With Canonical’s decision to push their offered support period for LTS or Long Term Support versions to a period of 5 years, users who have non-LTS versions of Ubuntu cannot hope for such good news. Not long after making the decision to halve the support available for non-LTS ‘flavors’ of the Ubuntu Linux, Canonical has finally released the names of the three popular distributions of Linux that will be pushed into retirement.

With the approach of May, three versions of Ubuntu are close to their retiring dates and users of the following Ubuntu versions or ‘flavors’ will soon have to start making plans to upgrade their respective Ubuntu’s before the 9^th of May 2013:

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron – Server Version)

Released on 24^th April, 2008, the Hardy Heron has had a good five year long run in the market. Being an LTS, Canonical offered support for this version to last up to three years for the desktop version and five for the server. In May 2011, the desktop version completed its circuit of three years and Canonical pulled the support plug from it. In May 2013, the server version of the Hardy Heron will be given the same treatment and laid to rest. Ubuntu Security Notices will no longer contain any updates or information regarding the Hardy Heron anymore after 9^th May.

Ubuntu 10.4 (Lucid Lynx – Desktop Version)

Released on 29^th April, 2010, Lucid Lynx has only had three years to run in the market. However, owing to the fact that Canonical offered only three years of support including fixes and constant security for the desktop versions. 2013 will mark the third birthday of Lucid Lynx’s desktop version and Ubuntu Security Notices will also exclude the Lucid Lynx from its circle and no longer provide any information or updates pertaining to it. However, the server version of Lucid Lynx still has two more years of support left so users won’t have to completely say goodbye to their Lynx so soon.

Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneric Ocelot – Desktop and Server Versions)

Released on 13^th October, 2011, the Oneric Ocelot certainly mimicked its namesake and was always an endangered version of Ubuntu with only 18 months of support offered for both its server and desktop versions. In May 2013, Canonical will finally push its Ocelot towards their extinct list. Users of this Ubuntu version will find the Ubuntu Security Notices bare of any information or update for the Oneric Ocelot after 9^th May.

Suggested Upgrade – Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin – Server and Desktop Versions)

To prevent users from rushing around in confusion, Canonical recommends that users upgrade their Lucid Lynx’s and the Onceric Ocelot’s directly to the Precise Pangolin. An LTS version of Ubuntu and launched on 26^th April,2012, Precise Pangolin comes with 5 years of security support and update and is far from retirement. With the Precise Upgrade’s page in Ubuntu’s online community offering step by step instructions for the installation of getting the upgrade, users will soon be upgraded with no problems at all.

[Image via michaeld1]