Dropping support for Windows Server 2003 machines

Octopus Deploy has announced that it will cease support for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 in its 2024.1 release due to the increasing costs and complexities associated with maintaining outdated systems. This decision, driven by telemetry data and customer interactions, aligns with Microsoft's cessation of support for the two-decade-old OS in 2015. Octopus Deploy plans to phase out support in two stages, initially generating warnings for users of Windows Server 2003, followed by a full deprecation that will render deployments on this platform likely to fail due to incompatibility with updated .NET frameworks. Customers are encouraged to upgrade to supported operating systems or explore alternative options, such as using older Octopus Server versions or raw scripting, albeit with limited capabilities. The decision also reflects Octopus's effort to streamline its codebase and avoid practices that could compromise security and efficiency for its broader customer base. Additionally, the 2024.1 release will see the deprecation of Mono support, affecting Linux users who rely on this feature.