How do I extend updates for my Ubuntu 18.04 LTS? I don’t want to reinstall a new one.
ANSWER
Yes, Ubuntu LTS versions have a standard support period of only 5 years. The 18.04 will have that on April 2023 May 31, 2023. Coming very soon.
If you are not yet ready to install a new one, but still get the official updates from Ubuntu, then you can sign up for Ubuntu Pro. Register here – https://ubuntu.com/pro.
How to do that? Follow the guide here – https://ubuntu.com/pro/tutorial.
Once you have signed up and enabled Extended Security Maintenance, or ESM, then you are good for another 5 years of security updates. That will end on April 2028. A long way off, but plenty of time still.
Stress on the word security. It doesn’t mean you will get the newest versions of software installed on your computer for the next several years. That’s different. An alternative is to install the Snap version of a software to get the latest that the package maintainer offers. And if you don’t fancy Ubuntu Snaps, there may be Flatpak or AppImage versions of the same software.