Support for Debian 11 ended on 31 August 2026, and for CentOS 7 on 30 June 2024 (As of 2026-10). We will upgrade your server, or plan and carry out the move to Debian. We also work with Proxmox VE 8 and with physical servers that we move to Proxmox.
Debian, Ubuntu and CentOS: end of support with sources
LTS support for Debian 11 ended on 31 August 2026. CentOS Linux 7 has been at end of life since 30 June 2024 (As of 2026-10). The timeline gives the dates for Debian, CentOS and Windows Server with sources, and a table lists the Ubuntu LTS versions.
- All dates with sources, as of 2026-10
- Full stack and DevOps since 2012, KVM and Proxmox
Published: 2026-10-26 · As of: 2026-10 · Editorial team Prownex
What the timeline and the table show and how to read them
Debian provides three years of regular updates and then two years of LTS (As of 2026-10). Ubuntu LTS receives five years of standard support, which Ubuntu Pro can extend. CentOS Linux 7 has been without support since 30 June 2024.
The timeline is ordered by date, and each row names one version and its source. Ubuntu gives its dates only as months and therefore has a table of its own. Windows Server appears in the timeline because some operators move their applications from IIS to Linux when they change servers. A date in the past describes a state, not a shutdown date: the server keeps running, but newly discovered vulnerabilities get no more updates.
The version of a Linux server is shown by the command cat /etc/os-release, and on Proxmox VE additionally by pveversion.
Support dates for operating systems
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-30 | CentOS Linux 7: end of life. | redhat.com (opens in a new window) |
| 2025-08-09 | Debian 13 (trixie) is released. | debian.org (opens in a new window) |
| 2026-08-31 | Debian 11: end of LTS support. After this date the Debian project issues no more security updates. | wiki.debian.org (opens in a new window) |
| 2026-10-13 | Windows Server 2012 R2: last paid security updates (ESU). | learn.microsoft.com (opens in a new window) |
| 2027-01-12 | Windows Server 2016: end of support. | learn.microsoft.com (opens in a new window) |
| 2028-06-30 | Debian 12: end of LTS support. | wiki.debian.org (opens in a new window) |
| 2028-08-09 | Debian 13: end of regular updates. LTS support follows. | debian.org (opens in a new window) |
| 2030-06-30 | Debian 13: end of LTS support. | debian.org (opens in a new window) |
Ubuntu LTS: standard support and Ubuntu Pro (As of 2026-10)
| Version | Released | Standard support until | Ubuntu Pro (ESM) until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | April 2020 | May 2025, ended | May 2030 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | April 2022 | May 2027 | May 2032 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | April 2024 | May 2029 | May 2034 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | April 2026 | May 2031 | May 2036 |
What end of support means for operators
Once support has ended, newly discovered security vulnerabilities in the operating system stay open. What that means for you depends on the system (As of 2026-10):
- Debian 11: LTS support has ended. The target is Debian 12 or 13. Debian supports upgrades only from the previous release: first from 11 to 12, then from 12 to 13 (according to the Debian 13 release notes (opens in a new window)).
- Debian 12: LTS support runs until 30 June 2028. The next upgrade leads to Debian 13.
- Debian 13: The current release receives regular updates until 9 August 2028 and then LTS until 30 June 2030.
- CentOS Linux 7: There are no more updates. We move such servers to Debian, with a rebuild alongside the old server.
- Ubuntu LTS: Standard support ends five years after release. According to the table, Ubuntu Pro extends it by a further five years.
- Proxmox VE 8: For the move to version 9 there is a vendor upgrade guide (opens in a new window).
- Windows Server 2012 R2 and 2016: The dates are listed for operators who move applications from IIS to Linux when they change servers.
The operating system and the application are linked. A distribution usually ships with a particular PHP version, whose dates are on the page PHP versions and end of support.
This is what you should check now:
- Which distribution and version is running, according to
cat /etc/os-release? - When does its support end, according to the timeline or the table?
- Does the application also run on a PHP or database version that is nearing end of support?
- Has the restore of the backups been tested?
- Who installs the updates, and in which maintenance window?
Background on operations, virtualisation and hardening is on the page Linux & DevOps.
How to proceed, depending on your starting point
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We move your Lucee, ColdFusion or PHP application from classic hosting into containers without rewriting it. That lets you rebuild, update and relocate the environment. Security updates for PHP 8.2 end on 31 December 2026 (As of 2026-10).
Sources
The information comes from the following publications of the projects (as of 2026-10):
- Debian Wiki: LTS (opens in a new window) for the end of LTS support for Debian 11 and 12.
- Debian: releases (opens in a new window) for Debian 13, the regular updates and the end of LTS.
- Red Hat: end of CentOS Linux (opens in a new window) for CentOS Linux 7.
- Ubuntu: release cycle (opens in a new window) for standard support and Ubuntu Pro.
- Proxmox VE: upgrade from 8 to 9 (opens in a new window) for the upgrade path.
- Microsoft lifecycle pages for Windows Server 2012 R2 (opens in a new window) and Windows Server 2016 (opens in a new window).
Questions on end of support for Linux servers
Can we keep running Debian 11 or CentOS 7 for now?
Technically yes, the server keeps running. Without security updates, though, every vulnerability that becomes known after support ends stays open, and there will be more of them over time (As of 2026-10).
Until the upgrade you can reduce the risk. Expose only the services that are needed, limit administrator access to a VPN, put a WAF in front of the application and test the backups. That does not remove the risk. In the intro call we will tell you what is acceptable for your server.
Can we go straight from Debian 11 to Debian 13?
Not on the existing system. Debian supports upgrades only from the immediately preceding release, so the path leads from 11 to 12 and then from 12 to 13. The Debian 13 release notes (opens in a new window) say the same (As of 2026-10). We therefore go step by step and test after each step.
The alternative is a rebuild on Debian 13 alongside the old server. It needs more preparation but leaves the old server unchanged as a fallback. It pays off above all when software and configuration have piled up over the years and nobody has a full picture any more.
What should we replace CentOS 7 with?
We migrate CentOS servers to Debian, our main platform. Debian 13 receives security updates with LTS until 30 June 2030 (As of 2026-10). Beforehand we check whether the application depends on software that exists only for Red Hat-based systems.
We build the new server alongside the old one. The old server stays in place as a fallback until you have signed off the result.
How long is the server unavailable during the changeover?
That can only be said after we have looked at your system. We do not promise a changeover without any interruption. We rehearse the procedure beforehand on a copy, carry out the changeover in a maintenance window agreed with you and keep a rollback ready.
With a rebuild, the new server is set up alongside the old one, and the interruption is usually limited to the switch itself. With an upgrade of the existing system, services and the server restart, so an interruption is to be expected.
In 20 minutes we work out which first step fits your system
You tell us the goal and the current state, and we say openly whether and how we can help. Reply within one working day, no obligation.
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