This article documents the version history of the Linux kernel. The
Linux kernel is a
free and open-source,
monolithic
A monolith is a monument or natural feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock.
Monolith or monolithic may also refer to:
Architecture
* Monolithic architecture, a style of construction in which a building is carved, cast or excavated ...
,
Unix-like
A Unix-like (sometimes referred to as UN*X or *nix) operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, although not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification. A Unix-li ...
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also i ...
kernel
Kernel may refer to:
Computing
* Kernel (operating system), the central component of most operating systems
* Kernel (image processing), a matrix used for image convolution
* Compute kernel, in GPGPU programming
* Kernel method, in machine learn ...
. It was conceived and created in 1991 by
Linus Torvalds
Linus Benedict Torvalds ( , ; born 28 December 1969) is a Finnish software engineer who is the creator and, historically, the lead developer of the Linux kernel, used by Linux distributions and other operating systems such as Android. He also ...
.
Linux kernels have different support levels depending on the version. The oldest currently-supported version, 4.9, released in December 2016, was declared to have six years of
Long-Term Support (LTS), followed by Super-Long-Term Support (SLTS), i.e. Civil Infrastructure Platform will provide support (for
32-bit ARM and
x86-64
x86-64 (also known as x64, x86_64, AMD64, and Intel 64) is a 64-bit version of the x86 instruction set, first released in 1999. It introduced two new modes of operation, 64-bit mode and compatibility mode, along with a new 4-level paging ...
only) until at least 2026, possibly until 2036.
Releases 6.x.y
Releases 5.x.y
Releases 4.x.y
Releases 3.x.y
The jump from 2.6.x to 3.x wasn't because of a breaking update, but rather the first release of a new versioning scheme introduced as a more convenient system.
Releases 2.6.x.y
Versions 2.6.16 and 2.6.27 of the Linux kernel were unofficially supported in a
long-term support
Long-term support (LTS) is a product lifecycle management policy in which a stable release of computer software is maintained for a longer period of time than the standard edition. The term is typically reserved for open-source software, where i ...
(LTS) fashion, before a 2011
working group
A working group, or working party, is a group of experts working together to achieve specified goals. The groups are domain-specific and focus on discussion or activity around a specific subject area. The term can sometimes refer to an interdis ...
in the
Linux Foundation started a formal long-term support initiative.
Releases before 2.6.0
ImageSize = width:699 height:328
PlotArea = right:0 left:0 bottom:32 top:24
AlignBars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/07/1991 till:01/08/2011
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
Legend = left:5 top:15 columnwidth:115
Colors =
id:Minor value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8)
id:Major value:rgb(0.6,0.6,0.6)
id:DEV value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8) Legend:Development
id:SUPPORT value:rgb(0.6,0.9,0.6) Legend:Supported
id:LTS value:rgb(0.6,0.8,0.9) Legend:LTS
BackgroundColors = canvas:white
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:Minor unit:year increment:1 start:01/07/1992
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:Major unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1992
PlotData =
width:14 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:M
bar:2.4.37
color:LTS from:02/12/2008 till:18/12/2010 text:2.4.37.x
bar:2.4.36
color:LTS from:01/01/2008 till:09/11/2008 text:2.4.36.x
bar:2.4.35
color:LTS from:26/07/2007 till:17/12/2007 text:2.4.35.x
bar:2.4.34
color:LTS from:23/12/2006 till:22/07/2007 text:2.4.34.x
bar:2.4.33
color:LTS from:13/08/2006 till:22/12/2006 text:2.4.33.x
bar:2.4
color:DEV from:15/03/2000 till:04/01/2001 text:2.4.x
color:SUPPORT from:04/01/2001 till:16/11/2005
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/testing/
bar:2.3
color:SUPPORT from:11/05/1999 till:11/03/2000 text:2.3.x
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.3/
bar:2.2
color:DEV from:30/12/1998 till:26/01/1999 text:2.2.x
color:SUPPORT from:26/01/1999 till:24/02/2004
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.2/
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/testing/old/v2.2/
bar:2.1
color:SUPPORT from:30/09/1996 till:22/12/1998 text:2.1.x
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.1/
bar:2.0
color:DEV from:12/05/1996 till:09/06/1996 text:2.0.x
color:SUPPORT from:09/06/1996 till:08/02/2004
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.0/
bar:1.3
color:SUPPORT from:12/06/1995 till:10/05/1996 text:1.3.x
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v1.3/
bar:1.2
color:SUPPORT from:07/03/1995 till:02/08/1995 text:1.2.x
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v1.2/
bar:1.1
color:SUPPORT from:06/04/1994 till:02/03/1995 text:1.1.x
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v1.1/
bar:1.0
color:DEV from:13/12/1992 till:13/03/1994 text:1.0.x
color:SUPPORT from:13/03/1994 till:16/04/1994
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v1.0/
bar:0.99
color:SUPPORT from:13/12/1992 till:03/02/1994 text:0.99.x
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/Historic/v0.99/
bar:0.9
color:SUPPORT from:08/03/1992 till:28/09/1992 text:0.9x
# https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/Historic/old-versions/
bar:0.1
color:SUPPORT from:17/09/1991 till:12/01/1992 text:≤0.12
See also
*
Linux adoption
*
Linux kernel
*
History of Linux
Linux began in 1991 as a personal project by Finnish student Linus Torvalds: to create a new free operating system kernel. The resulting Linux kernel has been marked by constant growth throughout its history. Since the initial release of its sour ...
*
Timeline of free and open-source software
References
External links
Official Linux kernel website on the official Linux kernel website
Linux versions changelog in Linux Kernel Newbies
{{Timelines of computing
Linux kernel
Software version histories