Ubuntu Releases Timeline
A comprehensive timeline of every Ubuntu release from 4.10 Warty Warthog through 24.04 Noble Numbat — including codenames, release dates, notable changes, and guidance on who each version is for.
Ubuntu has shipped a new release every six months since October 2004, and every two years one of those releases earns the Long Term Support label that makes it suitable for production servers, enterprise desktops, and anyone who values stability over novelty. This page tracks that full history — version numbers, codenames, release dates, and the changes that actually mattered — so you can understand where your install sits in the timeline and what came before it. If you’re looking for package management fundamentals to pair with an upgrade, our Documentation hub covers that ground. For the official ISO archive and download mirrors, Canonical maintains the Ubuntu Releases index.
Below, we walk through every major release. Recent LTS versions get a more detailed “who is this release for?” section, because those are the ones people are still actively choosing between.
The Early Years (2004–2006)
Ubuntu 4.10 “Warty Warthog” — October 2004
The one that started everything. Based on Debian Sid with a GNOME 2.8 desktop, Warty’s pitch was simple: a Linux distribution that normal humans could install. The graphical installer, the “just works” hardware detection, the free CDs shipped to your door — it was a different era, and Ubuntu carved out its niche almost overnight. Shipped with Firefox 0.9, OpenOffice.org 1.1, and a 2.6.8 kernel.
Ubuntu 5.04 “Hoary Hedgehog” — April 2005
Introduced Update Manager and the beginnings of an upgrade path between releases. Added suspend/resume support that actually worked on some laptops — a genuine achievement in 2005. Kickstarted the Kubuntu and Edubuntu spins.
Ubuntu 5.10 “Breezy Badger” — October 2005
The Ubiquity installer debuted here, and it stayed (in various forms) for nearly two decades. Added OEM install mode, logical volume management support in the installer, and usplash for a graphical boot screen. Also the first release to ship with a real language selector.
Ubuntu 6.06 LTS “Dapper Drake” — June 2006
The first LTS release. (It was delayed from April — hence 6.06 instead of 6.04.) Three years of desktop support, five years of server support. Introduced the Live CD that doubled as an installer, which was revolutionary at the time. GNOME 2.14, NetworkManager on the desktop, and a visual polish pass that made Ubuntu start to look like a real product.
Ubuntu 6.10 “Edgy Eft” — October 2006
Moved to Upstart from the old System V init. Introduced gnome-power-manager and automatic codec installation via GStreamer. Not an LTS, but important for the technical plumbing it changed underneath.
The Growth Phase (2007–2010)
Ubuntu 7.04 “Feisty Fawn” — April 2007
Desktop effects via Compiz arrived. So did a Windows migration assistant, easy codec/driver installation, and network authentication with WPA. The release that made people say “wait, Linux can look like that?”
Ubuntu 7.10 “Gutsy Gibbon” — October 2007
NTFS write support out of the box via ntfs-3g. Compiz Fusion became the default compositing manager. Added a graphical tool for configuring X.org — back when you still had to care about xorg.conf.
Ubuntu 8.04 LTS “Hardy Heron” — April 2008
The second LTS. PulseAudio arrived (love it or hate it), Transmission replaced the old GNOME BitTorrent client, and Wubi let Windows users install Ubuntu inside a Windows partition without repartitioning. Supported for three years on desktop, five on server.
Ubuntu 8.10 “Intrepid Ibex” — October 2008
Introduced the “Create a USB startup disk” tool, guest sessions, and DKMS for automatic kernel module rebuilding. Network Manager got a proper UI overhaul.
Ubuntu 9.04 “Jaunty Jackalope” — April 2009
Boot time dropped dramatically thanks to ext4 as the default filesystem and parallel init improvements. Introduced notify-osd, those translucent notification bubbles that became iconic.
Ubuntu 9.10 “Karmic Koala” — October 2009
The Ubuntu Software Centre debuted, replacing Add/Remove Applications. GRUB 2 became the default bootloader. Also the release where Empathy replaced Pidgin as the default IM client.
Ubuntu 10.04 LTS “Lucid Lynx” — April 2010
A pivotal LTS. New visual identity (the now-iconic Ambiance/Radiance themes and the purple/orange palette), social integration via gwibber, and the move from HAL to DeviceKit. Still fondly remembered by long-time Ubuntu users. Supported through April 2013 (desktop) and April 2015 (server).
Ubuntu 10.10 “Maverick Meerkat” — October 2010
The Ubuntu font family arrived. Unity was introduced on the Netbook Edition (not yet the desktop default). Minor release in hindsight, but it set the stage for the big pivot.
The Unity Era (2011–2017)
Ubuntu 11.04 “Natty Narwhal” — April 2011
The release that changed everything — or broke everything, depending on whom you ask. Unity replaced the GNOME 2 desktop as the default. The Dash, the Launcher, the global menu bar: you either adapted or you switched to Xubuntu. GNOME 3 had just launched elsewhere, so the entire Linux desktop was in flux.
Ubuntu 11.10 “Oneiric Ocelot” — October 2011
Unity 2D shipped as a fallback for systems without 3D acceleration. LightDM replaced GDM. The transition to GNOME 3 libraries under Unity’s shell continued.
Ubuntu 12.04 LTS “Precise Pangolin” — April 2012
The first truly polished Unity LTS. HUD (Head-Up Display) for searching menus, a refined Dash, and the beginning of the online Dash scopes (search Amazon from your desktop — controversial, to put it mildly). Supported for five years and widely deployed.
Ubuntu 12.10 “Quantal Quetzal” — October 2012
Web Apps integration let you “install” Gmail, Twitter, and other sites as desktop apps. Unity got a previews feature in the launcher. Kernel 3.5, Python 3.2 by default.
Ubuntu 13.04 “Raring Ringtail” — April 2013
Friends and social lens built into the Dash. Shorter support window announced (nine months for non-LTS going forward). Notable for Cinnamon and MATE gaining traction as alternatives.
Ubuntu 13.10 “Saucy Salamander” — October 2013
Smart Scopes arrived: the Dash searched over 50 online sources. Privacy concerns intensified. Under the hood: AppArmor hardening improvements and a 3.11 kernel.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS “Trusty Tahr” — April 2014
One of the most widely deployed Ubuntu releases ever. Unity 7 was mature, TRIM support for SSDs was finally enabled by default, and the desktop felt stable enough for enterprise use. Five years of standard support, extended to ten for ESM subscribers. Kernel 3.13. Still encountered in the wild.
Ubuntu 14.10 through 16.10
Incremental Unity refinements. 15.04 brought systemd as the default init system (a huge architectural change). 16.04 LTS “Xenial Xerus” shipped with Snap package support, ZFS on root (experimental), and a five-year support window. Kernel 4.4. Xenial was the last LTS to ship with Unity as the default.
The GNOME Return (2017–Present)
Ubuntu 17.10 “Artful Aardvark” — October 2017
Unity was dropped. GNOME Shell (with Ubuntu-specific extensions) became the default desktop. Wayland was the default display server — briefly, before Xorg was restored as default in 18.04 due to compatibility issues. A major reset.
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS “Bionic Beaver” — April 2018
The first GNOME-based LTS. GNOME 3.28, Xorg as default (Wayland optional), Snap support baked in, minimal install option in the installer, and Canonical’s custom Yaru theme starting to take shape. Ten years of ESM support available. Kernel 4.15. Bionic anchored production environments for years.
Ubuntu 18.10 through 20.10
Iterative polish: GNOME performance improvements (especially the triple-buffering patches), kernel updates (up to 5.8), and the WireGuard backport landing. 20.04 LTS was the big milestone in this stretch.
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS “Focal Fossa” — April 2020
Who is this release for? Focal is the choice if you need a battle-tested LTS with broad third-party support and you’re not yet ready to jump to the 22.04 or 24.04 series. It runs GNOME 3.36, ships with kernel 5.4, and has an enormous ecosystem of PPAs and Snap packages built for it. Server admins running Focal in production have support through April 2025 (standard) and April 2030 (ESM). If you’re still on Focal: it works, but start planning your migration.
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish” — April 2022
Who is this release for? Jammy is the current “safe bet” LTS for anyone who wants modern features without bleeding-edge risk. Wayland is the default session (finally stable enough for daily use), GNOME 42 introduced a system-wide dark mode, and the installer got a significant refresh. Kernel 5.15. Snap is more prominent — Firefox is now a Snap by default, which still irritates some users. Hardware support is excellent, especially for recent Intel and AMD platforms. Supported through April 2027 (standard) and April 2032 (ESM).
Ubuntu 23.04 through 23.10
Interim releases that served as proving grounds for 24.04. GNOME 44 and 45 landed, the Flutter-based installer continued evolving, and kernel 6.2–6.5 arrived with improved hardware support for newer laptops. Not recommended for production, but useful for testing the upgrade path.
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS “Noble Numbat” — April 2024
Who is this release for? Noble Numbat is the LTS to target for new deployments in 2024–2026. It ships GNOME 46, the new App Center (replacing Ubuntu Software), a polished Flutter-based installer, and kernel 6.8. Netplan is the default network configuration across both desktop and server. Hardware support is the best Ubuntu has ever had at launch — including day-one support for most 2023–2024 Intel and AMD laptops. If you’re starting fresh, this is the release to install. Supported through April 2029 (standard) and April 2034 (ESM).
Reading the Version Numbers
Ubuntu’s numbering is simple once you see the pattern: YY.MM. So 24.04 means April 2024. LTS releases always land in April of even years (04 of 04, 06, 08, …). Non-LTS releases fill the gaps: XX.10 in October, and the April release in odd years.
If you need to check which version you’re running:
lsb_release -a
Or, more concisely:
cat /etc/os-release
Both will tell you the version number, codename, and whether you’re on an LTS.
Choosing the Right Release
The perennial question: should you run the latest LTS, the latest interim release, or an older LTS that you know works?
For servers and production: Always the latest LTS. Currently that’s 24.04. If you’re mid-cycle on 22.04, there’s no rush — you have years of support left — but plan the migration before EOL approaches.
For desktops and daily drivers: The latest LTS is the safest choice. Interim releases are fine if you want newer GNOME features and don’t mind upgrading every six months, but they’re not supported long-term.
For development and testing: Run whatever matches your deployment target, plus optionally the latest interim release in a VM to preview upcoming changes.
When in doubt, check the Releases page (you’re already here) and our Documentation hub for upgrade guides and compatibility notes.