We are happy to officially support Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) in RunCloud.
You are able to connect Ubuntu 20.04 LTS to RunCloud through IP Address installation.
What is Ubuntu LTS
Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support) versions are released every 2 years and are guaranteed to receive support for at least 5 years after release.
LTS releases are the ‘enterprise grade’ releases of Ubuntu and are utilised the most. An estimated 95% of all Ubuntu installations are LTS releases.
The previous LTS version, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, will stop receiving updates after April 2023. Ubuntu 18.04 LTS will receive security fixes and critical updates until April 2028.
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, codenamed Focal Fossa, is the latest Long Term Support release and was released on 23 April 2020, and will get maintenance updates for 5 years, until April of 2025.
What’s New In Ubuntu 20.04 LTS For RunCloud?
Generally, an Ubuntu LTS contains only a few major changes for a server.
You can refer to the Ubuntu 20.04 LTS release notes for new features.
Linux Kernel 5.4
Ubuntu 20.04 TLS is based on the long-term supported Linux kernel 5.4.
Notable features and enhancements in linux kernel 5.4 are:
- Since kernel 5.3, it supports new hardware including Intel Comet Lake CPUs and initial Tiger Lake platforms, AMD Navi 12 and 14 GPUs, Arcturus and Renoir APUs along with Navi 12 + Arcturus power features.
- Since kernel 4.15, it supports AMD Rome CPUs, Radeon RX Vega M and Navi GPUs, Intel Cannon Lake platforms.
- Boot speed improvements through changing the default kernel compression algorithm to lz4 (in Ubuntu 19.10) on most architectures, and changing the default initramfs compression algorithm to lz4 on all architectures.
Supported PHP Versions
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on the RunCloud servers only supports PHP 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4 when this article is published.
If you still want to use PHP 7.0 or 7.1, please use Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver).
Ubuntu 16.04 vs 18.04 vs 20.04 Comparison
Starting from today, RunCloud officially supports Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
You can find a comparison between these OS in the RunCloud servers.
| OS | Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | Ubuntu 20.04 LTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code Name | Xenial Xerus | Bionic Beaver | Focal Fossa |
| Released Date | 2016-04-21 | 2018-04-26 | 2020-04-23 |
| Available PHP Version | 7.4 7.3 7.2 7.1 7.0 5.6 5.5 | 7.4 7.3 7.2 7.1 7.0 | 7.4 7.3 7.2 |
| Initial Kernel Version | 4.4 | 4.15 | 5.4 |
| Standard support until | 2021-04 | 2023-04 | 2025-04 |
| Extended Security Maintenance Until | 2024-04 | 2028-04 | 2030-04 |
Upgrade From Ubuntu 16.04/18.04 to 20.04???
Do you need to upgrade from Ubuntu 16.04/18.04 LTS to Ubuntu 20.04?
Short answer, NO!
We do not recommend upgrading Ubuntu to a new major release at all.
Upgrading to a major release could break all of your website on that server, it will also remove RunCloud agent, and it makes your server no longer connected to RunCloud anymore.
If you have a RunCloud server with Ubuntu 16.04 or 18.04, please stay with this OS version, do not upgrade it to Ubuntu 20.04.
RunCloud provides your Ubuntu 16.04 or 18.04 servers with the latest Ubuntu security updates, and takes care of this automatically for you, so you do not have to worry about anything.
If you want to try to use Ubuntu 20.04 LTS for your current web application, please connect a fresh Ubuntu 20.04 server to RunCloud and use our Clone Web App feature to clone your web app to your new Ubuntu 20.04 server.
Connect Ubuntu 20.04 Server To RunCloud
RunCloud provides three different methods to connect your server to RunCloud.
- Direct Server Provisioning using server provider API
- Direct Server Installation via IP Address and root password
- Manual Server Installation via IP Address
For Ubuntu 20.04, currently, we support Direct Server Installation and Manual Server Installation via IP Address installation.
Direct Server Provisioning for each supported Server Provider will be available soon.
Direct Server Installation via IP Address and root password
Using the direct server installation method, you only need to create a server with fresh Ubuntu 20.04 install, input your server IP address and root password, then sit back and relax, our direct server installation will setup your server in minutes.
Manual Server Installation via IP Address
Using the manual server installation method, you only need to create a server with fresh Ubuntu 20.04 install, login to your server console as root user, run RunCloud installation script, then sit back and relax, our manual server installation will setup your server in minutes.
Summary
At RunCloud, we are all about making your dev life easier, delivering a fast service, and ensuring your server is managed properly.
With Ubuntu 20.04 LTS support, you are able to connect Ubuntu 20.04 LTS to RunCloud through IP Address installation.
All RunCloud users (Free, Basic, Pro, Business) can enjoy the full functionality of this feature.
This feature has been a requested feature that we knew would be useful to you. Never ever hesitate to suggest new features that you want to see, and we will make it happen.
