- Active kernel releases
- Distribution kernels
- Releases FAQ
- When is the next mainline kernel version going to be released?
- What is the next longterm release going to be?
- Why are some longterm versions supported longer than others?
- Does the major version number (4.x vs 5.x) mean anything?
- Does the odd-even number still mean anything?
- Other resources
- Social
- Active kernel releases
- Distribution kernels
- Releases FAQ
- When is the next mainline kernel version going to be released?
- What is the next longterm release going to be?
- Why are some longterm versions supported longer than others?
- Does the major version number (4.x vs 5.x) mean anything?
- Does the odd-even number still mean anything?
- Other resources
- Social
- How to Check the Linux Kernel Version?
- Check the Linux Kernel version with the uname command
- Check Linux Kernel version using the dmesg command
- Check Linux Kernel version using the hostnamectl command
- Check Linux Kernel version using the /proc/version file
- Conclusion
- About the author
- Kamran Sattar Awaisi
Active kernel releases
There are several main categories into which kernel releases may fall:
Prepatch Prepatch or «RC» kernels are mainline kernel pre-releases that are mostly aimed at other kernel developers and Linux enthusiasts. They must be compiled from source and usually contain new features that must be tested before they can be put into a stable release. Prepatch kernels are maintained and released by Linus Torvalds. Mainline Mainline tree is maintained by Linus Torvalds. It’s the tree where all new features are introduced and where all the exciting new development happens. New mainline kernels are released every 9-10 weeks. Stable After each mainline kernel is released, it is considered «stable.» Any bug fixes for a stable kernel are backported from the mainline tree and applied by a designated stable kernel maintainer. There are usually only a few bugfix kernel releases until next mainline kernel becomes available — unless it is designated a «longterm maintenance kernel.» Stable kernel updates are released on as-needed basis, usually once a week. Longterm There are usually several «longterm maintenance» kernel releases provided for the purposes of backporting bugfixes for older kernel trees. Only important bugfixes are applied to such kernels and they don’t usually see very frequent releases, especially for older trees.
| Version | Maintainer | Released | Projected EOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2022-12-11 | Dec, 2026 |
| 5.15 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2021-10-31 | Oct, 2026 |
| 5.10 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2020-12-13 | Dec, 2026 |
| 5.4 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2019-11-24 | Dec, 2025 |
| 4.19 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2018-10-22 | Dec, 2024 |
| 4.14 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2017-11-12 | Jan, 2024 |
Distribution kernels
Many Linux distributions provide their own «longterm maintenance» kernels that may or may not be based on those maintained by kernel developers. These kernel releases are not hosted at kernel.org and kernel developers can provide no support for them.
It is easy to tell if you are running a distribution kernel. Unless you downloaded, compiled and installed your own version of kernel from kernel.org, you are running a distribution kernel. To find out the version of your kernel, run uname -r :
# uname -r 5.6.19-300.fc32.x86_64
If you see anything at all after the dash, you are running a distribution kernel. Please use the support channels offered by your distribution vendor to obtain kernel support.
Releases FAQ
Here are some questions we routinely receive about kernel release versions. See also the main «FAQ» section for some other topics.
When is the next mainline kernel version going to be released?
Linux kernel follows a simple release cadence:
- after each mainline release, there is a 2-week «merge window» period during which new major features are introduced into the kernel
- after the merge window closes, there is a 7-week bugfix and stabilization period with weekly «release candidate» snapshots
- rc7 is usually the last release candidate, though occasionally there may be additional rc8+ releases if that is deemed necessary
So, to find the approximate date of the next mainline kernel release, take the date of the previous mainline release and add 9-10 weeks.
What is the next longterm release going to be?
Longterm kernels are picked based on various factors — major new features, popular commercial distribution needs, device manufacturer demand, maintainer workload and availability, etc. You can roughly estimate when the new longterm version will become available based on how much time has elapsed since the last longterm version was chosen.
Why are some longterm versions supported longer than others?
The «projected EOL» dates are not set in stone. Each new longterm kernel usually starts with only a 2-year projected EOL that can be extended further if there is enough interest from the industry at large to help support it for a longer period of time.
Does the major version number (4.x vs 5.x) mean anything?
No. The major version number is incremented when the number after the dot starts looking «too big.» There is literally no other reason.
Does the odd-even number still mean anything?
A long time ago Linux used a system where odd numbers after the first dot indicated pre-release, development kernels (e.g. 2.1, 2.3, 2.5). This scheme was abandoned after the release of kernel 2.6 and these days pre-release kernels are indicated with «-rc».
Other resources
Social
This site is operated by the Linux Kernel Organization, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, with support from the following sponsors.
Active kernel releases
There are several main categories into which kernel releases may fall:
Prepatch Prepatch or «RC» kernels are mainline kernel pre-releases that are mostly aimed at other kernel developers and Linux enthusiasts. They must be compiled from source and usually contain new features that must be tested before they can be put into a stable release. Prepatch kernels are maintained and released by Linus Torvalds. Mainline Mainline tree is maintained by Linus Torvalds. It’s the tree where all new features are introduced and where all the exciting new development happens. New mainline kernels are released every 9-10 weeks. Stable After each mainline kernel is released, it is considered «stable.» Any bug fixes for a stable kernel are backported from the mainline tree and applied by a designated stable kernel maintainer. There are usually only a few bugfix kernel releases until next mainline kernel becomes available — unless it is designated a «longterm maintenance kernel.» Stable kernel updates are released on as-needed basis, usually once a week. Longterm There are usually several «longterm maintenance» kernel releases provided for the purposes of backporting bugfixes for older kernel trees. Only important bugfixes are applied to such kernels and they don’t usually see very frequent releases, especially for older trees.
| Version | Maintainer | Released | Projected EOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2022-12-11 | Dec, 2026 |
| 5.15 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2021-10-31 | Oct, 2026 |
| 5.10 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2020-12-13 | Dec, 2026 |
| 5.4 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2019-11-24 | Dec, 2025 |
| 4.19 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2018-10-22 | Dec, 2024 |
| 4.14 | Greg Kroah-Hartman & Sasha Levin | 2017-11-12 | Jan, 2024 |
Distribution kernels
Many Linux distributions provide their own «longterm maintenance» kernels that may or may not be based on those maintained by kernel developers. These kernel releases are not hosted at kernel.org and kernel developers can provide no support for them.
It is easy to tell if you are running a distribution kernel. Unless you downloaded, compiled and installed your own version of kernel from kernel.org, you are running a distribution kernel. To find out the version of your kernel, run uname -r :
# uname -r 5.6.19-300.fc32.x86_64
If you see anything at all after the dash, you are running a distribution kernel. Please use the support channels offered by your distribution vendor to obtain kernel support.
Releases FAQ
Here are some questions we routinely receive about kernel release versions. See also the main «FAQ» section for some other topics.
When is the next mainline kernel version going to be released?
Linux kernel follows a simple release cadence:
- after each mainline release, there is a 2-week «merge window» period during which new major features are introduced into the kernel
- after the merge window closes, there is a 7-week bugfix and stabilization period with weekly «release candidate» snapshots
- rc7 is usually the last release candidate, though occasionally there may be additional rc8+ releases if that is deemed necessary
So, to find the approximate date of the next mainline kernel release, take the date of the previous mainline release and add 9-10 weeks.
What is the next longterm release going to be?
Longterm kernels are picked based on various factors — major new features, popular commercial distribution needs, device manufacturer demand, maintainer workload and availability, etc. You can roughly estimate when the new longterm version will become available based on how much time has elapsed since the last longterm version was chosen.
Why are some longterm versions supported longer than others?
The «projected EOL» dates are not set in stone. Each new longterm kernel usually starts with only a 2-year projected EOL that can be extended further if there is enough interest from the industry at large to help support it for a longer period of time.
Does the major version number (4.x vs 5.x) mean anything?
No. The major version number is incremented when the number after the dot starts looking «too big.» There is literally no other reason.
Does the odd-even number still mean anything?
A long time ago Linux used a system where odd numbers after the first dot indicated pre-release, development kernels (e.g. 2.1, 2.3, 2.5). This scheme was abandoned after the release of kernel 2.6 and these days pre-release kernels are indicated with «-rc».
Other resources
Social
This site is operated by the Linux Kernel Organization, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, with support from the following sponsors.
How to Check the Linux Kernel Version?
The Kernel is the essential component of any operating system because it manages the processes, resources, and provides a mechanism for communication between software and hardware. There are many Kernel versions available; you could face situations where you’ll have to check the version of the installed Linux kernel on your Linux system. For example, if you want to debug the hardware issue, then you will be interested in checking the Linux Kernel version.
This post presents various commands to check the installed Linux Kernel version on your Linux system. I am using Ubuntu 20.04 for preparing this article and executing the command. The commands used in this article are generic and can be used on other Linux based operating systems like Linux Mint, Fedora, Debian, etc.
Check the Linux Kernel version with the uname command
uname command displays the system information. To check the Linux Kernel installed version, type the below-given command:
The output shows that the Linux Kernel version 5.10.0-051000 is installed on my Ubuntu 20.04 system. The explanation of the Kernel version is as follows:
Whereas, the generic confirms that I am using the desktop version of Kernel.
Check Linux Kernel version using the dmesg command
The basic purpose of the dmesg command is to write the Kernel messages. It is also used for checking the Kernel version. Run the dmesg commands with the sudo privileges in the following way to check the Kernel version:
Check Linux Kernel version using the hostnamectl command
The hostnamectl is a very useful command that is primarily used to change the system hostname. Additionally, it also shows the Kernel version.
Specifically, to only check the Kernel version, use the grep command with hostnamectl:
Check Linux Kernel version using the /proc/version file
The proc file system is a virtual file system that is created when the system is started, and it vanishes when the system shutdown. In the /proc file system, the Linux Kernel information is stored in the version file. The cat command can be used for printing the version file system content.
Type the below-given command to check the Linux Kernel version:
Conclusion
The article explains the various commands that we can use to check the installed Linux Kernel version. These commands work on various Linux distributions like Debian, CentOS, Fedora, Linux Mint, etc.
About the author
Kamran Sattar Awaisi
I am a software engineer and a research scholar. I like to write article and make tutorial on various IT topics including Python, Cloud Computing, Fog Computing and Deep Learning. I love to use Linux based operating systems.