this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I feel it was a direct reply to the comment above.
Dinosaurs don't want to give up their extended LTS kernels because upgrading is a hassle and often requires rebooting, occasionally to a bad state.
So how can you bring your userbase forward so you don't have to keep slapping security patches onto an ancient kernel?
At no point did it mention livepatching.
No, Dinosaurs want LTS because it's stable; it's in the name.
You can't have your proprietary shitware kernel module in any kernel other than the ABI it's made for. You can't run your proprietary legacy service heap of crap on newer kernels where the kernel APIs function slightly differently.
That still has nothing to do with livepatching.
Mostly they want LTS because if they never upgrade nobody can blame them for the failures that are happening because "not doing things" is seen as less blame-worthy than "doing things". Actual stability is not achieved by running ancient version numbers with backported fixes. Nor is it achieved by never rebooting and then wondering why nothing works when you are inevitably forced to reboot by some unpreventable external circumstance. Actual stability is achieved by testing updates before applying them and doing so frequently so increments are small and causes of problems thus easily identifiable and fixable.
Amen.