Canonical has announced the release of Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS is the new maintenance update for "Focal Fossa", the extended support version released in 2020 and which still has three years of support ahead of it, even though it has already been « superseded” by the new Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
As always, we remind you that this release, as happens with all the maintenance updates of the LTS versions of Ubuntu, is aimed primarily at new installations, since those who have the system installed and updated do not need to do anything else. On the other hand, unlike other distributions, every Ubuntu LTS maintenance update from the second one comes with “surprise” and this one is no exception.
That "surprise" is understood by the acronym of HWE, which corresponds to Hardware Enablement Stack and means major update of the kernel and the graphics stack, mainly. That is why even with the time that has passed since Ubuntu 20.04 LTS came out and even considering that the general news is the same, given everything that is ahead of support, they are attractive releases for new installations.
If we take into account that Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS takes the Linux 5.15 kernel and components such as Mesa 22 directly from Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, which came out last April, and that thanks to application stores such as Snap Store or Flathub it is possible to have many of the well-updated most common applications, the prospect of continuing to use, but also starting to use a version like this, is not far-fetched.
It is true that the jump from one LTS version to another is two years and that the desktop and its tools, an elementary part of the user experience, are not updated, so if instead of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS with GNOME 3.36 you install Ubuntu 22.04 LTS this comes with GNOME 42; but in return you have greater stability… and less Snap imposition, which is no small thing.
Another fact to keep in mind is that despite the fact that the five years of support (until 2025 for Focal Fossa) are limited to Ubuntu Desktop (only Ubuntu with GNOME), Ubuntu Server, Cloud and Core, and the rest are reduced to three , base updates keep coming, no matter what flavor is used. In other words, nothing happens to use any of the official editions the full cycle, although it is best to update.
If you prefer to be up to date, Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS was released just three weeks ago . Yes, on the contrary, you are more interested in what Ubuntu 20.04 LTS offers…