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.NET Core Supported OS Lifecycle Policy
.NET Core is supported by Microsoft on a range of operating systems.
Each supported operating system has a lifecycle defined by its sponsor organization (for example, Microsoft, Red Hat, or Apple). The .NET Core team applies each of those lifecycle schedules to inform adding and removing support for operating system versions.
The following support documents list currently supported operating system versions for supported .NET Core versions:
- .NET 5 supported OS versions
- .NET Core 3.1 supported OS versions
- .NET Core 2.1 supported OS versions
Out-of-Support .NET Core versions
When an operating system version goes out of support, we stop testing that version and providing support for that version. This means that users will need to move forward to a supported operating system version to get support. Previously released packages will remain available for users needing access.
The following support documents list historical operating system support for out-of-support .NET Core versions:
- .NET Core 3.0 supported OS versions
- .NET Core 2.2 supported OS versions
- .NET Core 2.0 supported OS versions
- .NET Core 1.x supported OS versions
Change Process
Operating system versions are added and go out of support on a regular basis. We record these changes in two places:
- The support documents listed above
- Monthly Update Announcements
When a new operating system version is made available, we will typically support it on a subset of supported .NET Core versions, potentially only with the latest .NET Core version.
Exceptions to the supported platform policy
Occasionally, we may not adhere to a strict interpretation of the policy for supported OS platforms. Instead, we may choose to offer support on an OS platform that is out of support. Or we may choose to exclude a supported platform for specific reasons.
One example is Windows 7 SP1. Windows 7 SP1 is out of support, but enterprise customers can buy Extended Security Updates, and many do. Given the widespread use of Windows 7 in the .NET ecosystem we chose to include Windows 7 SP1 (with Extended Security Updates installed) as a supported platform for .NET 5.0. Another example is Windows Server 2012. Windows Server 2012 is currently in support but not included in the supported platform list for .NET 5.0 because a newer version is available in the Server 2012 family - Server 2012 R2.
When there is a conflict between our general policy for supported platforms and the specific supported platforms documented for a given release of .NET the supported platform list for the specific version of .NET will supersede the general policy.