How to activate Ubuntu Pro on an LTS version step by step

If you use Ubuntu daily, whether on your personal computer or in work environments, you're surely concerned that the system is well protected , up-to-date, and has long-term support . That's precisely where Ubuntu Pro comes in, the extra layer of security and maintenance that Canonical has built on top of the LTS versions of its flagship distribution.

The problem is that, although Ubuntu Pro promises many advantages, the activation process can be a bit confusing the first time you see it : messages like "Ubuntu Pro is not available for this version," questions about the infamous registration code, configuration from the desktop, from the terminal, or even in virtual machines on Google Cloud . Let's look at everything calmly and step by step, without skipping any important details.

What exactly is Ubuntu Pro and why does it only work on LTS versions?

Ubuntu Pro is, in short, an advanced support and security subscription that Canonical offers on top of what the standard Ubuntu versions already include. It's not a separate edition of the system, but rather a kind of "Pro mode" that is activated on top of an existing installation, provided it's compatible.

This plan is designed for both home users and businesses that require extended maintenance, more frequent security patches, and guaranteed compliance for many years. It's similar to what other enterprise distributions offer, but integrated into the Ubuntu ecosystem and highly focused on desktop and production servers.

The key is that Ubuntu Pro can only be enabled on LTS (Long Term Support) versions , which are the extended support editions that Canonical releases every two years. If you try to activate it on a non-LTS version, or on a future LTS version that isn't yet supported, you'll see messages like "Ubuntu Pro is not available for this version" or "Ubuntu Pro requires an LTS version."

Currently, Ubuntu Pro provides extended support for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, 18.04 LTS, 20.04 LTS, 22.04 LTS, and 24.04 LTS , and the plan is to incorporate newer LTS versions as they mature. In other words, if you're using an intermediate (non-LTS) or very old version without support, you'll need to upgrade if you want to benefit from the Pro plan.

Key advantages of Ubuntu Pro over a "normal" Ubuntu LTS

The great thing about Ubuntu Pro is that it takes an Ubuntu LTS and turns it into a system with up to 10 years of security coverage , extending both the support period and the number of supported packages. For many users, this means being able to maintain the same installation for a decade without having to upgrade to newer versions every few years.

The Pro subscription expands upon the well-known ESM (Extended Security Maintenance), which provides security updates for thousands of additional packages beyond the main repository. The system already includes around 2300 applications with guaranteed patches, but Ubuntu Pro can cover more than 25,000 packages from the Ubuntu repositories, which is vital if you use a lot of multiverse or other software.

Another very attractive feature is the hot kernel patch (Canonical Livepatch) , which allows critical kernel updates to be applied without needing to restart the computer. This is essential on servers and also very convenient on desktops, because you don't have to keep restarting every few minutes just to install a security patch.

In addition to the purely technical aspects, Ubuntu Pro comes with options designed to comply with regulations and audits , something that is of particular interest to companies: enhanced security tools, CIS (Center for Internet Security) Audit, FIPS options and FIPS-updates (packages certified under NIST standards) and management and logging utilities that make it easier to justify the state of the system to third parties.

Finally, and importantly, Ubuntu Pro extends the standard support period of an LTS release from the usual five years to a 10-year lifecycle (5 years of regular support + an additional 5 years with ESM and the other services included in the plan). This is very useful in environments where updating critical systems is a hassle and where spacing out updates is crucial.

How much does Ubuntu Pro cost and what are the free usage limits?

One of the things that has made Ubuntu Pro so appealing is that for home users, the subscription is completely free for up to five machines . That means you can activate the plan on your laptop, your desktop computer, and a couple of home servers without paying a single euro.

For organizations, companies, or individuals managing more than five installations , a paid subscription model, designed for professional environments, comes into play. Canonical offers different levels of support and pricing depending on the type of machine (server, desktop, cloud) and the size of the deployment, similar to other enterprise Linux support providers.

An important detail is that Ubuntu Pro is part of the Ubuntu Advantage umbrella , Canonical's suite of corporate support services. However, you can subscribe to Ubuntu Pro independently without purchasing the full package, which greatly simplifies the process for smaller users.

It's important to remember that, although the system has been running for some time, Canonical has been marking Ubuntu Pro as "beta" for some of its components , especially regarding the full scope of ESM across all packages and certain advanced tools. This doesn't mean the service is unstable, but it does mean it's still under development.

Changes in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS: from “Software & Updates” to the Security Center

In the most recent LTS versions, Canonical has changed how Ubuntu Pro is configured from the graphical environment . In Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, the classic "Software & Updates" utility has been removed from the default installation, which was where the specific Ubuntu Pro tab used to appear.

Instead, the system now includes a "Security Center" from which you can manage options related to extended support, ESM, Livepatch, and the rest of the Pro services. In other words, if you're coming from previous versions and looking for the old "Software & Updates / Ubuntu Pro" window, you'll now have to open the new security panel to do the same thing.

In parallel, Canonical has changed the initial flow after installation. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS adds a specific step to enable Ubuntu Pro in the Welcome tool , which opens the first time you log in. This tool corresponds to the gnome-initial-setup package, modified by Ubuntu to integrate its own screens.

The idea is that this wizard lets you choose whether to activate Ubuntu Pro immediately after installing the system or skip this step. The interface displays two clear buttons: one to enable the subscription and another to "Skip for now," reminding you that you can always return to it later from the Desktop Security Center.

Something similar happens in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, with the difference that, for some users, the Security Center is installed as a Snap application from the Snap Store. In these cases, if you don't see it in the menu, simply install it from the application store and you'll have the updated Ubuntu Pro settings interface at your fingertips.

Message “Ubuntu Pro is not available for this version”: causes and solution

It's quite common that, after downloading an ISO from the official website and wanting to use Ubuntu Pro, you'll see a message saying "Ubuntu Pro is not available for this version of Ubuntu" or that it's expressly required to be an LTS edition. This causes a lot of confusion, especially if you've just installed the system and assume it's a supported version.

The main reason you're seeing that message is that you're using a version that isn't an LTS release or isn't yet included in the Ubuntu Pro list . While larger numbers might be misleading (for example, betas or future LTS releases), the subscription system won't activate until Canonical officially marks that version as compatible.

It's also possible that you're using a particular Ubuntu flavor or edition, or that the ISO you downloaded doesn't include the standard support intended for Pro . In these cases, it's best to check from the terminal which exact version you have installed (for example, with `lsb_release -a`) and consult the official Ubuntu Pro documentation to see if it's listed.

If you encounter the above issue and are using an unsupported edition, the solution is simply to install or upgrade to a supported LTS version . Once you have Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, or the current LTS version accepted by Pro, the incompatibility message will disappear, and you can proceed with the normal registration process.

In many forums, you see people who have created their Ubuntu One account, read all the information in English, translated it, but it's still unclear how to obtain the Ubuntu Pro code . Usually, the root of the problem lies precisely in this: either the version isn't LTS, or the correct wizard wasn't used to link the system to the account.

How to create an Ubuntu One account and get your Ubuntu Pro code

To activate Ubuntu Pro, the first thing you need is an Ubuntu One account , which is Canonical's unified identity system. You use this account to authenticate on the Ubuntu website and associated services (Ubuntu Pro, Livepatch, etc.).

If you don't already have one, the Ubuntu Pro desktop wizard will take you to your browser to create one. The process is simple: email address, password, and confirmation . Once completed, you can log in to the Ubuntu Pro website, where you'll see your subscriptions and registered machines.

In the new Ubuntu 26.04 LTS workflow, when you select "Enable Ubuntu Pro" in the Welcome tool, the system displays an "attach" or linking code . This code is copied and pasted onto the corresponding website (ubuntu.com/pro/attach) after you have logged in with your Ubuntu One account.

The wizard includes a direct link to that URL so you don't have to type it manually into your browser. After pasting the code, the website recognizes your computer and automatically associates it with your Ubuntu Pro subscription . From there, the desktop system takes care of completing the registration and enabling the available services.

In some corporate environments, instead of using the code generated on the machine, organizational tokens provided by the administrator or account manager are used. In these cases, the wizard provides a field to manually enter this token, so that the machine is assigned to the company account and not a personal account.

Managing Ubuntu Pro from the Desktop Security Center

Once you've linked the system to your Ubuntu One account and your Pro subscription, the Ubuntu Security Center is where you'll manage almost everything . From this panel, you can see at a glance which services are enabled, which are available, and their current status.

In the Ubuntu Pro section, you'll find options to manage Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) , both for system infrastructure and applications . This is where long-term support is enabled for the more than 2300 packages in the main repository, and where the expansion to that goal of 25,000 supported packages is unlocked.

The Security Center also groups the kernel's real-time patching settings , so you can enable or disable Livepatch as needed. Enabling it will cause the system to download and apply kernel security patches without requiring an immediate restart, reducing downtime and preventing annoying interruptions.

In addition, the panel integrates the configuration of other compliance and audit-related components, such as CIS (Center for Internet Security) tools , FIPS and FIPS updates options, and additional system scanning and hardening services. All of this is presented with a cleaner design than the old "Software & Updates" window.

In terms of user experience, Canonical has tried to make the interface less cluttered and dedicate more space to explaining each option , so it's not so intimidating for first-time users. Even so, some users complain that the process could be better guided and accompanied by more context about what Ubuntu One is and what rights are granted with Pro.

Activate Ubuntu Pro from the command line

Beyond the graphical interface, Canonical maintains the ability to activate Ubuntu Pro via commands , which is especially useful on servers, desktop-less environments, or scripted automations. In fact, for quite some time this was the primary method for configuring a machine to use the Pro service.

The mechanism revolves around Ubuntu's subscription tool, which allows users to log in, attach the machine to an account, and check the status of services . While the exact syntax may change over time, the general logic remains the same: a token or code is obtained, the registration command is executed, and then the services are allowed to enter the "enabled" state.

Once the system has successfully joined the subscription, it's common practice to use the appropriate command to check the status of ESM, Livepatch, and other services. In cloud environments, for example, the `ua status` command or equivalent commands are used to verify that authorization and activation have been completed without errors.

This console-based approach is not as user-friendly as the Welcome Tool or the Security Center, but it is still highly valued by administrators and advanced users who prefer to have full control from the terminal or who work on machines without a graphical environment.

Using Ubuntu Pro on Google Cloud: changing the disk license

In the case of Google Cloud Platform, integration with Ubuntu Pro isn't limited to simply activating a service on the machine; it also involves modifying the license associated with the instance's boot disk . To do this correctly, Google establishes a series of very specific steps and permissions.

The first step is to ensure your account or role has permissions such as compute.disks.update on the boot disk. Without this authorization, you won't be able to upgrade your regular Ubuntu license to Ubuntu Pro. Google also recommends using reservations to ensure the VM's availability while it's stopped.

The standard procedure involves stopping the virtual machine with the command `gcloud compute instances stop`, obtaining a list of disks associated with that VM with `gcloud compute instances describe`, and verifying that you are working on the correct disk . The output will show the fields for `autoDelete`, `boot`, `deviceName`, and, most importantly for our purposes, the `licenses` section.

Once the boot disk name has been identified using `gcloud compute disks list`, proceed to run `gcloud compute disks update` with the `--replace-license` parameter , specifying both the old and new Ubuntu Pro licenses. For each compatible LTS version, Google maintains a different license URI, for example: `ubuntu-pro-1604-lts`, `ubuntu-pro-1804-lts`, `ubuntu-pro-2004-lts`, `ubuntu-pro-2204-lts`, or `ubuntu-pro-2404-lts`.

After updating the disk, it's a good idea to verify that the operation was successful by running `gcloud compute disks describe` on the same disk and checking the `licenses` field. The new Ubuntu Pro license URI should appear alongside the original Ubuntu license. If the expected string is not present, you may need to delete and re-update the licenses using the same command.

When everything is in order, restart the VM with `gcloud compute instances start` (adding the path to the encryption key file if the disk is encrypted). Once running, verify from within that the ESM is authorized and enabled. To do this, Google recommends using `gcloud compute ssh` with a command like `sudo ua status --wait` and checking that the `esm-apps`, `esm-infra`, and other relevant services are listed as "enabled" or "entitled" as appropriate.

If you ever need to review the license change history, you can use the Google Cloud Log Explorer and filter for activity events of type compute.disks.update, restricting them to the project and resources of type gce_disk. This will show you when and how disk licenses were modified, which is very useful in audited environments.

In short, Google Cloud Ubuntu Pro is managed both from within the VM and from the GCP infrastructure layer, and it is important to follow the steps to the letter so that the Pro license is actually associated with the correct resource.

With all of the above in mind, it's easier to understand why Ubuntu Pro raises so many questions: it combines security enhancements, very long-term support, desktop integration, cloud tools, and a sign-up process that, while improved, still has its complexities. Even so, for those looking to keep their Ubuntu LTS secure and stable for years, this plan has become a very powerful option, especially considering that personal use on up to five computers is free and that Canonical's ecosystem of tools has continued to grow around it.