ClickCease Extended Lifecycle Support for Ubuntu 18.04

Not All Ubuntu 20.04 EOL Solutions Are Equal -
See How We Compare


TuxCare
Endless Lifecycle Support
Canonical
Ubuntu Pro
Security updates for packages in Ubuntu
Main repository past the
EOL date		 Up to 5 years
Support for packages in Ubuntu Main
repository		 24/7 break/fix ticket support1 Available in higher tiers
Rebootless patching for Ubuntu kernels
with complete CVE coverage		 Yes. Optional component. Limited. Canonical Livepatch covers
less than 10% of Ubuntu kernel CVEs.
Pricing $92
annually per server
(or as low as $42.50 per server
without the rebootless patching)		 $225
and up / annually per server

1 For a list of base packages

Ubuntu 20.04 receives Ubuntu Standard Support from Canonical with security patches until May 2025.

Ignoring the fact that this distribution will stop receiving security patches and not doing anything is the only option you don’t have. After May 31, 2025, unsupported Ubuntu 20.04 versions will be at far greater risk of a successful cyberattack.

To stay secure, you need to switch to Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 as soon as possible. Because the time to plan a migration before it reaches end of life is running out, you’ll need to sign up for a costly Ubuntu Pro subscription with extended security maintenance.

Fortunately, there’s a more affordable option with TuxCare’s Endless Lifecycle Support.

Don’t risk it.

Sign up for TuxCare’s Endless Lifecycle Support (ELS) to migrate to Ubuntu 22.04 on your
own schedule – without the risks involved in a rushed migration

Request a Quote

With Endless Lifecycle Support, you can:

Ensure security and compliance beyond the EOL date with ongoing long-term updates for Critical and High-risk vulnerabilities

Achieve maximum security for your Ubuntu 20.04 systems with support for a comprehensive list of essential server packages

Track security updates, selected bug fixes, and affected packages across all architectures with qualified errata advisories

Verify your Ubuntu 20.04 system update status using our OVAL patch definitions with OpenSCAP or other OVAL-compatible tools

Switching to TuxCare for Ubuntu 20.04
Support is Simple

Step 1

Connect to the TuxCare repository with a simple
script – and no reboot

Step 2

You’re fully protected with regular ongoing security
patches for as long as your organization needs them!

Why TuxCare?

The TuxCare team combines 450+ years of in-depth technical knowledge
of Linux and kernel development

We have a proven track record of security patching with over 120,000 patches to date – and growing

You can request support for additional server packages that are not currently on our list

TuxCare can support environments that run multiple types of end-of-life Linux distributions

ELS gives you an affordable option to maintain the security and stability of your EOL systems

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, but not for long. That’s because in the Ubuntu release cycle every Ubuntu LTS release has a fixed support window.

In the case of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, the free support window ends in June 2025 when Ubuntu users stop receiving patches for critical security vulnerabilities – unless they choose to pay for Ubuntu Pro, which comes at a substantial cost. For many users, this essentially means Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa machines reach end of life in June 2025.

If you’re using Ubuntu 20.04, you need to upgrade to Ubuntu release 22.04 LTS or another distribution as soon as you can to receive security support after the end-of-life date. To keep your systems secure in the meantime, consider using TuxCare’s Endless Lifecycle Support for Ubuntu 20.04, which will give you the time you need to upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04.

For the time being, yes. After May 2025, however, any Ubuntu 20.04 machines not switched to a newer version of Ubuntu will lose free support from the Ubuntu team. Servers using Ubuntu 20.04 will continue to work, but the Linux kernel will be vulnerable to threats that emerge after 31 May 2025 because there are no ongoing security updates.

With no vendor security updates forthcoming after 31 May 2025, it’s critical that Ubuntu 20.04 users migrate – or find a partner to extend support until they’re ready to migrate.

Ubuntu Pro is one of the alternatives, but the price is relatively high, which is not ideal if all you need is patching. TuxCare offers Endless Lifecycle Support that is much more affordable than Ubuntu Pro.

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS released in April 2022, which is called Jammy Jellyfish, and still has several years of ongoing support left with free standard support security updates through April 2027. You have the option to pay for Ubuntu Pro extended security maintenance through 2032. However, in 2025, you should start planning for a migration for when the next LTS version is released, so that you’re not forced to migrate in a rush.

Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS Focal Fossa was released in April of 2020, in line with the usual Ubuntu release schedule. At release, Ubuntu’s standard support started and will continue to receive security updates for Focal Fossa right through the end of May 2025.

The next LTS versions of Ubuntu, Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish and Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat, were released on April X, 202X and April X, 202X respectively.

The Ubuntu release schedule dictates that Ubuntu releases a new long-term support (LTS) release every two years. For example, Focal Fossa was preceded by Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver in 2018, and before that came Ubuntu 16.04 Xenial Xerus, which was released in 2016.

There are also regular Ubuntu interim releases, but these don’t enjoy the full five years of free support given to LTS versions. Only the LTS versions in the release cycle, such as Focal Fossa, Jammy Jellyfish, and Noble Numbat, get Ubuntu’s standard support – while interim releases only enjoy nine months of support.

For example, while Ubuntu 21.10 (Impish Indri), Ubuntu 21.04 (Hirsute Hippo), and Ubuntu 20.10 (Groovy Gorilla) are all production-quality releases, the fact that they’re interim releases and only include a limited support window means that Impish Indri, Hirsute Hippo, and Groovy Gorilla are not fit for enterprise use.

Talk to a TuxCare Expert

Tell us your challenges and our experts will help you find the best approach
to address them with the TuxCare product line.

Get Advice Now