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

3.14

[Barny]

Why, if it is now EOL, and they are releasing the last update, did they not make it "159"

Then we could run Pi Linux 3.14.159

I know, I know, version numbers and such, this was still a missed opportunity.

Re:3.14

[eeyore]

No, just keep adding new digits after 3.14 FOREVER! ;)

Isn't that too \TeX{}nical for Linux geeks??

--

E

It was EOLed right on schedule

[Anonymous Coward]

All Linux LTS releases have an EOL schedule, which is public, and known at least one year in advance. For 3.14, the projected EOL was August/2016. GregKH even gave it an extra month...

Current list:
https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html

Longterm release kernels Version, Maintainer, Released, Projected EOL
4.4 Greg Kroah-Hartman 2016-01-10 Feb, 2018
4.1 Sasha Levin 2015-06-21 Sep, 2017
3.18 Sasha Levin 2014-12-07 Jan, 2017
3.16 Ben Hutchings 2014-08-03 Apr, 2020
3.12 Jiri Slaby 2013-11-03 Jan, 2017
3.10 Willy Tarreau 2013-06-30 Oct, 2017
3.4 Li Zefan 2012-05-20 Sep, 2016
3.2 Ben Hutchings 2012-01-04 May, 2018

Really, this is linked right there on the front page of www.kernel.org ("Releases" link on top of page).

Re:More reasons to use Windows instead of Linux

[Anonymous Coward]

At least with Windows, you know how long your OS is going to be maintained for. They don't just randomly decide that they're done issuing updates and discontinue it. Besides, each version of Windows is maintained longer than Linux, which is another plus. And unlike Linux, Windows still supports old hardware like 32 bit systems. There's no reason to replace a system that's working just fine, but that's what your forced to do when developers just randomly decide that it's time to stop maintaining a version of Linux.

As a longtime Linux user, it would make me very happy if you (and everyone else who thinks like you do) would stay on Windows.

Beating Microsoft at the desktop game is a puerile pissing contest that I don't care about. However I do care about interacting with a community of users who can understand the most basic and easily Googled things, such as the ease with which the Linux kernel can be used on a 32-bit system. See how that works?

I agree with Alvinrod that you are probably a troll, but who knows? There are plenty of stupid people who might say such things in all seriousness.

Re:What?

[K. S. Kyosuke]

You could still slightly upgrade to pi and e, though.

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:LTR isn't all that long

[donaldm]

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.

If the device is under warranty then you would expect support, replacement or reimbursement in the event of failure. Once something is out of support you can continue to use it and even organize third party maintenance but the company is under no obligation to continue to provide support.

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

The software and all the tools are available and well documented. Knock yourself out. Who knows you may make some money.

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.

You can get long-term support with Linux if you pay for a service contract and that is the same for Microsoft. Ten year support of MS Windows is only available if you have the requisite service packs and updates in place which means the kernel is not the same as the original. Do you honestly believe you can install a generic MS Windows versions of 7, 8.0, 8.1 or even 10 and expect support?

Re:LTR isn't all that long

[Opportunist]

If you pay it, they will come.

I hope I don't give away a trade secret here, but there are actually companies that took it upon themselves to add years to the LTS. RHEL 5 LTS EOL will be in March 2017, RHEL 6 in November 2020. Those are Kernel 2.6 systems, and we're still talking about patches that add support for new hardware on top of security fixes. Support for security patches only (i.e. no added support for new hardware, pretty much where you're already with pretty much all non-current Windows versions) will end in November 2020 for RHEL 5. We don't know yet when RHEL 6 will reach this final EOL, but expect it for June 2024.

Re:More reasons to use Windows instead of Linux

[fizzer06]

I wonder if MS will continue to support Windows 7 to the advertised EOL.

Don't panic

[dbIII]

Don't panic - some distros keep on patching those old kernels. That "Very long term release" is called RHEL, CentOS and probably a few others.

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?

Re: What?

[Billly Gates]

What many non support/admin IT types do not realize is we are responsible for security. I've seen write-ups hit those whose IE 6 systems allowed ransomware. Oddly the one doing the write-up denied the request to update.

So damned if you do damned if you don't hence why we hate not forced updates, but rather the security patch is the new agile release etc. I left Mozilla Firefox after 4.0 for this reason and downgraded my office to IE.

With Windows 10 and soon server 2k12 and Windows 7 being only cumulative I may change careers! Kernel 2.6 needs 10 years support too!

How in hell do I avoid shell shock, ransomware, but still no releases bringing in bugs all at the same time??

This is bs and very disrespectful to the users.

Re:More reasons to use Windows instead of Linux

[ArmoredDragon]

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

Well, an iron ingot is easier to obtain than ore, and obtaining a programming book and learning to hack the kernel is easier and cheaper than obtaining an iron ingot, a machine shop, and learning how to use machining/milling tools.

But that's besides the point. The point is that for IT shops, you can always pay somebody to write a patch for your dated Linux systems, which your existing IT staff can then mass deploy. However if your windows systems go out of support, it's time to buy new computers, servers, etc.

Re: More reasons to use Windows instead of Linux

[Billly Gates]

Hairy I friended you because I agree with 80% of your rants. I used to agree with Linux too with no ABI meaning breaks with updates.

However, Windows 10 is proving us wrong. Next month all versions of Windows both server and desktop will be one cumulative patch?! Also, I am very close to downgrading back to Windows 8.1. Windows 10 breaks ALOT. More than Linux now.

This past month I have seen PowerShell DSC, nested Hyper-V virtualization, update at a later time, and AMD Crimson drivers all break with updates. Thank God I bought the pro to differ updates ( it was off which is my fault). But if I have one and I mean one showstopper I am going back and will migrate to the crappy and no longer made VMware workstation I under 8.1

Ubuntu LTS hopefully shouldn't have these surprises and I may go there if kms/qemu supports nested virtualization for my mcse labs

Re:More reasons to use Windows instead of Linux

[jawtheshark]

You'd think so, but in reality, that's not quite true: Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, both stopped getting security patches before their EOL.

Re:renumbering?

[donaldm]

It's a pity, for this last release, then didn't break with the numbering convention and just jump to 3.14.159...

Why do something as pointless as that?

Most current Linux distributions are running a version 4 kernel. My Fedora 24 distribution is running "kernel-core-4.7.2-201.fc24.x86_64" as per the time of me writing, however the initial kernel release was kernel-core-4.5.5-300. I am still running Fedora 24 but the underlying kernel and appropriate packages that needed updating have been updated. So unless you are directly involved with maintaining software who cares if the version numbers have been changed.

Actually, if you do care and are running a Redhat based system (ie. Fedora, CentOS ...) you can run the following command to get changelog information about a particular package: (using the kernel as an example) "rpm -q --changelog kernel-core-4.7.2-201.fc24.x86_64". For that package I would suggest a pager since you will get a huge amount of information. For people using Debian distributions (ie. Mint, Ubuntu, Debian ...) you can use an alternative command.

Before anyone starts waffling/trolling about the Windows operating system. Microsoft does exactly the same except they don't spell out exactly what they do.

Re: More reasons to use Windows instead of Linux

[hairyfeet]

Sigh....let me spell it out FUCK WINDOWS 10, its nothing but spyware.

Stick with Windows 7 or 8.1, your choice. 8.1 gets updates until 2023 (if you really care about that sort of thing, I've found if you have the browser sandboxed and ads blocked patches are pointless as no bug is gonna get anywhere, I have even gone out of my way to try to infect a newly installed RTM Win 7 without a single patch installed...nothing) and by that time Nutella will be history and hopefully the next guy will actually right the ship.

And if you have to have Win 10? Wait 6 months and get the pirate version, AKA the "Gamer Edition". There is already a Gamer edition of 8.1 out there that strips out the appstore and other crap and it flies, there really is no point in Windows 10, its a POS. Oh and if you want to know WHY its a POS? Look up Barnacles Nerdgasm's "I was fired" video on YouTube, he was part of the QA team and he talks about how the ENTIRE Windows QA and tester teams were FIRED...why did they do that? Because YOU Mr Sucker who uses Windows 10 are the alpha tester!

MSFT has made it clear the only version they give a fuck about is Win 10 Enterprise, the one you have to rent. Windows 10 Home is the alpha, with no way to even postpone all the buggy code they puke on it, Windows 10 Pro is the beta, still buggy as fuck but at least they can delay long enough for the Home users to get shat all over and see which bits get cleaned off, and Win 10 Enterprise is the actual OS, where you have the same level of control and quality they had on previous releases.

So the choice is clear....either you pay $7 a month for eternity for Win 10 Enterprise or you stick with a previous version, I myself as well as my customers will be doing the latter and counting the days until Nutella gets his walking papers. Oh and nobody will ever give a shit about Ubuntu as their programs won't run on it and mark my words, HTML V5 will have enough baked in DRM that nobody will be able to watch shit on Linux which I predict will be relegated to crap like the R-Pi as Secureboot and the new AMD and Intel APUs having proprietary features like HDCP baked into the core of the chip will make Linux go back another decade.