Endless OS does not currently offer an LTS release, and instead encourages online users to stay up-to-date for the latest features, fixes, and improvements.
Long-term support (LTS) releases of software have fewer changes and a longer support period than typical releases. Endless OS does not currently offer an LTS release, and instead encourages online users to stay up-to-date for the latest features, fixes, and improvements. Offline users will of course remain on whichever version they installed unless or until they connect to the Internet and perform updates.
By default, new installations of Endless OS and systems upgraded from older versions of Endless OS automatically update to the latest version of Endless OS as they are released.
Endless OS 4 was considered an LTS release of Endless OS. This was primarily intended for partners who needed to support a large number of Endless OS users themselves, and preferred slower-moving baseline on which to develop their own documentation, end-user training, and tools.
Systems were required to be specifically configured to remain on Endless OS 4, as documented below.
Long-term support for Endless OS 4 has ended; existing installs will not automatically upgrade to Endless OS 5 or newer, but no new updates are planned for Endless OS 4 series.
We planned to support Endless OS 4 for approximately 2–3 years after its release in November, 2021. Support was discontinued on February 29, 2024.
Endless OS 4 was based on Debian Bullseye. The following stable version of Debian, codenamed Bookworm, was released February 10, 2024.
Endless may release a new LTS version in the future if the need arises and aligns with our partners' requirements and our mission.
We offerred technical support for Endless OS 4 throughout its lifetime via our dedicated partner support channels and best-effort assistance on the Community Forums, without requesting or requiring the end user to update to any newer major version of Endless OS as part of the support process.
Only Endless OS itself—meaning the desktop and built-in apps and utilities like App Center, Files, and Help—were covered by this long-term support policy. A complete list of built-in apps could be be provided on request.
Most apps on Endless OS, including Kolibri and all web browsers, are provided using Flatpak. These apps, which can be installed and removed through the App Center, will receive updates with new functionality and user interface changes, even on Endless OS 4 systems. Automatic app updates can be disabled, if desired, in the App Center. Specific Flatpak apps can be pinned to the currently-installed version using the flatpak mask command; consult the flatpak-mask(1) documentation for further details.
According to demand from our partners and users, we occasionally released new versions in the Endless OS 4 series (4.0.1, 4.0.2, etc) for the following types of changes:
If an Endless OS 4 update included new functionality to support specific deployment needs, we strove to ensure this functionality was additive and implemented in a way that had only a minor visible impact, if any, on the user interface for other users.
In this way, existing documentation and training materials for the OS remained valid throughout the lifetime of Endless OS 4.
We encourage all users of the long-term support branch to install such updates as they become available.
We do not currently publish any prebuilt, generic images that will install and remain on an LTS release. For existing Endless OS 4 deployments:
Most deployments of the long-term support branch of Endless OS 4 used installation images supplied by Endless OS Foundation, preconfigured to use the LTS branch.
Custom images may also be built with the open-source Endless OS Image Builder. When building a custom image of Endless OS 4, use the following configuration to configure the image to use (and remain on) the Endless OS 4 LTS branch:
[ostree]
stable_branch = eos4
On an already-installed system currently running Endless OS 4, run the following commands in a Terminal window:
sudo systemctl mask --runtime eos-updater
sudo ostree admin switch eos:os/eos/amd64/eos4
Then restart the computer.
This command is only supported on a system which is already running Endless OS 4. Downgrades from Endless OS 5 are not supported.
To allow an already-installed system which is tracking Endless OS 4 to upgrade to Endless OS 5 and beyond, run the following commands in a Terminal window:
sudo systemctl mask --runtime eos-updater
sudo ostree admin switch eos:os/eos/amd64/latest1
Then, restart the computer. You will subsequently be offered an upgrade to Endless OS 5.