关于Ubuntu 12.04 LTS服务器逐步升级至新版本的支持期限咨询

Hey there, let’s break this down clearly since dealing with such old Ubuntu servers can be a bit tricky!

First off, Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise Pangolin) has been out of all official support for a while now: standard support ended back in 2017, and even the Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) wrapped up in May 2022. That means Canonical no longer provides any security updates, package fixes, or official backing for the upgrade path itself.

You mentioned testing a fresh 12.04 install and upgrading step-by-step to 22.04 works right now—and that makes sense, because the upgrade tools can still run on the old system, as long as you tweak your package sources to point to Ubuntu’s archived servers (like updating /etc/apt/sources.list to use old-releases.ubuntu.com instead of the regular active repos). But here’s the key thing to keep in mind:

• There’s no fixed timeline for how long this workaround will keep working. As time goes on, dependencies might break in unresolvable ways, or the archived repositories could change structure, making the upgrade scripts fail unexpectedly.
• Even if you can pull off the upgrade now, jumping through so many LTS versions (12.04 →14.04→16.04→18.04→20.04→22.04) carries inherent risks—older system configurations, deprecated software, and outdated libraries can cause compatibility headaches (like services failing to start, or package conflicts that are tough to untangle).

My best advice for you:

• Get this upgrade done as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the higher the chance that something breaks and makes the upgrade impossible.
• Before you start, make a full backup of your server—all data, configuration files, and even a system image if you can. That way, if the upgrade goes sideways, you can roll back without losing anything critical.
• Take it one step at a time. Don’t skip versions; complete each upgrade, reboot, and verify that all your services and apps work correctly before moving on to the next LTS release.

备注：内容来源于stack exchange，提问作者kovica