Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus)
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus) was released on 21 April 2016 and introduced us to snaps, a more secure app format, with faster and simpler updates, as well as LXD, the pure-container hypervisor and OpenStack Mitaka.
Is Ubuntu 16.04 LTS still supported?
Yes, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is supported until 2026 through Canonical's Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) product. Xenial entered the ESM period in April 2021, with security patches for five additional years, beyond the five years of standard support.
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS security updates
The Ubuntu Security Team continues its dedication to providing security updates for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS beyond the five-year standard support with Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM).
* Since the start of the ESM phase
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM)
What is Ubuntu ESM?
Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) provides expanded Linux kernel and open-source security updates for the Ubuntu base OS, key infrastructure components, like Ceph, OpenStack and Kubernetes, as well as open-source applications, like PostgreSQL and NGINX.
ESM is available for free on up to three machines and for broader enterprise use through an Ubuntu Advantage subscription. The subscription includes additional services such as FIPS-compliant modules and the Ubuntu Livepatch Service to apply critical kernel patches without unplanned downtime.
What is covered by Ubuntu 16.04 ESM?
Standard Security Maintenance of an Ubuntu LTS release covers binary packages that reside in the 'main' Ubuntu repository for a period of five years. For continued security beyond the standard five-year maintenance period, Canonical provides security maintenance to a wide range of binary packages that are commonly used in cloud and server workloads on 64-bit x86 AMD/Intel architectures for a period of five years beyond the normal end of life.
Supported kernels
For continued Linux kernel security, ESM for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS includes support for amd64 (AMD/Intel kernels).
Application packages
Canonical provides application expanded security maintenance to the binary packages that reside in main. A few commonly-used packages include:
| Application | 16.04 LTS version |
|---|---|
| MySQL | 5.7 |
| Python | 2.7 |
| PostgreSQL | 9.5 |
| Ruby | 2.3 |
| nodejs | 4.2.6 |
| Elasticsearch | 1.7 |
| PHP | 7.0 |
| NGINX | 1.10 |
| ROS | Kinetic |
Infrastructure packages
For Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, where technically feasible, Canonical provides expanded security maintenance to all binary packages that reside in the Ubuntu Main Repository.
OpenStack Mitaka packages are supported in Ubuntu 16.04 ESM for those with an Ubuntu Advantage for Infrastructure subscription.
How can I get ESM for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on a Public Cloud?
ESM for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is available for free for personal use on up to three machines, or through paid subscriptions on the public cloud with Ubuntu Pro premium images.
How can I get ESM for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on-premises?
ESM for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is available, free for personal use (you need to set up an UbuntuOne account) on up to three machines or through an Ubuntu Advantage subscription.
I have a UA subscription, how do I activate ESM?
If you have an Ubuntu Advantage subscription, log into ubuntu.com/pro to get your activation token and activate ESM on your machines directly.
Download Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Download options:
Upgrading to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
You might want to consider upgrading to a new LTS release, you can either upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or freshly install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. There is no direct upgrade path from 16.04 LTS to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, so you can either move to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and then to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, or directly install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
Upgrading Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on Azure, AWS
If you are looking to upgrade your Ubuntu 16.04 LTS public cloud instance, it is recommended to launch new, Ubuntu Pro images. Ubuntu Pro for Azure and AWS are premium images with security and compliance features built-in, and optimised for the public cloud.
Ubuntu Pro includes security coverage for the entire collection of software packages shipped with Ubuntu, tracking high and critical CVEs. Ideal for companies that have embraced open source for their new products.
Watch the 20.04 migration webinar
This webinar explores all of the factors that should be taken into account to deliver successful migration at the right pace, covering the most popular infrastructure components such as OpenStack, Kubernetes and Ceph.
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS kernel lifecycle and enablement stack
The Ubuntu LTS enablement, or Hardware Enablement (HWE), stacks provide the newer kernel and X.Org support for existing Ubuntu LTS releases. These stacks can be installed manually, but are also installed with an Ubuntu LTS point release.
The 16.04.2 and newer point releases ship with an updated kernel and X.Org stack by default for the desktop. Server installations default to the General Availability (GA) kernel and provide the enablement kernel as optional.
Ubuntu 16.04 ESM includes support for v4.4 and v4.15 based generic, low-latency, hwe-16.04, aws and azure Linux kernel flavours.
Installing the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS HWE stack:
Desktop:
sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-
hwe-16.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-16.04Server:
sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-
hwe-16.04