What is a LTS kernel?

A regular stable kernel release is usually supported for two and a half months to three months, depending on the release of the next stable kernel release. There are LTS (long term support) kernel versions as well and they are supported for a much longer period than just 3 months.

What is the stable version of Linux kernel?

we see that 4.15 is the latest stable kernel — but then in the table below, 4.14.

What is the latest LTS kernel?

5.15
LTS for v5. Version 5.15 is the last version of this year to receive Long Term Support (LTS). The Linux kernel version will be supported until the end of October 2023. At that time, it reaches its end-of-life status.

Why is long term support important?

Long-term support extends the period of software maintenance; it also alters the type and frequency of software updates (patches) to reduce the risk, expense, and disruption of software deployment, while promoting the dependability of the software.

Is Linux kernel 2.6 supported?

Willy Tarreau dropped the news about the release of Linux kernel 2.6. 32.70 LTS on January 29, 2016, informing all us that this will most likely be the last maintenance release in the series, as starting with February 2016 it will no longer be supported with security patches and bugfixes.

How many different versions of Linux are there?

There are over 600 Linux distros and about 500 in active development.

How old is the Linux kernel?

While still a student at the University of Helsinki, Torvalds started developing Linux to create a system similar to MINIX, a UNIX operating system. In 1991 he released version 0.02; Version 1.0 of the Linux kernel, the core of the operating system, was released in 1994.

Which kernel do I use?

To check Linux Kernel version, try the following commands: uname -r : Find Linux kernel version. cat /proc/version : Show Linux kernel version with help of a special file. hostnamectl | grep Kernel : For systemd based Linux distro you can use hotnamectl to display hostname and running Linux kernel version.

What makes a Linux kernel stable?

After each mainline kernel is released, it is considered “stable.” Any bug fixes for a stable kernel are backported from the mainline tree and applied by a designated stable kernel maintainer. There are usually only a few bugfix kernel releases until next mainline kernel becomes available — unless it is designated a “longterm maintenance kernel.”

What is the difference between a stable tree and mainline kernel?

On the one hand, anything that goes into a stable tree release must first be accepted into the mainline kernel and then backported. This means that mainline kernels will always have fresher bug fixes than what is released in the stable tree, and therefore you should always use mainline “.0” releases if you want fewest “known bugs.”

What is long-term maintenance in Linux kernel?

They can be put into longterm maintenance, which means that maintainers will provide bugfixes for this kernel revision for a much longer period of time. If you want to see Linux kernel changelog or bugs,you can check out this ,and also you can read the feature history of Linux kernel.

How often are Linux kernel updates released?

Stable kernel updates are released on as-needed basis, usually once a week. There are usually several “longterm maintenance” kernel releases provided for the purposes of backporting bugfixes for older kernel trees. Only important bugfixes are applied to such kernels and they don’t usually see very frequent releases, especially for older trees.