Knowledgebase

When selecting an operating system and version for your server it is important to consider the current lifespan of the operating system. It is important to select an operating system which is still receiving support and ongoing updates, as this will protect your server against bugs and new security exploits.

The lifespan of the operating system can generally be found by checking the releases page for the operating system.

For example, Debian systems have a 5-year lifespan, 3 years of full support and 2 years of LTS support. Debian 12 was released in June 2023 this would mean that full support would end in June 2026 and LTS support would end in June 2028.

To summarize, when selecting an operating system check the system releases page for the program life cycle, while the media control panel supports a variety of operating systems and versions it is best to select an operating system which has some longevity and reduces the need to migrate servers.

Operating systems have various terms for their stages of support, be it LTS, Security Support, Active Support, Extended Security Maintenance. This can make understanding how long an operating system will be viable difficult. For example, AlmaLinux 8's active support has ended but they claim security support until 2029. This is great for security but it may mean that software used by the panel drops support for the operating system due to lack of active support/updates. We cannot guarantee compatibility due to this reason, however we will try to maintain updates for an additional year after full support ends.

You can see a rough outline of the support periods for our supported operating systems here: