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Dargscisyhp
Asked: 2022-02-20 20:56:06 +0800 CST

LTS support for Kubuntu vs Ubuntu

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I'm planning on installing Linux for my wife, and she's looking for a Windows-like experience. I was planning on using Plasma as her desktop environment. Kubuntu seems like a natural choice. What I'm concerned with, though, is this:

The latest Long Term Support (LTS) version of the Kubuntu operating system for desktop PCs and laptops, Kubuntu 20.04 LTS supported with security and maintenance updates, until April 2023.

Is there really only just over a year of support for the current LTS version, or is that possibly a typo? Ubuntu 20.04 is supported until April 2025, which sounds a lot more reasonable. I guess I had expected both flavors to offer the same long-term support. Am I simply wrong?

If there really only is support for Kubuntu through April 2023, should I just install Ubuntu, and download Plasma onto that? Are there any concerns with installing Plasma and the KDE application suite alongside the Gnome desktop and its applications, such as applications "interfering" with eachother (i.e. rewriting config settings shared by both, etc.)?

kubuntu

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    I'll use a Ubuntu release announcement to show my point.

    https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2020/04/23/ubuntu-20-04-lts-focal-fossa-released/

    Ubuntu 20.04 LTS was the 2020-April release of Ubuntu; it was released in 2020-April (year.month) being the format of Ubuntu releases and support is covered in the announcement.

    Maintenance updates will be provided for 5 years for Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu Cloud and Ubuntu Core. All the remaining flavours will be supported for 3 years. Additional security support is available with ESM (Extended Security Maintenance).

    ie. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS had 5 years from initial release; flavors of Ubuntu had 3 years from initial release which includes of course Kubuntu.

    Ubuntu 20.04.3 is a re-spin of the original 20.04 system (not a new release) with patches applied, and the remaining support that existed at initial launch ie.

    https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2021/08/27/ubuntu-20-04-3-lts-released/

    if you scan it, you'll find the exact same wording; but it's referring to the time from initial release.

    This Thursday the release of Ubuntu 20.04.4 will be released; it'll no doubt be almost the same wording too (if you read the announcements I'm referring to, they may have been posted by me, but I don't write them).

    Packages found in 'main' have 5 years of support; KDE or Kubuntu are found in 'universe' with shorter supported life; so you can continue to use a Kubuntu 20.04 LTS system after Kubuntu has ended its support; but you'll only receive security fixes for the packages that have 5 years of support (i.e. only parts of your system).

    What applies here to Kubuntu, applies to all flavors, e.g. I'm involved heavily with Lubuntu, and it's the same for our packages/support.

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