Also known as: LTS · LTS release · extended support
Long-term support (LTS) designates a software release that will receive security patches and critical bug fixes for an extended period — typically several years — without introducing new features or breaking changes.
LTS releases exist to decouple security maintenance from feature churn. Organisations get patched software without the testing burden of continuous version upgrades, which is why they dominate server and embedded deployments.
The trade-off is that fixes are backported into old versions rather than delivered as upgrades, so version numbers become misleading — an LTS package reporting an old version may contain patches for vulnerabilities disclosed years after that version's original release.
Linux Distribution
A Linux distribution is a complete operating system built around the Linux kernel, bundling it with system libraries, a package manager, default utilities, and a curated set of software, along with policies for how all of it is maintained and updated.
Kernel
The kernel is the core of an operating system, responsible for managing memory, scheduling processes, and mediating all access between software and hardware. The Linux kernel is the component that makes a system 'Linux'.
Package Manager
A package manager is the tool that installs, updates, configures, and removes software on a Linux system, resolving dependencies automatically and verifying package integrity through cryptographic signatures.
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerability management is the ongoing process of identifying, prioritising, remediating, and verifying fixes for security weaknesses across an organisation's systems and software.