Canonical has significantly expanded the scope of its enterprise offering by extending the Ubuntu Pro Legacy add-on, an extension to the Ubuntu Pro program that provides additional years of security maintenance after the standard LTS and ESM periods end, thereby extending the total lifecycle for Ubuntu LTS releases to 15 years.
The change applies retroactively, starting with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr), allowing businesses to keep using older Ubuntu LTS releases in production far beyond the usual lifecycle while still receiving critical security patches, compliance tooling, and optional support.
This extension builds on Canonical’s earlier move in 2024, when the company introduced the Legacy add-on to increase Ubuntu LTS coverage from 10 to 12 years. The updated model now adds five years of additional security and compliance support, bringing the entire Ubuntu Pro lifecycle to a full decade and a half.
Throughout the 15-year lifecycle, Ubuntu Pro users receive backported fixes for critical, high, and select medium CVEs across the base system, kernel, and major open-source components. Break/fix support remains optional, but the consistency of Ubuntu Pro’s extended maintenance ensures that operational continuity is preserved even in highly regulated environments.
The Legacy add-on itself retains the same functional scope—what changes is the duration. Under the new policy, Ubuntu 14.04 LTS is now supported until April 2029, marking a full 15 years since its original release.
Future LTS releases will follow the same model, combining five years of standard maintenance, five years of Expanded Security Maintenance, and an additional five years through the Legacy add-on.
Transitioning to extended coverage is designed to be seamless and frictionless. Existing Ubuntu Pro subscriptions continue automatically, with no need for reinstallation, re-enrollment, or disruptive migration paths.
The Legacy add-on becomes available after the initial 10-year window and is priced at a 50% premium over standard Ubuntu Pro, whether users are approaching this milestone with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or continuing Legacy coverage from 14.04 LTS.
For more information, refer to Canonical’s announcement.
Image credits: Canonical
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