Ubuntu Pro is now part of the AWS EC2 console

We are happy to announce that Ubuntu Pro is now available as a native product on AWS. You can now enjoy premium enhanced security coverage for your Ubuntu machines by launching Ubuntu Pro instances from the EC2 console with no additional requirements, subscriptions or long term commitments.

Why is this good?

Ubuntu Pro features now easier

Running your Ubuntu machines with expanded security maintenance, kernel live patch and hardening scripts out of the box are a few of the many benefits that users will have access to when launching new Ubuntu Pro machines on EC2, as Ubuntu Pro enables all these features by default.

Shorter time to market

Automation gets even easier since you don’t need to manually subscribe to an AWS Marketplace product before launching. Customers who prefer the Web console can also find and deploy Ubuntu Pro machines faster.

No subscriptions needed 

With Ubuntu Pro on the EC2 console, customers can deploy, use and shutdown instances paying only for the actual use, with no long term subscriptions or commitments.

Simplified cost calculation

Easily calculate your total cost of ownership by using the AWS Pricing calculator since the cost of Ubuntu Pro is now embedded in the EC2 cost of an Ubuntu Pro AMI and benefit from significant cost savings by using savings plans on AWS.

How to get it?

1. Using the EC2 quick start menu:

2. Using the AWS Marketplace

Open AWS Marketplace and search for Ubuntu Pro (EC2 AMI) listings. At the moment of writing this post, Ubuntu Pro is still available from the original listings (to ensure continuity as a legacy product) and now as an EC2 product, which doesn’t require any subscription to use it.

3. Using AWS CLI tool or SSM Parameter store

Using AWS CLI* :

aws ec2 describe-images --output text --owner 099720109477 --filters "Name=name,Values=ubuntu-pro-server/images/hvm-ssd/ubuntu-*22.04-amd64*" --query 'sort_by(Images, &CreationDate)[-1].{Name: Name, ImageId: ImageId, CreationDate: CreationDate}'

Using SSM Parameter store*

aws ssm get-parameters --names /aws/service/canonical/ubuntu/pro-server/22.04/stable/current/amd64/hvm/ebs-gp2/ami-id

* you can change 22.04 for the Ubuntu version of the release you are looking for (e.g. 18.04, 20.04) 

Still new to Ubuntu Pro?

Ubuntu Pro extends Ubuntu Server with a number of valuable additional services, including the following. It remains fully-compatible with your existing Ubuntu workloads.

Expanded security maintenance (ESM)

Expand the operating system’s support up to 10 years from its release date and gain security coverage for more than 23,000 3rd party open source software available on Ubuntu’s Universe repository, which normally are covered by ‘best effort’ and the community.

Ubuntu Kernel Livepatch service

Livepatch eliminates the need for unplanned maintenance windows for high and critical severity kernel vulnerabilities by patching the Linux kernel while the system runs.

Ubuntu Security Guide

Ubuntu Security Guide (USG) is a new tool available with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS that greatly improves the usability of hardening and auditing, and allows for environment-specific customizations such as CIS benchmark or DISA-STIGs.

FIPS

Reduce your FedRAMP accreditation timeline and pass on your validation costs with the FIPS 140 certified cryptographic packages of Ubuntu Pro.

> Learn more at https://ubuntu.com/pro 

I am already running Ubuntu Pro, do I need to do anything?

The AWS Marketplace listings will remain available for transition to the new EC2 listings, so you can continue working without affecting your pipelines or running instances.

However, we suggest you migrate to the new EC2 Pro offerings for future deployments.Visit our Ubuntu Pro onboarding page to learn more.