Ubuntu provides Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) to the public for free. This means that Ubuntu 14.04 is supported until 2024; Ubuntu 16.04 until April 2026; Ubuntu 20.04 until April 3030. However, currently Plex only supports 16.04 or newer. Ubuntu 16.04’s standard support ended in April 2021. Ubuntu release schedule information found here: Releases - Ubuntu Wiki.
I’m trying to better understand how Plex determines its minimum requirements for Ubuntu. I’m not seeing anything glaring between 14.04 and 16.04 that wasn’t later available to 14.04 through the HWE and backports. Insight would be most helpful so I can plan my server upgrade to ensure I’m running rock solid OS but not nearing the end of support with Plex.
Plex supports based on normal LTS lifecycle. and EOL status.
The general rule -
Ubuntu versions released in even numbered years – add 5 to release date
Ubuntu versions released in odd numbered years - support ends the following year.
@ChuckPa thanks for the reply. So that isn’t really accurate. EOL for Ubuntu 14.04 isn’t until April 2024 and 16.04 isn’t until April 2026. (Releases - Ubuntu Wiki).
However, if you are ignoring Ubuntu’s ESM then yes the dates you provided would be the EOL. Yet, Plex is supporting 16.04 which went into the ESM channel on April 2021 with the additional support window until 2026.
So what I’m not understanding is if Plex is continuing to support until the new EOL structure (end of ESM) beginning with Ubuntu 16.04 or what the deal is? I’m guessing that could be the case that Plex said “okay let’s drop 14.04 and focus on 16.04 and future versions to the ESM EOL” since support is still open for 16.04.
Again, remember that Ubuntu now has an end of standard support which then goes into ESM as I mentioned in the original post. This gives each LTS variant like 10 years of support before it hits EOL and sunsets to the netherworld.
The problem is being able to support across all those different versions with a single package file.
If you examine Ubuntu 22.04, so much changed that special handling is required in the package file. It was a great deal of work.
Additionally, since I don’t maintain VMs of every version of every distribution supported, if I cannot create a new VM of any version of any distro to investigate a reported problem – then there is a hard cutoff.
Ubuntu 14.04 is 8 years old. I cannot support everything forever AND support all the newer hardware and features all in one package.
@ChuckPa Totally understand the need for a cut-off and the intense maintenance needs for old variants. Maybe the minimum version should be updated to 18.04 and/or a footnote stating that support is not guaranteed after Ubuntu’s standard support window ends?
No worries. I’m just thinking that someone may assume you all follow ESM since 16.04 is still listed on the website. Clarification could be super helpful so people know it’s not that way.
