Why Linux Kernel LTS Is Shrinking to 2 Years—and What It Means for Android
At the European Open Source Summit, Linux kernel maintainer Jonathan Corbet announced that long‑term support will drop from six to two years due to low usage, lack of support, and maintainer burnout, a shift that could heavily impact Android and other embedded devices.
At the recent European Open Source Summit, Linux kernel developer and LWN editor Jonathan Corbet announced that the long‑term support (LTS) period for the Linux kernel will be reduced from six years to two years.
The change is driven by “lack of usage and lack of support,” as many older kernels see little deployment, making extended maintenance impractical.
Maintaining old kernels for a long time is pointless because nobody uses them.
Another factor is maintainer burnout: companies that rely on Linux invest billions, yet kernel maintainers receive little compensation and face increasing workload and staffing shortages.
While the shorter LTS window may have limited impact on PC platforms, it could significantly affect Android devices, smartwatches, and other embedded systems that often cannot update the kernel, effectively aligning the LTS period with typical smartphone development cycles.
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