Tech Support
Documentation
Login
Contact Us
TuxCare BlogTime to Upgrade: Linux Kernel 6.10 is End of Life
by Rohan Timalsina
October 23, 2024 - TuxCare expert team
As of October 10, 2024, Linux kernel 6.10 has officially reached its end of life (EOL). This means no further official updates or security fixes will be released for Linux 6.10 series. If you are still running this EOL version, it’s time to consider upgrading to Linux kernel 6.11 or a Long-Term Support (LTS) version to ensure continued security, stability, and access to new features.
In this article, we’ll explore the key features of Linux kernel 6.10, why it’s important to upgrade, and what options you have moving forward.
A Look Back at Linux Kernel 6.10
Released on July 14, 2024, Linux kernel 6.10 introduced several noteworthy improvements and features aimed at enhancing security, system performance, and hardware support:
New mseal() system call: This call enables memory sealing, adding an extra layer of security to memory management.
Rust support for RISC-V: Rust, a memory-safe programming language, received support for the RISC-V architecture, broadening the scope of Rust’s application in Linux.
Zstandard compression for EROFS: Linux 6.10 integrated Zstandard (Zstd) compression for the EROFS (Enhanced Read-Only File System), improving file system efficiency and compression speeds.
Shadow Stack support for x32: Added support for shadow stacks in the x32 architecture, a vital security enhancement aimed at protecting against stack-based attacks.
TPM bus encryption: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) bus encryption and integrity protection were added to ensure better hardware security.
PFCP filter support: Initial support for Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP) filters, crucial for efficient traffic management in networking environments.
While these improvements pushed Linux forward, it was never intended as a long-term solution. As a non-LTS branch, it was supported only for a short period, with the last maintenance update, Linux 6.10.14, being announced by Greg Kroah-Hartman before officially marking the kernel as EOL.
There will not be any more 6.10.y releases and this branch is now end-of-life. You should move to the 6.11.y branch at this point in time.
– Greg Kroah-Hartman
The message is clear: all users of Linux kernel 6.10 must upgrade as soon as possible.
Why You Should Upgrade to Linux Kernel 6.11
The immediate successor, Linux kernel 6.11, was released on September 15, 2024, and brings significant advancements. Key highlights include:
- New driver subsystem for Qualcomm Bluetooth/WLAN chips, increasing hardware compatibility across devices.
- getrandom() support in vDSO for x86 systems, enhancing system security by mapping random number generation directly into memory.
- Virtual CPU hotplug for AArch64 (ARM64) ACPI systems, offering more flexible CPU management in virtual environments.
Additionally, Linux kernel 6.11 has already been adopted by leading distributions such as Ubuntu 24.10, Fedora, and Arch Linux, ensuring broader support across the Linux ecosystem. Linux kernel 6.11.3, the latest version of the series, also arrived on October 10, 2024.
Considering Long-Term Support (LTS) Options
The Linux kernel 6.10 end of life marks the conclusion of support for this kernel version. For users who need stability and long-term support, Linux kernel 6.11 may not be the ideal solution, as it too is a short-lived kernel release. In this case, consider upgrading to one of the LTS versions that offer long-term support and maintenance:
- Linux kernel 6.6 LTS
- Linux kernel 6.1 LTS
Both versions are backed with support until December 2026, marking them excellent choices for production environments where reliability and security are paramount.
To further enhance your system’s security, consider implementing Linux kernel live patching. Live patching allows you to apply critical updates and security fixes without rebooting your systems, ensuring continuous protection with zero downtime. TuxCare’s KernelCare Enterprise offers automated security patching for all popular enterprise Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL, CentOS, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Amazon Linux, and more. KernelCare automatically applies kernel security updates as soon as they are available without having to reboot the system or schedule maintenance windows.
Ask questions to our Linux security experts to learn more about modernizing your Linux patching approach with automated and rebootless patching.
The sources for this article include a story from 9to5Linux.
