Glossary software support and end-of-life terms, in plain English

The date after which a version gets no more updates of any kind, including security fixes. The software keeps running, but newly found vulnerabilities stay unpatched, so anything past end of life should be upgraded or replaced. On latestat.com, "end of life" is the date the last free, public security fixes stop.

See: End-of-life calendar · Everything ending next year

Most software moves through stages: active support first, then security fixes only, then end of life. Some vendors sell extended support after that. The colored bars on product pages show these phases for each version.

See: PHP timeline · Windows Server timeline

The phase where a version gets bug fixes and security fixes, and sometimes small improvements. It is the safest phase to be in, and usually the first one to end.

See: PHP 8.5

The phase where a version only gets fixes for security problems. Ordinary bugs are no longer fixed. You are still protected, but it is time to plan the upgrade before end of life.

See: PHP 8.3

Security updates a vendor sells after the public end-of-life date, for organizations that need more time to upgrade. Examples are Microsoft Extended Security Updates, Ubuntu Pro and Red Hat Extended Life-cycle Support. Product pages show these dates in their own column when they exist.

See: Ubuntu · Red Hat Enterprise Linux

The date the first stable release of a version came out. Betas and release candidates come before it. The "Released" column on product pages is this date.

A version designated to get updates for much longer than regular releases, so you can stay on it for years. Ubuntu ships an LTS every two years in April, and Node.js turns its even-numbered releases into LTS.

See: Ubuntu · Node.js

Microsoft's long-term releases of Windows Server and Windows Enterprise. Features are frozen at release, and the version is supported for years (for Windows Server, typically five years of mainstream support plus five of extended support).

See: Windows Server

Citrix's name for its long-term releases of Virtual Apps and Desktops, supported far longer than the regular current releases.

See: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops

Mozilla's long-term Firefox and Thunderbird versions for organizations. A new ESR arrives about once a year and overlaps with the previous one for a few months, so there is time to switch.

See: Firefox

Microsoft's two phases for many products: Mainstream Support (features, bug fixes and security updates), then Extended Support (security updates only). Microsoft's Extended Support end date is what latestat.com shows as end of life.

See: Windows Server · SQL Server

Microsoft's paid program that keeps security updates coming after Extended Support ends, sold a year at a time for a limited period. It is meant as a bridge while you upgrade, not a long-term plan.

See: Windows · Windows Server

Canonical's extended security coverage for Ubuntu LTS releases, available through Ubuntu Pro (free for personal use on a few machines). It stretches security updates well past the standard five years.

See: Ubuntu

Red Hat's paid add-on that continues critical fixes for a RHEL release after its standard lifecycle ends. Third parties sell similar ELS plans for other operating systems and languages.

See: Red Hat Enterprise Linux

A line of versions that share a major (or major.minor) number, like PHP 8.3 or Ubuntu 24.04, and get their own updates and support dates. Each branch has its own page here, like /php/8.3.

See: PHP 8.3 · Ubuntu 24.04

A new release inside a branch, like PHP 8.3.4 to 8.3.33. It carries fixes and is usually safe to install. "Update available" on this site means a newer patch release of your branch exists.

See: Check your versions

Moving from one branch to another, like PHP 8.3 to 8.4 or Windows Server 2016 to 2025. It can change behavior or remove features, so test it first. Comparison pages show how two branches differ in support.

See: PHP 8.4 vs 8.5 · Ubuntu 22.04 vs 24.04

A numbering scheme where the first number changes for breaking changes, the second for new features and the third for fixes. Many projects follow it, but not all: some use dates, and some use build numbers.

Version numbers based on the release date: Ubuntu 24.04 came out in April 2024, Home Assistant 2026.9 in September 2026. Windows names like 24H2 mean "second half of 2024".

See: Ubuntu · Home Assistant

Each Windows 11 feature update is supported for different lengths depending on edition. (E) marks the Enterprise and Education timeline, which is longer. (W) marks Home and Pro. Check the one that matches your license.

See: Windows

An internal number that identifies an exact build, like 10.0.26100 for Windows Server 2025. It's useful for checking patch levels, but people search by name, so this site shows the name first and the build next to it.

See: Windows Server

Software that ships continuous updates instead of long-lived versions. Browsers work this way: a new Chrome or Firefox version arrives every few weeks, and only the newest one gets fixes.

See: Chrome · Firefox

A public ID for a known security flaw, like CVE-2024-3094. Supported versions get patches for new CVEs. Versions past end of life do not, which is why end-of-life dates matter.

When a fix from a newer version is applied to an older one. Linux distributions like Debian, Ubuntu and RHEL do this all the time: their package may say an old version number but still contain recent security fixes. So for distro packages, trust the distribution's support dates over the upstream version number.

See: Debian · Red Hat Enterprise Linux