Linux Kernel 6.2 is Now End of Life: Upgrade to 6.3

Rohan Timalsina

May 30, 2023 - TuxCare expert team

Linux Kernel 6.2 is now EOL (End of Life) as displayed on kernel.org, which means it will no longer receive bug and security fixes. Released on February 19, 2023, Linux kernel 6.2 introduced new features like PLB for IPv6, FineIBT for x86, Intel’s asynchronous exit notification, In-Field Scan feature, and Rust implementation.

The last release of the Linux kernel 6.2 series, Linux kernel 6.2.16, was made available on May 17, 2023. Additionally, the kernel developer and maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman announced the end of life for this short-lived kernel branch and advised users to upgrade to Linux kernel 6.3 promptly.

Upgrade to Linux Kernel 6.3

Linux kernel 6.3, released on April 23, 2023, brought new features like a new Intel VPU DRM accelerated driver, BIG TCP support for IPv4, improved AMD support, Intel Meteor Lake enablement, Rust code support for x86_64 user-mode Linux, support for the “ZBB” bit-manipulation extension for RISC-V kernels, and native Steam Deck controller support.

GNU/Linux distributions using the Linux kernel 6.2 series should prepare to upgrade their users to the latest Linux 6.3 kernel series. Rolling-release distributions like Arch Linux and openSUSE Tumbleweed, along with their derivatives, have already adopted the Linux 6.3 series.

Fedora Linux 38 and Ubuntu distributions will soon receive the Linux 6.3 kernel upgrade. You can download and compile the latest Linux 6.3 kernel from the official website. Unfortunately, Linux kernel 6.3 is also not an LTS (Long Term Support) series, so expect it to be EOL at the end of July. Then again, you have to upgrade to the upcoming Linux 6.4 series, which should arrive at the end of June or early July 2023.

The latest LTS version of the Linux kernel is 6.1 which will receive support until the end of 2026. Many distributions have adopted Linux kernel 6.1 for the stability and security of the operating system.

This article includes a story from 9to5Linux.

Summary