Linux Kernel 3.14 Series Has Reached End of Life (softpedia.com)

Slashdot reader prisoninmate quotes an article on Softpedia: it looks like the Linux kernel maintainers decided that there's no need to maintain the Linux kernel 3.14 LTS series anymore, so earlier today, September 11, 2016, they decided to release that last maintenance update, version 3.14.79, and mark the series as EOL (End of Life). Famous Linux kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman was the one to make the big announcement, and he's urging users who want to still run a long-term supported kernel version to move to the Linux 4.4 LTS series, which is currently the most advanced LTS branch, or use the latest stable release, Linux kernel 4.7.3...

Linux kernel 3.14.79 is a very small update that changes a total of 12 files, with 45 insertions and 17 deletions, thus fixing a bug in the EXT4 file system, a networking issue related to the Reliable Datagram Sockets (RDS) protocol, and updating a few HID, s390, SCSI, networking drivers.

Comments

LTR isn't all that long

[davidwr]

Looking at the still-supported LTR kernels, even the oldest one isn't all that old.

For network-connected embedded systems (routers, network-connected printers, IoT, etc.), I would want a kernel that had security-but-patch-maintenance for at least the useful life of the hardware itself - 5-10 years in most cases, longer in some cases like cars, refrigerators, etc.

Perhaps we need a "Very long term release" with an expectation of least 10 years of security fixes, at least for the architecture-independent systems and for a short list of "VLTS-supported" architectures and devices that are in common use in embedded systems.

As someone pointed out already, at least with Linux the source code is available. On the other hand, Microsoft does give 10 years of support for Windows 7/8/8.1 and for the "Long term service branch" mode of Windows 10.

Re:More reasons to use Windows instead of Linux

[hairyfeet]

Riiight, and if you need a part for your Chevy here is some iron ore, you CAN smelt iron...right?

And people wonder why MSFT can put out 3 stinkers in a row and get more users in a fricking week than Linux has gotten for their desktop in 22 years.....ROFL just write your own kernel patches,why stop there? Why not tell them to grow some sheep so they can have sweaters, drop an oil rig or two and set up their own gas refinery, and grow some rubber trees to make the tires?

Riddle me this oh wise one...which do you think would be cheaper, hire an entire fucking kernel development team just to get support beyond 5 years, or pay $200 for a copy of Windows Pro and get 10 years of support?