Linux To Get "Extended LTS" Releases, Kernel Support For Six Years

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux To Get "Extended LTS" Releases, Kernel Support For Six Years

Linux right now offers a "Long Term Support" release where support for the kernel branch is maintained for two years, which is nice compared to kernel releases usually dropping maintenance around N+1.1 after the release. But moving forward, Linux LTS releases will now be maintained for six years...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-Extended-LTS-Six-Years

[Serafean]

though hopefully this won't cause any SoC vendors to now keep focusing exclusively on an older LTS release for basing their new patches / SoC enablement as opposed to trying to get the work in upstream quicker, considering how far already some Linux SoC support lags behind mainlined.

Comic relief at its best!

[andyprough]

4.14 rc2 just dropped in Tumbleweed Kernel:HEAD repository this morning. Just fired it up, see how this goes. rc1 was problem-free.

[RelaxTrolls]

Michael; at 22:55 he States linux 4.4 not 4.14...which is consistent with what google is using in-house / working kernel for android... you might want to fix that in the article...

This is fairly exciting, as a not of devices launching in 2018 should be using linux-4.4 and if running oreo will be required to pass not only the CTS, but also the VTS. Very cool.

Pretty sure 'Jordon' is actually spelled 'Jordan', another typo.

[R41N3R]

It would be better if Google would enforce open hardware drivers... I really cannot understand why these cheap devices need closed driver blobs at all. Unfortunately all the ARM devices are a big mess regarding drivers and firmware blobs.

[birdie]

As much as this list is hated in the Linux community, the community is little by little embracing the problems and solutions outlined in it. Kinda amazing.

Maybe 2100 will be the year of Linux desktop. Jokes asides, some things in Linux/GNU are utterly broken with no fixes in sight and Google has all the chances of fixing the status quo.

[birdie]

It would be better if Google would enforce open hardware drivers... I really cannot understand why these cheap devices need closed driver blobs at all. Unfortunately all the ARM devices are a big mess regarding drivers and firmware blobs.

Intellectual Property.

In some imaginary world it probably doesn't exist and everyone is broke. In the real world inventors want to put bread in their mouths instead of starving to death.

[birdie]

Actually I'm not against the frantic pace of the Linux kernel development but only if it's made as microkernel-y as possible so that the core has rock solid APIs for working with various modules.

Or maybe I just love QNX ;-) Who knows. It was never clear to me why Google hadn't attempted to buy QNX from whoever its current owners were, then open source it and use it for Android. A high performance microkernel with excellent features. Robust and stable as hell.

[RelaxTrolls]

Comic relief at its best!

Lol. How so? Could you please explain your very specific and informed comment?

Google and new versions of android are going to require that SOCs and vendors use Project Treble and pass the VTS. There isn't any incentive for them to do otherwise...

This means a proper separation between android and the HALs, much easier upgrade paths, less proprietary soup and stitching in userspace android.

[OneBitUser]

Intellectual Property.

In some imaginary world it probably doesn't exist and everyone is broke. In the real world inventors want to put bread in their mouths instead of starving to death.

More like morally crappy business practices...
By cutting product lifecycle short manufacturers can artificially "kill off" mobile devices that use their hardware components.
How could IPs even contribute to this?
The chipmaker already sold his product, and an open driver will not enable reverse-engineering of it.

As much as this list is hated in the Linux community, the community is little by little embracing the problems and solutions outlined in it. Kinda amazing.

You do realize that most of the stuff that's on that list is the fault of companies and has nothing to do with the linux community, right?
The author even admits it in some instances...

Fuchsia is not, will not, and cannot be a solution for the problems found in linux.
The whole point of having linux as a desktop OS is that no single company or party can railroad the development of the entire OS to fit their specific needs only. Sure, this causes problems like slower, more controversial development of standard components (Wayland, systemd), but also ensures that there are a lot of interested parties invested in the development itself.
Fuchsia on the other hand will be Google's pet project, for Google's needs. Even if it takes of at all as a mobile and desktop OS, it is just going to be another corporate OS that will offer no real protection to users or to contributors other than Google.

But that is only my opinion on the matter, of course.