Canonical, the maker of the Ubuntu Linux distro, has announced a 12-year security maintenance option for Kubernetes, beginning with version 1.32.

Canonical is one of the leading forces in the Linux space, providing some of the longest support options among the various Linux vendors, making it a popular choice for servers and workstations alike. The company already offers 12 years of support for Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support), and the company announced the same support term for distroless Docker containers in mid-2024.

In a blog post this week, the company announced it was expanding its LTS support to Kubernetes, beginning with Kubernetes 1.32.

The new release is easy to install, operate and upgrade, with best-of-breed open source networking, DNS, gateway, metrics server, local storage, load balancer and ingress services. Canonical Kubernetes enables customers to upgrade at their own pace, with new upstream releases every four months for organizations that prefer to move fast, and a 12 year commitment for organizations that need long-term supported environments.

“Constant Kubernetes upgrades are a drain on enterprise teams. Customers who deploy Canonical Kubernetes 1.32 LTS can focus on the future, because their clusters will receive security updates for 12 full years,” said CEO Mark Shuttleworth. “Combined with Ubuntu Pro , which covers the widest range of open source applications, the entire open source stack can now be operated with greater confidence and simpler compliance to hardening standards like FedRAMP. From the public cloud to the data center to the edge, on servers and workstations and connected devices, we are excited to deliver a simple ‘deploy-and-move-forward’ approach to enterprise grade containers that keeps the business focus on applications and innovation rather than infrastructure.”

Canonical says its Kubernetes LTS will help businesses smooth out the disruptions that come from the fast-paced Kubernetes development cycle.

The upstream Kubernetes release cycle is fast-paced, with a new version every four months and security maintenance provided for 14 months. Frequent Kubernetes version upgrades disrupt business continuity and require time-consuming and expensive maintenance. At the same time, the pace of innovation in Kubernetes makes newer versions attractive for developers and new deployments.

Canonical will provide interim releases of its Kubernetes packages every four months, aligned with the upstream Kubernetes release cadence and versions. These interim releases will be security maintained and supported for 14 months, with upgrade paths from release to release.

Canonical’s Kubernetes LTS cycle will mirror the same cycle the company follows for Ubuntu LTS releases.

Like Ubuntu, Canonical will release LTS packages of Kubernetes every two years, starting with Canonical Kubernetes 1.32 LTS. With an Ubuntu Pro subscription, these LTS releases will get CVE security fixes for at least 12 years. Thereafter, Canonical will continue to support and patch these releases of Kubernetes based on customer needs for extremely long-lived deployments in telecommunications and other critical infrastructure.

In this way, Canonical’s packaging and LTS commitment to Kubernetes enables both rapid acquisition of the latest upstream for fast-moving deployments and developers, and long term maintenance for production deployments that need to remain stable for many years.

Canonical’s announcement is good news for companies that rely on Kubernetes.