Hi guys,
should i update my Ubuntu 10.04 to Ubuntu 11.10?
Is it more secure, should i wait, what do you think?

Stay on 10.4. It is a long term supported release, meaning that the server version will be provided with updates and fixes for 5 years, or until 2015. 11.10 will only be supported until early 2013, and then you will have to upgrade again.

Plus, it is easier to upgrade from one LTS to the next. So if you stick on 10.4, when the next LTS is released (12.4), it will be easy to upgrade.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LTS

I made the mistake up upgrading to 9 a while back and didn't realize it would stop being supported so quickly.

That doesn't necessarily matter if the OP is the sort of person who will be upgrading again in 6 months anyway.


Is it easier in any way other than that you do it less frequently?

Thanks for the thoughts guys.

10.04 should be just as secure as 11.10. Some applications may be missing features that are available with a new version in 11.10. If you don't need the missing features, there is no real reason to update.

Ubuntu 10.04 is an LTS (Long Term Support) release, and as such the server version (read: the server-oriented packages, which is what you care about at Linode even if Linode doesn't use the server version) is supported until April 2015.

"support" means they will continue to backport security fixes for the server-oriented packages until then. Desktop support ends in April 2013 (a year after the next LTS release, 12.04, is out), so in either case, anything you care about will be supported for quite some time after the next LTS release.

For production servers, I'd suggest sticking to LTS releases and upgrading to the next LTS release six months later after each one (upgrade to 12.04 when 12.10 comes out, for example); this ensures that you're not changing stuff often, you're giving them some time to work out the kinks in the new LTS release, and you still have plenty of time to delay the upgrade if needed.