Operating System Support
Ubuntu is a Debian-based Linux operating system. As one of the most frequently updated linux distributions, Ubuntu enjoys comprehensive hardware and software support, timely security updates, and wide industry acceptable. Because Ubuntu is extremely popular (arguably the most popular consumer linux OS, and one of the more popular linux server OS's), getting support for it is relatively easy.
Our server supports all Ubuntu LTS releases starting with Ubuntu 16.04. The latest LTS release is Ubuntu 18.04.
What Is Ubuntu LTS?
Every 2 years, Ubuntu releases a version that they support for 5 years. These are called Ubuntu LTS releases. LTS stands for "Long Term Support." Non-LTS releases such as 12.10, 13.04, and 13.10 only receive 9 months of security updates. Ubuntu also tests LTS releases more than other releases and orients them toward production usage.
Why Only Ubuntu LTS?
Each Linux distro and version we support requires extra time for development, packaging, and testing. In order to provide the most secure and reliable service that we can, we've decided to focus our energies on supporting Ubuntu LTS.
Additionally, as non-LTS Ubuntu releases have such a short (9 month) window where they receive security updates, using those releases on production servers can be dangerous. Security is very important to us and our users. We choose to support only the LTS releases (12.04, 14.04, etc.) to ensure our users keep receiving Ubuntu security updates.
