Greg Kroah-Hartman Stretches Support Periods for Key Linux LTS Kernels

Linux’s “long-term” kernels just got a longer life, and the comments lit up like a holiday server room. Greg Kroah-Hartman, the keeper of stable releases, pushed support on key versions — 6.12 and 6.18 now stretch to 2028 — after talking with big users and other maintainers. But the crowd couldn’t agree what it means. One camp is clapping (xbar: “Glad to see every single one of these decisions”), while another is grumbling that 6.1 didn’t make the cut and asking why the Linux Foundation doesn’t just bankroll longer support across the board. Then the confusion cannon fired: the article says users want longer lifespans, but also that end-of-life (EOL) dates “mean very little” because enterprise Linux already keeps old kernels alive for ages. Cue kelnos: “So… no one cares? Or they do?” That paradox became the day’s meme. Android users brought heat too. jauntywundrkind pointed out their Samsung S22 is still stuck on kernel 5.10, wondering if Android’s GKI (a “one kernel for all phones” idea) will ever make upgrades real, especially with AVF (Android Virtualization Framework) rising. And in classic HN energy, seanhunter swatted the summary itself: just read the kernel.org post! The vibe? EOL is the tech world’s “best by” date — enterprises will keep serving it, with help from third-party patching services and tight budgets.