extending desktop LTS to 5 years

[Allison Randal]

Hi all,

For Precise Pangolin, Canonical is planning to invest resources in
support and maintenance to increase the Ubuntu desktop LTS length from 3
years to 5 years (bringing it up to the same length as the server LTS),
and to offer additional updates for new hardware through the standard
SRUs and point releases in the first two years of the LTS. We've been
consulting with the Tech Board, members of the Release Team, and flavors
to make sure that this will be a beneficial contribution to the
community, and won't cause any unintended additional work.

Kate and I are scheduling a session at UDS about LTS planning, and we
can talk there around practical details. For example, flavors that have
taken the LTS designation in the past can choose now whether to use the
added support and maintenance to extend their own support cycles or
stick with 3 years. So, we'll talk through the ups and downs of each.
Happy to add other items to the agenda for the session, let us know.

Thanks,
Allison