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TuxCare BlogLinux Kernel 6.11 End of Life: Upgrade to Linux Kernel 6.12 LTS
by Rohan Timalsina
December 25, 2024 - TuxCare expert team
The Linux kernel 6.11 series officially reached its end of life (EOL) on December 5, 2024. As expected for a short-lived kernel branch, its journey has come to a close. In this article, we’ll explore the implications of its EOL announcement and why transitioning to Linux kernel 6.12 should be your next step.
Linux Kernel 6.11 Reached End of Life
Greg Kroah-Hartman, the Linux kernel maintainer, announced that Linux kernel 6.11 has reached its end of life. The final maintenance update, 6.11.11, was released alongside this announcement.
In his announcement, Greg Kroah-Hartman stated:
All users of the 6.11 kernel series must upgrade to the 6.12.y branch now. This branch is now end-of-life and will not be receiving any new updates.
With no further updates or security patches, upgrading to Linux kernel 6.12 is essential for maintaining security and performance. If your Linux distribution is using an unsupported kernel series, the vendor will continue to provide security updates until the support period ends. In this case, upgrading the kernel may not be necessary.
Linux Kernel 6.12 is Now an LTS
Linux kernel 6.12 has been marked as an LTS release, with security updates expected until December 2026. While short-lived kernel releases like Linux 6.11 focus on innovation and experimentation, LTS kernels offer stability and reliability. They are ideal for enterprise environments, IoT devices, and long-term projects.
With the addition of Linux 6.12, there are now six active LTS kernel branches, including:
- Linux 6.12 LTS
- Linux 6.6 LTS
- Linux 6.1 LTS
- Linux 5.15 LTS
- Linux 5.10 LTS
- Linux 5.4 LTS
How to Upgrade to Linux Kernel 6.12
Upgrading to Linux kernel 6.12 is straightforward and well-supported across major distributions. Here’s how you can do it:
Check Your Distribution’s Repository: Many Linux distributions, such as Arch Linux, Alpine Linux, and Nitrux, have already included Linux kernel 6.12 in their stable repositories. This is the recommended approach for most users. Simply use your package manager to check for updates and install the latest version. If no updates are available yet, you can wait for them to be added to your distribution’s repositories.
Build from Source: If you prefer, you can download the kernel source from kernel.org and compile it manually on your system. This option is recommended for advanced users who are comfortable with compiling the Linux kernel.
Conclusion
Linux kernel 6.11 introduced several notable features, but as a non-LTS release with a 9-month support period, its support has now ended. Additionally, the last Linux 4.x kernel, Linux 4.19, reached its end of life on December 5, 2024. It’s strongly recommended to upgrade to a supported kernel series as soon as possible. Currently, only six LTS kernel branches are actively supported.
For enterprise environments, ensuring system security and uptime is critical. That’s where TuxCare’s KernelCare Enterprise can help. KernelCare offers automated live patching for Linux distributions, enabling you to apply critical kernel patches without rebooting your systems. This solution is ideal for organizations seeking to maintain high availability while staying protected against vulnerabilities.
Explore how live patching works with KernelCare Enterprise here.
The sources for this article include a story from 9to5Linux.
