On Tue, Nov 23, 2021 at 10:05:20AM +0000, Fernandes, Francois wrote: > Hi, > > First of all thanks for your very interesting website. > We contact you today because we are looking for an information regarding the Kernels versions. > We are using the following version : Kernel V5.4V20 > > Regarding your table hereunder, we understand that this version will be EOL in December 2025. > > [cid:image004.jpg@01D7E05A.07F76050] > > Could you please advise : > - What will happened in January 2026 ? Two things: 1. most likely: a final 5.4.x version will be released and no new 5.4.x versions will be provided after that (meaning no new security or bug fixes), or 2. less likely: someone else will step up to maintain the 5.4 series instead of the current stable kernel team, in which case the EOL deadline will be extended further > - Is the evolution to a newer version imperative ? Yes. It is never a good idea to run a kernel version that is no longer receiving security updates -- unless your devices run completely offline with no external input of any kind. Note, that you don't have to wait for the 5.4.x to reach EOL before you plan your switch to a newer LTS tree. You should prepare for it well in advance. > - Is this evolution a difficult operation ? There is no simple answer to this question. It greatly depends on how you use the kernel for your project. If you maintain many custom kernel modules, then porting them to a newer version of the kernel can require some effort. If you are using a vanilla kernel version running on common hardware, then switching to a newer kernel tree could be very easy. In any case, you should plan out proper development and testing resources. > Thanks in advance for your help on this subject. I have cc'd the stable list, where you can get further help for questions you may have. -K
