Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus)
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus) was released on April 21, 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.
Ubuntu 16.04 is out of ESM support. In order to get support, please activate the Legacy add-on.
Is Ubuntu 16.04 LTS still supported?
Yes, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is supported until 2031 through Canonical's Legacy add-on with Ubuntu Pro. Ubuntu 16.04 entered its Legacy period in April 2026, and will receive security patches for five additional years through the Legacy add-on.
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS security updates
The Ubuntu Security Team continues its dedication to securing Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. After providing five years of standard support followed by five years of Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM), we are now extending this commitment through the Legacy add-on, ensuring your systems remain protected for a total of 15 years.
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Legacy add-on
What is Ubuntu Legacy add-on?
Legacy add-on is the specialized extension phase for Ubuntu LTS releases that have completed their initial 10-year lifecycle (5 years Standard + 5 years ESM). For Ubuntu 16.04, this provides a critical bridge from 2026 through April 2031, offering continued security patches for the Linux kernel, critical infrastructure, and thousands of popular open source packages.
The Legacy add-on is available as an add-on to an Ubuntu Pro subscription. It ensures that legacy environments, especially those involving specialized hardware or older proprietary stacks, remain compliant and protected against vulnerabilities without requiring a full OS migration.
What is covered by Ubuntu 16.04 Legacy add-on?
The Legacy add-on covers years 10 to 15 of an Ubuntu LTS release’s life cycle, maximizing the lifespan, usability, and security of popular past LTSes. During the Legacy period, Canonical provides security maintenance for binary packages across both the 'main' and 'universe' repositories for 64-bit x86 AMD/Intel architectures.
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 |
| PHP | 7.0 |
| NGINX | 1.10 |
| ROS | Kinetic |
Infrastructure packages
For Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, where technically feasible, Canonical provides the Legacy add-on 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.
Get Legacy add-on for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Get in touch with us
Upgrade from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Upgrading to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS/20.04 LTS/22.04 LTS/24.04 LTS/26.04 LTS
You might want to consider upgrading to a new LTS release. If you are currently using Ubuntu 16.04 LTS you can upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or freshly install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS/22.04 LTS/24.04 LTS/26.04 LTS. There is no direct upgrade path from 16.04 LTS to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS/22.04 LTS/24.04 LTS/26.04 LTS. In order to upgrade, you can either move to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, or directly install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS/22.04 LTS/24.04 LTS/26.04 LTS.
Upgrading Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on Azure, AWS, Google Cloud
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 Ubuntu Pro for AWS are premium images with security and compliance features built-in, and optimized for the public cloud.
Ubuntu Pro includes security coverage for the entire collection of software packages shipped with Ubuntu, tracking high and critical CVEs. It is ideal for companies that have embraced open source for their new products.
- Launch Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS on Azure
- Launch Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS on AWS
- Launch Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS on Google Cloud
While Ubuntu Pro images provide coverage through the ESM phase (until April 2026), Legacy Support for years 11–15 is available on public clouds as a specialized add-on. To enable Legacy Support for your cloud instances and extend coverage through 2031, please get in touch with us.
Watch the 20.04 migration webinar
Learn how to migrate to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. 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.