Linux 5.10 LTS Will Be Maintained Through End Of Year 2026

Linux 5.10 as the latest Long Term Support release when announced was only going to be maintained until the end of 2022 but following enough companies stepping up to help with testing, Linux 5.10 LTS will now be maintained until the end of year 2026.

Linux 5.10 LTS was originally just going to be maintained until the end of next year while prior kernels like Linux 5.4 LTS are being maintained until 2024 or even Linux 4.19 LTS and 4.14 LTS going into 2024. Linux 5.10 LTS was short to begin with due to the limited number of developers/organizations helping to test new point release candidates and/or committing resources to using this kernel LTS series. But now there are enough participants committing to it that Greg Kroah-Hartman confirmed he along with Sasha Levin will maintain the kernel through December 2026.

This will put Linux 5.10 at seeing six years worth of stable point releases. Meanwhile Linux 4.4 LTS will be phased out early next year after its six year run.

The currently active Linux kernel release branches and confirmation of Linux 5.10 through EOY 2026 can be found via Kernel.org.

This is good news with Debian 11, the next Google Android operating system release, and others using this 2020 Linux long-term support branch.