Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

This offer provides the official, ready-to-deploy Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver) image from Canonical, directly from the Azure Marketplace. As a Long-Term Support (LTS) release, Ubuntu 18.04 is engineered for production environments that demand unwavering stability, comprehensive security, and a predictable lifecycle. This image is fully optimized for the Microsoft Azure cloud, ensuring seamless integration, high performance, and simplified management for a vast array of workloads. Ubuntu 18.04 LTS is the trusted choice for developers, IT professionals, and enterprises seeking a robust, open-source platform. Its extended support horizon makes it perfect for building foundational infrastructure, migrating legacy applications, or deploying new cloud-native solutions with confidence. **Key Features & Benefits:** * **Long-Term Support (LTS) with Extended Security Maintenance (ESM):** Benefit from 5 years of standard security maintenance and critical updates, with optional ESM providing an additional 5 years of security patches for the base OS, ensuring compliance and protection for long-lived deployments. * **Azure-Optimized & Integrated:** The image includes the latest Microsoft Azure Linux Agent (waagent) and cloud-init, enabling fast provisioning, streamlined VM extensions management, and automated initial configuration for a frictionless Azure experience. * **Enhanced Performance & Hardware Enablement:** Features a newer kernel stack and updated hardware support from later Ubuntu releases, offering improved performance, stability, and compatibility with Azure's latest generation of virtual hardware. * **Robust Security Foundation:** Built with AppArmor, secure boot support, and automatic security updates. Its predictable release cycle allows for thorough security auditing and controlled patch management. * **Vast Ecosystem & Developer-Friendly:** Access to Ubuntu's massive repository of thousands of open-source application packages. Native support for leading development tools, languages (Python, Java, .NET, Node.js, Go), and container runtimes (Docker, containerd) makes it an ideal developer workstation or application server. * **Foundation for Modern Workloads:** A proven platform for deploying web servers (NGINX, Apache), databases, CI/CD pipelines, Kubernetes clusters (via MicroK8s or kubeadm), and containerized applications. Serves as a consistent base from development to production. * **Cost-Effective & Predictable:** As a free, open-source operating system with no licensing fees, it significantly reduces infrastructure costs. The LTS model provides long-term predictability for planning and budgeting. * **Backed by Canonical & Microsoft:** Receive professional support, documentation, and Azure technical support for a fully integrated and supported solution from two industry leaders. **Ideal Use Cases:** * Migrating existing Ubuntu 18.04 workloads to Azure. * Hosting stable web applications and APIs. * Building development, testing, and staging environments. * Deploying container hosts and orchestrating with Kubernetes. * Running database servers (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis). * Implementing infrastructure automation and DevOps toolchains. Deploy Ubuntu 18.04 LTS on Azure for a secure, supported, and high-performance foundation that powers innovation from the cloud to the edge.