With Ubuntu you can choose to update your system every six months or every two years if you want to stay in "Long Term Support" or "LTS". It is a matter of setting in "Update Manager." By following the path Settings - Updates - Release upgrade, you can select LTS or the latest version.
The functional σύστημα της Canonical έχει σχεδιαστεί με γνώμονα την ασφάλεια. Έτσι όπως προαναφέραμε μπορείτε να έχετε ενημερώσεις ασφαλείας για τουλάχιστον 9 μήνες σε εκδόσεις desktop και server. Now the LTS version is released every 2 years, while earlier Long Term Support (LTS) versions offered 3 years of support for Ubuntu (Desktop) and 5 years for Ubuntu Server.
But what does LTS mean for the end user?
Ubuntu LTS is nothing more, and nothing less than an operating system version that you can use for a longer time.
Canonical develops LTS publications with a conservative mindset: instead of adding new features, developers are working on existing ones.
For this reason, LTS releases are usually more stable in older material (hardware a year or more old), and receive regular updates to work better on computers fresh out of the factory.
If you choose to use LTS versions, you need to upgrade your system every two years, and if you use the latest version, you need to upgrade your system every six months to be up-to-date. Needless to talk about the importance of updates, when you know that these include security updates.
So companies usually use LTS versions and update to the next LTS a few months after official release (this is the typical LTS version upgrade behavior). This way gives developers more time to fix any errors.
Common users now usually use the latest versions as well because they come much improved over the previous version. Of course it's personal choice.
Below we will try to help you choose:
Stay on LTS if:
You just want to use your computer to do your jobs and you are not interested in innovation. An LTS version lets you stay on the same operating system for up to five years, without worrying about major system upgrades or upgrades.
You want to use specific software that may not be supported in newer versions of the operating system. You can also use an LTS version if you do not need software that only supports newer versions of the operating system. The principle of this strategy is: "what works, we do not change".
You have installed Ubuntu on multiple computers (for example, a company), and a small change can cause a big problem. With LTS versions this way you can avoid updating systems.
You installed Ubuntu on someone very novice. Let's say you have it installed for your grandmother and you spent a lot of time explaining how it works. With frequent updates things can change and you will have to do the tutorial from the beginning….
Upgrade to the latest version if:
When you want the latest technology at the same price :)
If you want the latest software to be released
If you want to help develop Ubuntu by testing the latest software. If you are a developer and develop new applications.
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As you can see from the above, we tend to favor the latest versions of Ubuntu.
However, it should be noted that upgrades to Ubuntu are rather smooth and painless. Your apps, files, and preferences remain where they were. Only you may have to leave some old habits working with the new features.
