It’s fairly easy to build your own kernel packages from vanilla sources in Debian. I’m running the latest 7.0.x within a few hours of its release. The build takes about 30-45 minutes depending on how much time I spend on skimming the ChangeLog. YMMV.
Wouldn't Forky/14 have this or newer when it releases next year? Debian moves slow - deliberately so, if you want fast use Arch or Fedora - but it does move.
Not a serious question but I'll give a serious answer anyway.
The last time I worried over which kernel was used in Debian Stable was... never. If I want a more recent kernel I run Debian unstable (Sid) which currently is at 7.0.12 (the current 'stable' kernel where 7.1 is 'mainline') but on my servers Stable (currently 'Trixie') does just fine with its 6.17.3 kernel. Debian 'Forky' will be released somewhere in 2027 with either a 7.0.x or 7.1.x kernel depending on how things go. The current kernel used in 'testing' (which will become 'stable' on the next release) is 7.0.10.
People don't usually understand that apt allows you to configure multiple sources across versions simultaneously, so you can e.g. run stable, but also selectively install from backports or unstable.
To do so, add the sources for trixie-backports and unstable, and add the following configuration (e.g. /etc/apt/preferences.d/trixie-sid-pin) so that the system knows which sources your prefer:
# Default to trixie
Package: *
Pin: release n=trixie
Pin-Priority: 990
# Very low priority for sid
Package: *
Pin: release n=unstable
Pin-Priority: 100
# Give backports medium priority
Package: *
Pin: release n=trixie-backports
Pin-Priority: 500
Now the system can access the latest kernel from unstable (and backports), while keeping everything else on stable:
Is there anything particularly interesting about this? The first number of the version changes when the second number gets too big, not for any other reason.
- "Anyway, possible slight hiccups in the merge window aside, the news
today is 7.1."
- "nothing particularly interesting or scary stands out, which is as it should
be."
Is it safe to assume we can see this in Debian Stable around 2036?
The most recent Linux kernel releases are: 7.1, 7.0, 6.19, 6.18, …:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel_version_history
7.0 is already present in forky (current testing), and available as a backport for trixie (current stable):
* https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=linux-image-amd6...
* https://packages.debian.org/trixie-backports/linux-image-amd...
The default kernel for trixie/stable is 6.12, initially released in November 2024, and officially supported upstream until December 2028.
It’s fairly easy to build your own kernel packages from vanilla sources in Debian. I’m running the latest 7.0.x within a few hours of its release. The build takes about 30-45 minutes depending on how much time I spend on skimming the ChangeLog. YMMV.
I miss the days when my 486 took about 12 hours to compile a kernel
Or it took >15 minutes to generate PGP 2.x private keys due to entropy generation and prime calculations/tests.
what about your carbon footprint
Wouldn't Forky/14 have this or newer when it releases next year? Debian moves slow - deliberately so, if you want fast use Arch or Fedora - but it does move.
Not a serious question but I'll give a serious answer anyway.
The last time I worried over which kernel was used in Debian Stable was... never. If I want a more recent kernel I run Debian unstable (Sid) which currently is at 7.0.12 (the current 'stable' kernel where 7.1 is 'mainline') but on my servers Stable (currently 'Trixie') does just fine with its 6.17.3 kernel. Debian 'Forky' will be released somewhere in 2027 with either a 7.0.x or 7.1.x kernel depending on how things go. The current kernel used in 'testing' (which will become 'stable' on the next release) is 7.0.10.
People don't usually understand that apt allows you to configure multiple sources across versions simultaneously, so you can e.g. run stable, but also selectively install from backports or unstable.
To do so, add the sources for trixie-backports and unstable, and add the following configuration (e.g. /etc/apt/preferences.d/trixie-sid-pin) so that the system knows which sources your prefer:
Now the system can access the latest kernel from unstable (and backports), while keeping everything else on stable: I believe the kernel in backports gets updated only after it is live in unstable for at least a week, which lately still feels like forever.Is there anything particularly interesting about this? The first number of the version changes when the second number gets too big, not for any other reason.
Breaking: Linus is on travel.
Did I miss something about this or is it just another number?
- "Anyway, possible slight hiccups in the merge window aside, the news today is 7.1." - "nothing particularly interesting or scary stands out, which is as it should be."
So, a number.