Re: Linux 4.4.302

[Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>]

On Thu, Feb 17, 2022 at 09:55:50PM +0100, Pavel Machek wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> > I'm announcing the release of the 4.4.302 kernel.
> > 
> > This kernel branch is now END-OF-LIFE.  It will not be getting any more
> > updates from the kernel stable team, and will most likely quickly become
> > insecure and out-of-date.  Do not use it anymore unless you really know
> > what you are doing.
> > 
> > Note, the CIP project at https://www.cip-project.org/ is considering to
> > maintain the 4.4 branch in a limited capability going forward.  If you
> > really need to use this kernel version, please contact them.
> 
> Yes, please; feel free to contact us.
> 
> Greg, we'll likely keep maintaining "stable 4.4.X" separately from
> "stable + changes for cip hardware, aka 4.4.X-cipY". Would it be okay
> if we simply kept tagging those kernels as 4.4.303 / 4.4.304 / ...?

No, please do not.  Just call them 4.4.302-cipY as there is no need to
even attempt to keep 4.4 alive for non-cip platforms at all anymore.  If
you were to keep incrementing the number, that will cause confusion and
people would think that it would be a general-purpose release like was
previously done, when that is going to be impossible for you all to keep
alive.

> CIP project is committed to maintain 4.4.x kernel till January of 2027
> [1]. We are maintaining -cip branch [2], that is stable kernel with about
> 1000 of patches to support our reference hardware [3] and -cip-rt
> branch, with is merge of -rt and -cip trees.

Hah, good luck!

> If you for some reason need 4.4.x with bug and security fixes, and are
> running similar hardware to our reference hardware (x86-64 and armv7),
> -cip tree may be good base for that work. Testing of the -cip tree is
> welcome, as is joining the CIP project.

I agree, people should join the CIP project and work with you all if
they really want to keep using 4.4

thanks,

greg k-h