Ubuntu Pro or not?

[dinomonster]

Hi guys!

As probably most of you, I’m eagerly waiting release of 26.04., so question of opinion rose into my mind:

What do you think, is using Ubuntu Pro reasonable for home user or is it little bit overboard? I have been pondering using Pro on LTS, but wanted to ask your opinion. I use my laptop mostly for gaming and web browsing and occasional word processing.

[hepp3n]

It’s for free up to 5 devices. I don’t see any reason why not use it

[dinomonster]

This is actually what I have been also thinking. Because free stuff is always… well.. free stuff.

[graymech]

Ubuntu Pro is only free if we choose to accept the free subscription. There is nothing stopping you from paying for a subscription. It is $25 per workstation per year. All you have to do is select “My organization” after clicking on “Subscribe now.”

As you are writing about Ubuntu 26.04 LTS you should know that Software & Updates is not the place we activate Ubuntu Pro but it is with the Security Center utility.

In fact my install of Ubuntu 26.04 does not have Software and Updates anymore. It is gone.

Oh, by the way, I have Ubuntu Pro on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. It is free but not cheap. It is good quality service.

Regards

[corradoventu]

Ubuntu 26.04 is LTS so it will have normal support for 5 years. Only after the end of normal support will it make sense to install Ubuntu Pro.

[yasirel]

I sually update every six months, so no. But for my father, who I left on an LTS version, I do install them. Any extra layer of security updates is welcome, especially when it’s free.

[peterwhite23]

@corradoventu

Only after the end of normal support will it make sense to install Ubuntu Pro.

Au contraire:

24.04 LTS needs pro for complete upgrade?

Ubuntu Pro includes two items includes ESM or extended security fixes which start when standard support has ended; ie. 5 years after initial release includes optional security fixes on packages in the universe repository; as only main and restricted get security fixes on a normal install. The additional updates you’re seeing are in my second item, as Ubuntu has historically only provided security fixes for packages in main and restricted. By enabling Pro, you’re getting the optional fixes ava…

Also see the FAQ section on ‘Universe’:

Ubuntu Pro - FAQ

This document was prepared in collaboration with Ubuntu community leads. Executive summary Your Ubuntu LTS is still secured in exactly the same way it has always been, with five years of free security updates for the ‘main’ packages in the distribution, and best-effort security coverage for everything else. This has been the promise of Ubuntu since our first LTS in 2006, and remains exactly the same. In fact, thanks to our expanded security team, your LTS is better secured today than ever befor…

The short of it: if you’re using packages from the universe component, which you most probably do, you should also use Ubuntu Pro to benefit from security support for those packages as well, because only main and restricted are covered by the official support.

[d-cosner]

Ubuntu Pro really helps user’s get years more use from older hardware.

[peterwhite23]

One more benefit of Ubuntu Pro is the Canonical Livepatch Service, which can patch the running kernel. If you are like me and don’t like to reboot right away after a kernel upgrade, you’ll be covered from day one.

One shouldn’t take Livepatch as an excuse to never reboot, though.

[XxXxX]

i didn’t know about the paid version of ubuntu pro

so i have just gone and updated my Ubuntu Pro Free

to Ubuntu Pro Paid, thanks for the heads up cheers.

best of luck Steve ..