backports
also: backport repositories, stable backports
Backports are newer software packages or security patches adapted and repackaged to work on older, stable Linux distributions without requiring a full system upgrade.
Backports allow users of stable, long-term support distributions like Debian or Ubuntu to receive newer versions of applications or critical security updates without upgrading to a newer OS release. The original package from a newer distribution version is modified to be compatible with the older system's libraries and dependencies.
For example, a user on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS might want a newer version of firefox or git that's available in Ubuntu 22.04, but without upgrading their entire system. They can enable the focal-backports repository and install the backported package.
Backports are particularly valuable for security patches and bug fixes where updating the entire OS is impractical. Most major distributions maintain official backports repositories, though third-party backports (like PPAs on Ubuntu) also exist and should be used with caution.