What does an LTS version correspond to?

LTS stands for "Long Term Support" in English, and thus "support à long terme" in French.

This acronym is found in the version numbers of certain operating systems, software, or frameworks.

But what does this really mean?

Before we start, I recommend reading our article on semantic versioning for a better understanding of the topic

So, as the name suggests, an LTS is a version of software that benefits from long-term support.

This means that the developers, or the software's publisher, commit to maintaining the code for several years from its release date. More specifically, they commit to providing:

• security updates
• bug fixes
• technical support for an extended period (when there is one).

For how long?

As you can see, the concept of an LTS is simple, but this extended period, how long exactly does it last?

The problem is that there's no default duration, it's up to the publisher to specify the minimum date until which an LTS will be maintained, and it's up to you to stay informed.

For some Linux distributions, an LTS version can receive security updates for 5 years, or even more. When it comes to frameworks and other tools, the length of support will vary a lot depending on each project's policies.

Nevertheless, for a company that depends on the stability and reliability of its systems and tools, this is a major issue.

Updating to add patches and benefit from fixes is almost painless

But moving from one major version to another can take weeks, even months in some large projects! So the larger the project, the greater the benefit of choosing an LTS version with a long support period.

Not to be confused with

One last thing. There's a confusion to avoid: An LTS version is not a fixed version that never changes.

It's a version that will be updated for longer, but only through patches.

Remember, in "semantic versioning", we talk about major number, minor number, and patch number

Well, that means an LTS will always have the same major and minor numbers, but the patch number can change, to bring fixes, for a set period of time.

Conversely, and this has already happened, a non-LTS version can stop being updated overnight, because the company (or the collective) prefers to allocate resources so that all fixes arrive at the same time as the next major version, thus going from version 2.3.6 to version 3.0.0, two years later.

Summary

An LTS ("Long Term Support") version of software guarantees extended support including security updates and fixes, ensuring stability for companies dependent on their systems.

Unlike regular versions, an LTS continues to receive patches without a major or minor version change, thus allowing maintenance over several years.