in the operating system.

The standard support duration for Ubuntu LTS releases typically lasts five years from the initial release. After that point, it reaches its End of Life (EOL). In contrast, the support cycles for regular (non-LTS) versions are often shorter, around nine months.

The development team will stop providing official updates, including security patches, once an Ubuntu release reaches its End of Life. As a result, users may be exposed to security risks and vulnerabilities since any newly discovered issues or bugs are not fixed.

Solutions for Ubuntu 18.04 EOL

Upgrading to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

Another stable release of Ubuntu, Focal Fossa (Ubuntu 20.04 LTS), will receive support till the end of April 2025. If you are currently using Ubuntu 18.04, it is important to upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or other latest LTS versions as soon as possible. However, rushing through the migration process is never a good idea.

Ubuntu Pro

If migrating to Ubuntu 20.04 is not an option for you, Canonical offers an Ubuntu Pro Subscription that extends the lifecycle of Ubuntu 18.04 till 2028. However, the subscription to Ubuntu Pro is relatively high, which is not cost-effective if you only require patching.

TuxCare’s Extended Lifecycle Support

Alternatively, you may want to consider using TuxCare’s Extended Lifecycle Support for Ubuntu 18.04, which offers an affordable option to obtain vendor-grade security patches for up to five extra years. This allows you to migrate at your own pace while still receiving the necessary security updates.

Conclusion

It’s crucial to recognize that disregarding the deadline and taking no action is not an option now. After May 31, 2023, unsupported Ubuntu 18.04 versions are highly vulnerable to successful cyberattacks. To remain secure, it is necessary to switch to Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 before that date. If you are unable to migrate in time, you can sign up for TuxCare’s EOL support.

The sources for this article include a story from It’s FOSS News.

Summary