Ubuntu 18.04.5 + Ubuntu 16.04.7 LTS Released

Following last week's release of Ubuntu 20.04.1, the prior Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04 Long Term Support series are also seeing new releases.

Ubuntu 16.04.7 and Ubuntu 18.04.5 are out today as the newest long term support point releases for those prior versions from 2016 and 2018, respectively. Ubuntu 18.04.5 brings an updated hardware enablement stack from Ubuntu 20.04 so it works gracefully on newer hardware platforms. The Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS desktop version will use the new stack by default while other architectures have it available. Ubuntu 18.04.5 Server defaults to the older kernel but can be easily switched to the newer HWE kernel.

Besides the new HWE stack, there are just a variety of bug fixes and security updates in the updated packages that have already been available to LTS users but now available on the respun ISOs. More details on the Ubuntu 18.04.5 release via the release announcement.

Ubuntu 16.04.7 has also debuted today. With this older series, Ubuntu 16.04.7 doesn't bring any new hardware enablement stack but is strictly focused on shipping the latest security package updates and other fixes in the respun ISOs. Community flavors of Ubuntu 16.04 have already reached their end of life.

For Ubuntu 16.04 there is five years of support for Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu Cloud, Ubuntu Base, and Ubuntu Kylin. More details on Ubuntu 16.04.7 via ubuntu-announce.

One of the notable security fixes incorporated into these new Ubuntu LTS ISOs is the recent GRUB2 security vulnerability.