4 ms·
This is good news, but I'm slightly surprised with the attention this got here and other circles because this actually is nothing new and just a PR move by Goog
by kasabali 9y ago
This is good news, but I'm slightly surprised with the attention this got here and other circles because this actually is nothing new and just a PR move by Google.
From https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html:
3.16 Ben Hutchings 2014-08-03 Apr, 2020
3.2 Ben Hutchings 2012-01-04 May, 2018
These are just currently supported ones, there have been several other releases in the past with 5+ year support (like 2.6.32 and 3.4 from top of my mind). These were also (not coincidentally) selected kernels of older Android releases.
Edit: Digged here a bit more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#Maintenance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel#Maintenance
2.6.32 December 2009 to March 2016 (6 years)
3.4 May 2012 to October 2016 (4.5 years)
3.10 June 2013 to October 2017 (4 years)
- fulafel 9y agoThe future dates you are quoting were recently updated to those dates, see eg. http://web.archive.org/web/20170501160354/https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html http://web.archive.org/web/20170501160354/https://www.kernel... (also they're just from an unexplained column called "projected EOL") Last year the announced commitment was just 2 years: https://www.linux.com/news/44-linux-kernel-long-term-support-release-now-available https://www.linux.com/news/44-linux-kernel-long-term-support...
- kasabali 9y agoI'm not sure I get your point. > The future dates you are quoting were recently updated to those dates Nope, I see same dates there (except 4.4 which I didn't quote in my above comment contrary to what you seem to be claiming) > also they're just from an unexplained column called "projected EOL Just like the current page: https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html > Last year the announced commitment was just 2 years My post quoted other kernels, not 4.4, which this news article is about. My point is that a kernel version doesn't get 6 year treatment for the first time thing as this PR/news piece paints it out.
- fulafel 9y agoOk, my mistake about the quoting. About the substance, I think the public commitment for 6 years for 4.4 has more relevance than just PR.