Ubuntu

Will it be "supported" for long term?

Asked by Rinfinity

I have Ubuntu 8.04 LTS installed (though I have problem connecting to internet through my LG C2600 mobile on Airtel GPRS, but that's a different matter). The question is the new release 8.10 is not declared as LTS. Will there be an LTS version of it some time later? Is there any policy regarding which version will be LTS and which one will be not? I mean can we predist, say, whether, Ubuntu 9.04 will be LTS or not?
Not that it matters much, I'll install every new version of Ubuntu when it's made available. But, knowledge, is what I seek.
Thanks.

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Andre Mangan (kyphi) said : 		#1

For the Ubuntu desktop, releases occur every 6 months
The version support cycle is 1⅟₂ years except LTS which is 3 years.
Ubuntu 8.04 support is for 3 years but will function well beyond that date.
Intrepid Ibis will be supported for 1 1/2 years.
Hardy Heron is the second LTS version since the birth of Ubuntu.
For information on whether or not 9.04 will be a long term release it might be better to ask Nostradamus - he claimed to be able to see into the future.

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Rinfinity (rinfinityplus) said : 		#2

Thanks Andre Mangan,
I appreciate your sense of humour. My question was is there a policy regarding the release of LTS versions, or do we have to keep guessing....

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Laurie Clark-Michalek (laurielegit) said : 		#3

The basic answer is no. The next release of Ubuntu (9.04) will be LTS.

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Rinfinity (rinfinityplus) said : 		#4

Thanks Mr. Clark,
This is what I've learnt.:
1.There is no standing policy regarding release of LTS versions(at least, as yet)
2.The next release 9.04 will be LTS.
Please do me a favour of confirming that what I've learnt is right(I'm not so good at English , that's why.)
Thanks in advance for the favour.

**************************************************************************************

To,
Mr. Andre Manganan,
Praise the Lord! One doesn't need to contact Notradamus to know whether the next version will be LTS or not.
Someone (Like Mr. Clarke, in my case) in the forum can tell one if they are so interested.

Thank you both.

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Rodrigo Donado (frezeeer) said : 		#5

Hi:

LTS occurs every 2 years, one of the releases is chosen to be LTS, and it has to be chosen before hand, once it is chosen "normal" it will not be chosen LTS afterwards.. I hope that helps you a little bit.

Enjoy

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Rinfinity (rinfinityplus) said : 		#6

Thanks Mr. Donaldo,
But your answer confuses me a bit further. If LTS occurs every 2 years, the next one should be 10.04, while as Mr. Clark suggests, 9.04 is going to be LTS.
Thanks anyway.

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Gord Allott (gordallott) said : 		#7

9.04 is *not* going to be LTS, 10.04 is expected to be

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Andre Mangan (kyphi) said : 		#8

There are only two LTS releases in the history of Ubuntu.
Dapper Drake was the first - released on 1st June, 2006 (it was intended for release in April as version 6.04 but was delayed because of needed adjustments and became version 6.06,
The next LTS release was Hardy Heron - released on 24th April, 2008 as version 8.04.
If you consider the time span of two years to be policy for LTS releases, then you can reasonably assume that the next LTS release will be 10,04.
Whether or not there is such a policy is unknown.

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Rinfinity (rinfinityplus) said : 		#9

Here is the final answer from Canonical itself!
http://www.ubuntu.com/products/ubuntu/release-cycle
Those who're too eager: No, 9.04 is not going to be LTS. Yes, 10.04 is planned to be LTS. As for, a policy regarding LTSes, there doesn't seem to be any, for I think, if there was one it would have been mentioned on that page.
Thanks to all who responded.