After nearly three months, Linux kernel 6.9 has officially reached the end of life on August 2nd, 2024. If you are currently running this EOL kernel version, it’s time to consider upgrading to the latest Linux kernel 6.10 or a long-term support (LTS) version to maintain system security and stability.

Greg Kroah-Hartman, a renowned Linux kernel developer, issued a clear statement: “This branch is now end-of-life and everyone should move to the 6.10.y branch now.”

Linux Kernel 6.9: A Brief Overview

Released on May 12th, 2024, Linux kernel 6.9 introduced several new features:

• Rust support on AArch64 (ARM64) architectures
• Support for the Intel FRED (Flexible Return and Event Delivery) mechanism
• Support for AMD SNP (Secure Nested Paging) guests

Unlike Long Term Support (LTS) versions, Linux kernel 6.9 only received updates for a few months before reaching its end of life (EOL) on the kernel.org website. This rapid development cycle is great for getting new features, but it also means EOL kernels become risky. Without ongoing security updates, you’re exposed to unpatched vulnerabilities.

The final update to the Linux kernel 6.9 series is “6.9.12”. This version recently landed in the stable repositories of Fedora Linux 40. However, many popular rolling-release distributions, such as Arch Linux, and openSUSE Tumbleweed, have already moved on to the latest Linux kernel 6.10 series.

Upgrading to Linux Kernel 6.10

Released on July 14th, 2024, Linux kernel 6.10 brings several new features and improvements:

• A new mseal() system call for memory sealing
• Shadow stack support for the x32 sub architecture
• TPM bus encryption and integrity protection

Learn more about other features in Linux kernel 6.10 here.

Many GNU/Linux distributions are planning to upgrade to the Linux 6.10 kernel in the coming weeks. This includes popular distributions such as Fedora Linux, Ubuntu, and Linux Lite. Users of these distributions should keep an eye out for official upgrade announcements and follow the provided instructions.

For users of other distributions, it is advisable to check with the respective maintainers about the availability of Linux 6.10 and upgrade procedures.

Long-Term Support Options

It’s important to note that Linux 6.10, like its predecessor, is a short-lived kernel branch with only a couple of months of support. For users and organizations requiring long-term stability, consider moving to one of the available LTS kernel series:

• Linux 6.6 LTS
• Linux 6.1 LTS

Both of these LTS branches will be supported until December 2026, providing a more stable and secure environment for systems that require long-term reliability.

Conclusion

With Linux kernel 6.9 now end-of-life, users are strongly encouraged to upgrade to Linux 6.10 or choose an appropriate LTS version based on their specific requirements.

For enterprise environments, maintaining system uptime is crucial. Linux kernel live patching is a game-changer. It lets you apply critical security updates without needing to reboot the system. TuxCare’s KernelCare Enterprise offers automated live patching for all popular Linux distributions including Ubuntu, RHEL, Debian, CentOS, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Amazon Linux, CloudLinux, and more.

With KernelCare, you can ensure continuous protection against vulnerabilities while avoiding the downtime typically associated with kernel updates. This not only enhances security but also improves operational efficiency, making it a valuable tool for any organization looking to maintain a secure and reliable Linux environment.

The sources for this article include a story from 9to5Linux.

The post Time to Upgrade: Linux Kernel 6.9 is End of Life appeared first on TuxCare.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from TuxCare authored by Rohan Timalsina. Read the original post at: https://tuxcare.com/blog/time-to-upgrade-linux-kernel-6-9-is-end-of-life/