[Edited] Add Ubuntu Pro support to Linux Mint distributions

[MikeNovember]

Hi,

Ubuntu Pro has now been enabled for everybody. Any individual Ubuntu user can subscribe for free to Ubuntu Pro, and receive a token valid for up to 5 computers, for personal use.

I have tried to have Ubuntu Pro working on my computer (running Linux Mint 20.3 Mate). I can attach my computer to Ubuntu Pro, but I cannot enable Ubuntu Pro services: Linux Mint Una 20.3 is not recognized as a valid Ubuntu distribution (though based on Ubuntu 20.4 LTS).

A hack has been proposed by user Pjotr and I have tested it: it allows having Ubuntu Pro works on Linux Mint, but it breaks some Linux Mint programs (mintsources and kernel tool, maybe other).

Finally, I could find a hack that allows having Ubuntu Pro and Linux Mint mintsources working altogether.

(See viewtopic.php?f=60&t=390863 for all the steps and the final hack).

But a hack of some system files, though working, is not a satisfactory way to have Ubuntu Pro works: it is unsupported, it might stop to work after an update, and might break things.

On Ubuntu Pro discourse (see https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-p ... rial/31018) I have asked if Ubuntu intended to port Ubuntu Pro to Ubuntu derivatives.

My question:

Hi,
I am a Linux Mint user and I tried to install Ubuntu Pro on Linux Mint 20.3 (based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS).
Following the tutorial, my computer can be attached to Ubuntu Pro, but no service can be enabled, since “Una” or “20.3” are not recognized as valid Ubuntu codenames.
I had to hack my system, changing some configuration files, to have it recognized as Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, focal.
However, this hack broke some of Linux Mint specific tools (mintsources, kernel tool) and this is not satisfactory.
So, my question is: does Canonical intents to extend Ubuntu Pro to Ubuntu derivatives (see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DerivativeTeam/Derivatives 1) in order to have Ubuntu Pro work on these derivatives without system hacking? (A way to do that would be to have “pro enable” command accept, as an example, “una” “20.3” as equivalent to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa).
This would be a great improvement.
Regards,
MN

And the answer I got from Olivier Grawert (aka ogra):

To offer security updates like pro does it is essential that all packages come unmodified from the same archive.

Official Ubuntu flavors are doing all their work inside the Ubuntu archive, sharing the same packages, while derivatives like Mint add modifications to core packages via third-party repositories.

There is no way to properly support such a setup for Canonical, Mint would have to provide this to you, since they are the only ones having control over the hacked/changed packages and conceptual differences they did implement.

What are Ubuntu Pro advantages?
They are explained here https://ubuntu.com/pro.
In summary the main advantages are:
* maintenance duration 10 years with Ubuntu Pro instead of 5 years with Ubuntu,
* 2300 packages from main Ubuntu repository + 23000 packages from Universe are maintained with Ubuntu Pro instead of 2300 packages from main Ubuntu repository with Ubuntu,
* Live kernel patch, allowing to update kernel without interrupting a session,
* CVE fix after one day with Ubuntu Pro, instead of up to 98 days with Ubuntu.

What are the Ubuntu versions covered by Ubuntu Pro?
Today Ubuntu Pro is available for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, 18.04 LTS, 20.04 LTS and 22.04 LTS. This corresponds to Linux Mint versions 18.x, 19.x, 20.x and 21.x.

Ubuntu Pro would be interesting for all Linux Mint distributions, not only for no longer maintained one (18.x) and close to end of life one (19.x), since it offers great security improvements to all covered distributions.

So, my suggestion is to add an official support of Ubuntu Pro to Linux Mint distributions.
(Note that, without this Ubuntu Pro support, Linux Mint attractiveness against Ubuntu would probably decrease).

Regards,

MN

[Pjotr]

It would be nice if the Mint apps that currently break because of the hacks needed to implement Ubuntu Pro, would be modified to keep working.

However, the Ubuntu Pro life extension does not and cannot cover security updates for the Mint-only packages. So this UP life extension is just an emergency measure for some Mint users who cannot upgrade to a newer Mint (32-bit hardware?), and definitely not ideal. Ideal and optimal is: when your Mint officially reaches end-of-life, simply upgrade to a newer Mint that's still supported.

You do run risks when you continue to use Mint-only packages that get no more security updates, even though those risks may not be very big in real life. So this will undoubtedly make the Mint devs hesitant to comply with your request....

[MikeNovember]

It would be nice if the Mint apps that currently break because of the hacks needed to implement Ubuntu Pro, would be modified to keep working.

However, the Ubuntu Pro life extension does not and cannot cover security updates for the Mint-only packages. So this UP life extension is just an emergency measure for some Mint users, and definitely not ideal. Ideal is: when your Mint officially reaches end-of-life, upgrade to a newer Mint that's still supported.

You do run risks when you continue to use Mint-only packages that get no more security updates, even though those risks may not be very big in real life. So this will undoubtedly make the Mint devs hesitant to comply with your request....

Hi,

I understand your concern. However, the risks you run when using Mint-only unmaintained packages may be very low:
- kernel, system commands and applications, Universe applications are provided by Ubuntu and maintained for security,
- several Mint-only packages can be replaced by others (viewers, players...), still maintained (using flatpak or snap, or manually downloading them from their internet websites),
- "system" Mint-only packages (mintsources, Update Manager...) are connecting to internet but only to trusted sources.

And, for still maintained distributions (Linux Mint 20.x and 21.x), there is no supplemental risk.

Regards,

MN

[Pjotr]

for still maintained distributions (Linux Mint 20.x and 21.x), there is no supplemental risk.

Well, actually there is.... Namely the risk that Mint users who might easily have upgraded to an officially supported newer Mint, continue to use their old Mint long after security updates for the Mint-only packages have ceased.

In other words: people who don't use it as an emergency measure, but simply because they think it's convenient to do so. That's probably not what you want, as developers of a distribution: it can put people needlessly at risk and cause other issues of its own. Which might damage the reputation of Linux Mint.

I don't want to appear to be nagging and whining about this, but I think it's important to keep this emergency measure reserved for emergency situations.