Linux kernel maintainers have extended long-term support (LTS) for several key releases through 2026-2028, partially reversing a 2023 decision to limit support to two years amid contributor burnout. Stable maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman updated the schedule following feedback from users, vendors, and fellow maintainer Sasha Levin, providing more time for security fixes in servers, Android devices, and appliances.
The Linux kernel community has revised end-of-life dates for multiple LTS branches on kernel.org, extending support beyond initial projections. In 2023, maintainers shortened LTS periods from up to six years to two years to combat burnout. Responding to concerns from companies, groups, and stable maintainer Sasha Levin, Greg Kroah-Hartman announced the changes via the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML) and a commit updating public documentation.
The updated timelines are:
- Linux 6.18: through December 2028 (at least three years)
- Linux 6.12: through December 2028 (roughly four years)
- Linux 6.6: through December 2027 (about four years)
- Linux 6.1: through December 2027
- Linux 5.15: through December 2026
- Linux 5.10: through December 2026
These extensions primarily benefit newer 6.x branches adopted by distributions and vendors, while older ones like 5.10 and 5.15 retain their schedules. The changes do not modify kernel code but ensure ongoing bug fixes without new features.
LTS support is vital for security, as kernel developer and LWN editor Jonathan Corbet noted: “In the kernel, just about any bug, if you’re clever enough, can be exploitable to compromise the system. The kernel is in a unique spot in the system […] it turns a lot of ordinary bugs into vulnerabilities.” It supports products from enterprise servers to embedded appliances, where upgrades require extensive retesting.
Vendors like Canonical (up to 12 years for Ubuntu LTS kernels) and Red Hat (backports for RHEL 9/10 over 10 years) maintain their own schedules alongside kernel.org. The extensions offer more migration flexibility for distributors and OEMs.
