Linux release lifecycles: how long Ubuntu, Debian and AlmaLinux get updates

Every Linux release stops receiving security updates on a known date. After that date, newly found vulnerabilities stay open, and a public server becomes a target. Knowing your release's lifecycle lets you plan upgrades calmly, months in advance, instead of in a rush. This guide explains how support works for the distributions you can run on a VPS and how to check where your server stands.

Before you start

• SSH access to your Linux VPS.
• Your distribution and version. Run cat /etc/os-release, or see Check which Linux distribution you're running.

Key terms

• End of standard support: the vendor stops routine updates for the release.
• Extended or long-term support: a later phase with security fixes only, sometimes for fewer packages, and sometimes requiring a subscription.
• End of life (EOL): no more updates of any kind. Upgrade or reinstall before this date.

Ubuntu LTS

Ubuntu publishes a Long Term Support (LTS) release every two years in April, with version numbers such as 22.04, 24.04 and 26.04. Interim releases in between get only about nine months of support and are not a good fit for servers.

An LTS release has three phases:

1. Standard security maintenance: 5 years. Free updates for the core main repository.
2. Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM): 5 more years. Security fixes through Ubuntu Pro, which also covers the much larger universe repository. Canonical offers a free personal Pro subscription for a limited number of machines; check Canonical's current terms for commercial use.
3. Legacy add-on: a paid extension beyond ESM for some releases.

At the time of writing:

• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS: standard support until 2027, ESM until 2032.
• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS: standard support until 2029, ESM until 2034.

Debian

Debian releases a new stable version roughly every two years. Each one has two phases:

1. Regular security support: about three years, by the Debian Security Team, until roughly one year after the next stable release.
2. Debian LTS: about two more years, run by a volunteer and sponsored team, for a subset of packages on the main architectures. It is free and uses the normal security repository.

Together that gives about five years. Debian 12 (bookworm) moved from regular security support to Debian LTS in 2026, and LTS is planned to run until mid-2028. Debian 13 (trixie) is the current stable release. Paid Extended LTS from third parties exists beyond that, but plan to upgrade instead.

AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux

AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux follow the RHEL lifecycle, which gives each major version about ten years:

1. Active support: about five years of bug fixes, security fixes and new minor releases.
2. Security support: about five more years of security and critical fixes.

The end of security updates, as published by both projects:

• Version 8: May 2029.
• Version 9: May 2032.
• Version 10: May 2035.

One rule catches people out: only the latest minor release is maintained. When 9.6 is released, 9.5 stops receiving updates. Running sudo dnf upgrade regularly keeps you on the current minor release, so this happens automatically as long as you update.

For a comparison of the two, see AlmaLinux vs Rocky Linux.

Releases that are already end of life

If your server runs any of these, it is past its free support window and should be upgraded or rebuilt:

• CentOS Linux 7 and 8. Both reached end of life. Move to AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux.
• Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04 are past standard support and need Ubuntu Pro for security fixes.
• Debian 10 and 11 are past regular security support; Debian 10's LTS has also ended.

Check whether your OS is supported

Ubuntu

pro status
pro security-status

pro status shows whether ESM is enabled. pro security-status lists packages and their coverage. On older systems, the command may be called ua instead of pro.

You can also check for an available release upgrade:

sudo do-release-upgrade -c

Debian

cat /etc/debian_version
grep -r security /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/

Compare the version with debian.org/releases. The second command confirms the security repository is configured, without which you get no security updates at all.

AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux

cat /etc/redhat-release
sudo dnf check-update

If the minor version is behind and dnf offers updates, apply them. If the major version is past its EOL date, plan a migration.

Plan your upgrades

• Start a year ahead. Begin planning 12 months before standard support ends.
• Prefer a new server for major upgrades. Build the new release on a fresh VPS, move your data and switch over. You keep the old server as a fallback.
• If you upgrade in place, back up first. Take a full backup, then follow a tested guide such as Upgrade Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04.
• Keep applying updates in the meantime. Automatic security updates (unattended-upgrades on Ubuntu and Debian, dnf-automatic on AlmaLinux and Rocky) keep you patched between upgrades.

Check it works

You are in good shape when:

• Your release is within standard support, or ESM or LTS is active and you know its end date.
• apt update or dnf check-update runs without repository errors.
• You have a calendar reminder for the next upgrade.

Troubleshooting

• apt update shows 404 Not Found for your release: the release is end of life and its repositories have moved to an archive. Upgrade or reinstall.
• pro: command not found on Ubuntu: install the client with sudo apt install ubuntu-pro-client, or use ua on older releases.
• dnf fails to download metadata on an old minor release: that release moved to the vault. Run sudo dnf upgrade to reach the current minor release.
• A control panel refuses to install: it may not support your release yet, or any more. Check the vendor's list.