If you install Debian Stable on the day it comes out, Debian promises[1] to keep issuing security updates until one year after the next stable release, whenever

If you install Debian Stable on the day it comes out, Debian promises[1] to keep issuing security updates until one year after the next stable release, whenever that might be. Usually they're about two years apart, although that varies unpredictably. By contrast, Ubuntu promises[2] that LTS releases will happen exactly every two years, and be supported for three more years after the next LTS comes out. That's an extra two years of breathing room to organise migrations and refresh production machines, which can be pretty important in a large enterprise. [1]: http://www.debian.org/security/faq#lifespan http://www.debian.org/security/faq#lifespan [2]: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LTS https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LTS