Security teams running Ubuntu in production often delay major OS upgrades until the next point release arrives with accumulated patches and newer hardware support. Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS is now available as refreshed installation media for Noble Numbat, bundling the latest updates and offering a current hardware enablement stack for new deployments.
Support and update focus
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS will receive maintenance updates and security patches for five years from its initial release, with Extended Security Maintenance options available thereafter. These support terms apply to the Desktop, Server, Cloud, and Core editions; community flavours follow their own support windows.
Existing systems running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS receive these improvements through the regular update process and do not need to reinstall from the updated media. Users of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS are offered automatic upgrades to the 24.04.4 point release via the Update Manager.
Updated kernels and hardware stacks
The 24.04.4 release includes the newer hardware enablement stack that delivers a more recent Linux kernel and graphics stack. Users of the 24.04 LTS series can install the Linux kernel version 6.17 and Mesa graphics libraries 25.2.7 as standard updates. These enable support for more recent hardware and address issues identified since earlier LTS point releases.
This hardware enablement stack can also be found on the updated installation media published for 24.04.4 LTS. Installing from this refreshed image provides the updated kernel and drivers from the start, removing the need to apply the HWE updates after setup.
Availability across flavours
Official Ubuntu flavours including Kubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu Studio, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, Ubuntu Cinnamon, and Ubuntu Unity are offered with matching 24.04.4 point releases. Installation images for these variants include similar cumulative updates.