Ubuntu was founded in 2004 by Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical, with a focus on usability and regular releases. It has maintained a predictable schedule with LTS releases every two years and interim releases every six months.
- 2004: Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog) first release (October 20).
- 2006: Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake) first LTS release.
- 2011: Unity desktop introduced as default (Ubuntu 11.04).
- 2017: Return to GNOME desktop by default (Ubuntu 17.10).
- 2020: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) released with GNOME 3.36.
- 2022: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) released with GNOME 42.
- 2024: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) released with GNOME 46.
- 2025: Ubuntu 25.10 (Questing Quokka) released; Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS point release.
- 2026: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon) scheduled for April 23, 2026; Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS released February 12, 2026.
Browse Ubuntu history by year:
Ubuntu continues as one of the most popular Linux distributions worldwide:
| Version |
Codename |
Release Date |
Support Type |
End of Standard Support |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS |
Resolute Raccoon |
2026-04-23 (planned) |
LTS |
2031-04 |
| Ubuntu 25.10 |
Questing Quokka |
2025-10-09 |
Interim |
2026-07 |
| Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS |
Noble Numbat |
2026-02-12 |
LTS |
2029-04 |
| Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS |
Jammy Jellyfish |
2024-09-12 |
LTS |
2027-04 |
- LTS Releases: Every 2 years (April) with 5 years standard support + 5 years ESM
- Interim Releases: Every 6 months (April and October) with 9 months support
- Point Releases: Approximately every 2-3 months for LTS versions
| Option |
Description |
| Standard Support |
5 years free security updates and bug fixes for LTS releases |
| Ubuntu Pro (Personal) |
Free for up to 5 machines; includes ESM, Livepatch, FIPS |
| Ubuntu Pro (Enterprise) |
Paid support with additional features and SLA |
| Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) |
Additional 5 years security updates via Ubuntu Pro |
Expected Release: April 23, 2026
Key Features:
- GNOME 50 desktop environment
- Latest Linux kernel (6.14+ expected)
- Increased Rust adoption in system components
- Enhanced TPM-based encryption functionality
- Improved Snap application hint client
- Community discussing amd64v3 package option for modern CPUs
- 10-year support lifecycle (5 years standard + 5 years ESM)
Current LTS Release: Latest point release 24.04.4 (February 12, 2026)
Features:
- GNOME 46 desktop environment
- Linux 6.8 kernel
- Improved installer with auto-install option
- Enhanced security with AppArmor and Secure Boot
- 10-year support with Ubuntu Pro
- Free for Personal Use: Up to 5 machines at no cost
- ESM Coverage: Extended security maintenance for older releases
- Livepatch: Kernel live patching without reboots
- FIPS Compliance: FIPS 140-2 certified cryptographic modules
- CIS Hardening: Center for Internet Security benchmarks
- GNOME Integration: Continued refinement of GNOME desktop experience
- Installer Enhancements: Simplified installation with auto-install option
- Secure Boot: Improved Secure Boot support and enrollment
- NVIDIA Drivers: Better out-of-box NVIDIA driver support
¶ Cloud and Enterprise
- Multi-Cloud: Official images for AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle Cloud
- Kubernetes: Canonical Kubernetes and MicroK8s integration
- OpenStack: Continued OpenStack support and development
- MAAS: Metal as a Service for bare-metal provisioning
- Juju: Application modeling and orchestration
Ubuntu releases follow an alphabetical codename convention (Adjective Animal):
| Letter |
Release Example |
Year |
| A |
Warty Warthog |
2004 |
| B |
Breezy Badger |
2005 |
| C |
Dapper Drake |
2006 (LTS) |
| D |
Edgy Eft |
2006 |
| E |
Feisty Fawn |
2007 |
| F |
Gutsy Gibbon |
2007 |
| G |
Hardy Heron |
2008 (LTS) |
| H |
Intrepid Ibex |
2008 |
| I |
Jaunty Jackalope |
2009 |
| J |
Karmic Koala |
2009 |
| K |
Lucid Lynx |
2010 (LTS) |
| L |
Maverick Meerkat |
2010 |
| M |
Natty Narwhal |
2011 |
| N |
Oneiric Ocelot |
2011 |
| O |
Precise Pangolin |
2012 (LTS) |
| P |
Quantal Quetzal |
2012 |
| Q |
Raring Ringtail |
2013 |
| R |
Saucy Salamander |
2013 |
| S |
Trusty Tahr |
2014 (LTS) |
| T |
Utopic Unicorn |
2014 |
| U |
Vivid Vervet |
2015 |
| V |
Wily Werewolf |
2015 |
| W |
Xenial Xerus |
2016 (LTS) |
| X |
Yakkety Yak |
2016 |
| Y |
Zesty Zapus |
2017 |
| Z |
Artful Aardvark |
2017 |
| A |
Bionic Beaver |
2018 (LTS) |
| B |
Cosmic Cuttlefish |
2018 |
| C |
Disco Dingo |
2019 |
| D |
Eoan Ermine |
2019 |
| E |
Focal Fossa |
2020 (LTS) |
| F |
Groovy Gorilla |
2020 |
| G |
Hirsute Hippo |
2021 |
| H |
Impish Indri |
2021 |
| I |
Jammy Jellyfish |
2022 (LTS) |
| J |
Kinetic Kudu |
2022 |
| K |
Lunar Lobster |
2023 |
| L |
Mantic Minotaur |
2023 |
| M |
Noble Numbat |
2024 (LTS) |
| N |
Oracular Oriole |
2024 |
| O |
Plucky Puffin |
2025 |
| P |
Questing Quokka |
2025 |
| Q |
Resolute Raccoon |
2026 (LTS, planned) |
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_version_history
- https://documentation.ubuntu.com/project/release-team/list-of-releases/