For any Ubuntu or Linux Mint users out there still running Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or Linux Mint 19.x, it’s time to start upgrading to a newer version. This warning also goes out to users of other Ubuntu 18.04 LTS-based distributions, of which, there are many. Luckily, if your system runs Ubuntu 18.04 or distros based on this release, your system should also handle Ubuntu 22.04 LTS just fine and you’ll get newer packages.
For users on other Linux operating systems such as Linux Mint, either perform a clean install (probably the best idea) or seek out upgrade documentation from the project’s website. If you’re on Ubuntu, updating is very easy, just back up any documents you definitely can’t afford to lose then open the Software Updater, this program should let you know that there’s an upgrade available to a newer version. You may have to first upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and then to 22.04 LTS, if you only want to do one upgrade, you can stay on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS until April 2025.
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is the newest Long-Term Support version right now and a new one won’t arrive until 2024, by which time, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS will have expired so waiting isn’t really an option. If you move to Ubuntu 22.04, you’ll continue to receive updates for five years after release, so until 2027.
For businesses out there that cannot upgrade systems for whatever reason, an Ubuntu Pro subscription enables you to switch on Extended Security Maintenance. You’ll pay for Ubuntu Pro but by doing so you can extend the life of Ubuntu 18.04 by an extra five years, though, you’ll only be getting security updates. To learn more about ESM, check out Canonical’s blog post.