The Linux kernel project has prolonged support for several long-term stable branches, pushing end-of-life dates out to 2026 through 2028. Greg Kroah-Hartman, the stable maintainer, updated these projections following discussions with companies and other maintainers. This ensures longer maintenance for widely used kernels in enterprise and embedded systems.
Greg Kroah-Hartman, the Linux stable maintainer, has revised the projected end-of-life dates for several longterm (LTS) kernel releases on kernel.org. This update, announced recently, extends support periods beyond previous expectations, reflecting commitments from companies and other stable kernel maintainers.
The revised timelines include:
- Linux 6.18, now supported through December 2028
- Linux 6.12, supported through December 2028
- Linux 6.6, supported through December 2027
- Linux 6.1, supported through December 2027
- Linux 5.15, supported through December 2026
- Linux 5.10, supported through December 2026
Previously, some of these branches faced earlier end-of-life dates. The extensions apply particularly to the newer 6.x LTS series, which are popular among enterprise distributions, cloud platforms, hardware vendors, and embedded device manufacturers needing multi-year stability.
Importantly, this change does not alter the kernel code itself. It merely updates the public documentation on kernel.org to align with ongoing maintenance plans. For details, refer to Kroah-Hartman’s commit on the repository.
These LTS kernels provide predictable support, essential for systems where frequent upgrades are impractical. The decision underscores the Linux community's commitment to long-term reliability for critical infrastructure.
