{"id":2480,"date":"2025-04-23T01:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T01:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/serverhost.com\/blog\/how-to-enable-extended-security-maintenance-esm-in-ubuntu-20-04-lts-for-continued-updates\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T01:00:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T01:00:49","slug":"how-to-enable-extended-security-maintenance-esm-in-ubuntu-20-04-lts-for-continued-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/serverhost.com\/blog\/how-to-enable-extended-security-maintenance-esm-in-ubuntu-20-04-lts-for-continued-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Enable Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS for Continued Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time is nearly up on support for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, with standard software, bug fix, and security updates coming to an end on May 29, 2025.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Users of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS should consider upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (or newer) if possible. However, for those who cannot upgrade, enabling Extended Support Maintenance (ESM) is a crucial step to ensure continued access to critical security patches.<\/p>\n

ESM for Ubuntu offers 10 years of vulnerability management for critical, high, and selected medium security issues for all software packages shipped with Ubuntu. It\u2019s free for regular users on up to five devices, with extended options for Ubuntu Community Members. While enabling ESM requires a bit of setup, it’s a straightforward process and vital for keeping older installations secure.<\/p>\n

How to Enable ESM on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS<\/h3>\n

To enable ESM (also referred to as Ubuntu Pro), start by signing into your Ubuntu SSO account on their website. If you don\u2019t have one, you can create one for free. Navigate to the Ubuntu Pro page<\/a> and subscribe, selecting \u2018Myself\u2019 to take advantage of the free option.<\/p>\n

Once registered, go to the \u201cUbuntu Pro Dashboard,\u201d click on \u201cYour Subscriptions,\u201d and copy your unique token from the \u2018Free Personal Token\u2019 section.<\/p>\n

You can choose to enable ESM via the GUI or terminal:<\/p>\n

Enable ESM using a GUI<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Launch Software & Updates<\/em> on your Ubuntu desktop.<\/li>\n
  2. Select the Ubuntu Pro<\/em> tab.<\/li>\n
  3. Click on the \u2018enable Ubuntu Pro\u2019 button.<\/li>\n
  4. Paste your token into the field and click \u2018confirm.\u2019<\/li>\n
  5. Enable or disable updates as needed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Enable ESM using the Terminal<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Open a new Terminal<\/em> window.<\/li>\n
    2. Type the following command, replacing placeholder text with your unique token:\n
      sudo pro attach Y0uR-toK3n-GoE5-hErE<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
    3. Use Shift + Ctrl + V to paste the token, then hit enter. If prompted that the ubuntu-advantage-tools package<\/code> is not installed, install it and re-run the command.<\/li>\n
    4. Refresh your list of software sources to ensure eligibility for ESM packages and install any updates.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      Additional Notes<\/h3>\n
      It\u2019s important to note that while ESM provides backported security patches, it likely will not include new versions of Mozilla Firefox. Users relying on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS beyond its support deadline will need to switch to the official Firefox Snap, Flatpak, or set up the official Mozilla APT repository to continue receiving new Firefox feature releases.<\/p>\n
      For more details on the end of support and enabling ESM, check the links provided for further guidance:<\/p>\n