As Windows users express their concerns over the impending end of support for their operating system, Ubuntu offers a refreshing alternative for those with aging installations. The process of extending support for Ubuntu 20.04 is straightforward, thanks to the Ubuntu Pro service.
Home users can benefit from this service at no cost through Extended Security Maintenance (ESM). This feature provides a decade of vulnerability management for critical, high, and select medium security issues associated with every software package included in Ubuntu. For those still using Ubuntu 20.04, which was launched in 2020, this means there are still five years of support remaining. However, one might wonder why anyone would stick with a five-year-old release. The answer could be that the system is performing flawlessly, and users may not have the time or desire to upgrade.
While it is advisable to upgrade regularly—moving from one Long Term Support (LTS) release to another, such as from 20.04 to 22.04 and eventually to 24.04—many users may find comfort in knowing that ESM is available for free personal use. This allows individuals to connect their desktop machines to their Ubuntu Pro accounts, ensuring they receive vulnerability updates for a full decade.
Sign up for a Ubuntu Pro account
The first step in this process is to create a Ubuntu Pro account. This can be done easily by visiting the official Ubuntu Pro website and registering for a new account, which is free of charge. Once the account is established, users can proceed to link their existing operating system to ESM.
Add ESM to Ubuntu
After logging into the Ubuntu Pro account, navigate to the “Your Subscriptions” section. Here, users will find a unique token associated with their account along with the command needed to attach their machine. The command will appear as sudo pro attach TOKEN, where TOKEN represents the specific token assigned to the account.
Upon executing this command, users will receive confirmation of their subscription status:
Subscription: Ubuntu Pro — free personal subscription
This indicates that the Ubuntu 20.04 machine is now secured against vulnerabilities until 2030. It’s important to note that ESM is not restricted to version 20.04; it can be applied to any LTS version of Ubuntu. This means users can extend support for versions 20.04, 22.04, and 24.04, each receiving up to ten years of support from their original release dates. For instance, version 22.04 will be supported until 2032, and 24.04 until 2034.
This extended timeline provides ample opportunity for users to contemplate their next upgrade, with the option to wait for the first point release of a new version to ensure any initial bugs have been addressed.
