Canonical has announced official Arm64 support for Canonical Livepatch, extending its rebootless Linux kernel security patching service to Ubuntu systems running on Arm-based hardware.
Livepatching applies selected Linux kernel fixes while the system remains operational. This enables administrators to fix critical kernel vulnerabilities without service interruption and reboots, which is especially important for servers, cloud instances, industrial systems, and remote edge devices where downtime is costly or risky.
Canonical states this feature is available for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Ubuntu Core 26, extending Livepatch coverage to Arm-based cloud servers and edge deployments that previously lacked official support.
Of course, Canonical Livepatch does not replace standard system updates. It targets critical and high-severity Linux kernel vulnerabilities, particularly security issues like privilege escalation or remote code execution that can be safely patched in memory. Userspace components such as OpenSSL, glibc, or application packages must still be updated through regular mechanisms.
Canonical also emphasizes that Livepatch does not eliminate the need for reboots. It only reduces urgent, unscheduled reboots between planned maintenance windows, but regular reboots are still required to fully adopt new kernel versions and clear system state.
The Arm64 Livepatch client for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Ubuntu Core 26 was already applying live kernel patches in test environments as of late February. With its official release, the feature is now ready for production use on supported Arm64 Ubuntu deployments.
One more thing that needs to be made clear is that Livepatch is not intended for typical desktop users. It is primarily aimed at organizations running Ubuntu on Arm64 servers, cloud virtual machines, and remote devices that cannot be rebooted frequently.
Canonical Livepatch is included with Ubuntu Pro, which provides 10 years of Livepatch coverage, with an additional five years available through the Ubuntu Pro Legacy add-on. The service is also free for up to five machines for personal use or evaluation.
For more information, refer to Canonical’s announcement and the Ubuntu Livepatch page.
