
Linux Kernel LTS release is now for 6 years instead of 2 - ausjke
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/09/android-users-rejoice-linux-kernel-lts-releases-are-now-good-for-6-years/
======
kasabali
This is good news, but I'm slightly surprised with the attention this got here
and other circles because this actually is nothing new and just a PR move by
Google.

From
[https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html](https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html):

    
    
      3.16 	Ben Hutchings 	2014-08-03 	Apr, 2020
      3.2 	Ben Hutchings 	2012-01-04 	May, 2018
    

These are just currently supported ones, there have been several other
releases in the past with 5+ year support (like 2.6.32 and 3.4 from top of my
mind). These were also (not coincidentally) selected kernels of older Android
releases.

Edit: Digged here a bit more:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#Maintenance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#Maintenance)

    
    
      2.6.32 December 2009 to March 2016 (6 years)
      3.4 May 2012 to October 2016 (4.5 years)
      3.10 June 2013 to October 2017 (4 years)

~~~
fulafel
The future dates you are quoting were recently updated to those dates, see eg.
[http://web.archive.org/web/20170501160354/https://www.kernel...](http://web.archive.org/web/20170501160354/https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html)
(also they're just from an unexplained column called "projected EOL")

Last year the announced commitment was just 2 years:
[https://www.linux.com/news/44-linux-kernel-long-term-
support...](https://www.linux.com/news/44-linux-kernel-long-term-support-
release-now-available)

~~~
kasabali
I'm not sure I get your point.

> The future dates you are quoting were recently updated to those dates

Nope, I see same dates there (except 4.4 which I didn't quote in my above
comment contrary to what you seem to be claiming)

> also they're just from an unexplained column called "projected EOL

Just like the current page:
[https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html](https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html)

> Last year the announced commitment was just 2 years

My post quoted other kernels, not 4.4, which this news article is about. My
point is that a kernel version doesn't get 6 year treatment for the first time
thing as this PR/news piece paints it out.

~~~
fulafel
Ok, my mistake about the quoting.

About the substance, I think the public commitment for 6 years for 4.4 has
more relevance than just PR.

------
buster
I have mixed feelings. The modus operandi should be to get upgrades to the
current stable kernel frequently enough, not to backport bugfixes to 6 year
old kernels.

~~~
kuschku
As long as Linus refuses to provide a stable driver API, this won’t happen.

OEMs will only pay to write custom drivers for a SoC once, and that means
you’ll be stuck with one kernel (or any binary-compatible version). Every
device requires entirely custom drivers for this, because ARM has no device
enumeration.

Until Torvalds finally stops being so stubborn on this, Android and IoT
devices will have such a short lifetime, and people will have to continue
backporting fixes to ancient kernels.

~~~
greenhouse_gas
Does FreeBSD or NetBSD have a stable ABI?

~~~
kev009
The kernel ABI is stable between major version numbers. It is never
intentionally broken between majors. More importantly, the kernel APIs are
very stable, which seems to be intentionally broken on Linux regularly.

Userland ABI is much more stringent, pretty much any commercially used OS will
maintain compatibility for old applications indefinitely, Linux and Free and
Net BSD included.

~~~
tosstossy
> which seems to be intentionally broken on Linux regularly

Please provide evidence to back the claim of intent. This comes across as if
you're implying malice, when it's far more likely interfaces change in the
natural course of development where there are no restraints like abi/api
stability commitments.

~~~
kuschku
Torvalds himself said he’s breaking it intentionally to prevent people relying
on it.

~~~
tosstossy
Was this in a mailing list thread? Got a URL? I'm unaware of this.

------
justincormack
This seems to apply to 4.4; according to
[https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html](https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html)
4.9 has not been extended, so it only applies every few years that there will
again be six year support.

~~~
petecox
4.4 is Google's base to develop Nougat

If, as per the table below [1], they've already moved on to 4.10, then 6 years
is a long time to support 4.9

[1] [https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/51651/which-
andr...](https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/51651/which-android-runs-
which-linux-kernel)

------
taozhijiang
how time flys！

