Lts versions of Linux kernel get four more years of support

Google developer Ilyan Malchev announced at the Linaro Connect conference that lts versions of the Linux kernel will now be supported for six years instead of two. This has consequences for Android devices, among other things.

In his presentation, Malchev, who works for Project Treble, explains that virtually all Android devices run on an lts version of the Linux kernel. Because the support was initially two years, by the time a device came out, there was at best one year of support left. This is problematic, because important bug fixes come in via lts, ​​among other things.

According to Malchev, Google would like a phone to get four upgrades during its lifecycle, but in reality this does not happen. Due to the longer support, this should now be possible. The developer states that this is not only related to Android, but that many more devices use the lts versions. Extended support should start with version 4.4 of the Linux kernel.

The Linux kernel page now shows that this version released in 2016 will receive support until February 2022. A new lts version should be released approximately every nine months.