On 2024-04-16, Dale <rdalek1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've never understood what is supported long term either. I use
> gentoo-sources. I've never figured out just how to pick a kernel that
> is supposed to be stable for the larger version. In other words, only
> security and bug fixes, no new hardware. Right now, 6.8.5 is the
> highest version in the tree here but there are more versions of it to
> come. So, I tend to go back to 6.7.X and pick the highest version of
> that. The first two digits used to mean something but I think that
> changed a long time ago.
Any gentoo-soruces ebuild that's "stable" is an upstream LTS kernel.
The 6.8 version of gentoo-sources are all "testing". They're "stable"
on kernel.org, but theyre _not_ LTS. I think I read that 6.8 is
expected to become the next LTS, but I don't really pay attention.
> I try to avoid the absolute latest because my video drivers tend to lag
> behind a little. They won't emerge for anything very new sometimes.
> That's why I go back a little as described above. Thing is, I have no
> idea if that is the right way or if it really even matters if I pick
> 6.8.1 over 6.7.12 or vice versa.
Neither are stable in Gentoo. Neither are longterm on kernel.org.
6.8 is stable on kernel.org. 6.7 is EOL on kernel.org. I would only
choose 6.7 as a last resort. I would only choose 6.8 if the latest
longterm (6.6) won't work.
> I wish they were clearly marked somehow myself. Something in the name
> that shows it is stable. Given I rarely have problems with kernels,
> maybe none of this matters. Thing is, I plan to build a new rig soon.
> Might help then. Maybe.
Look at
https://packages.gentoo.org/packages/sys-kernel/gentoo-sources
The ones in green are the kernel.org "longterm" supported kernel
versions that are stable in Gentoo.
Here you can see which ones are lonterm, stable, mainline, and EOL
upstream:
https://kernel.org/
I would never run something that's not longterm unless there's a
specific reason you have to choose something else. If you have to pick
something that's not longterm, go with "stable" and not EOL if you
can.
