Linux Kernel 3.18 Reaches End of Life, Users Urged to Move to Linux 4.9 or 4.4

Today, February 8, 2017, renowned Linux kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman put an end to the release cycle of the long-term support (LTS) Linux 3.18 kernel series by releasing what appears to be the last hotfix.

Linux kernel 3.18.48 LTS is here and it's the last in the series, which was marked for a January 2017 extinction since mid-April last year. According to the appended shortlog, the new patch changes a total of 50 files, with 159 insertions and 351 deletions.

It brings an updated networking stack with Bluetooth, Bridge, IPv4, IPv6, CAIF, and Netfilter improvements, a couple of x86 fixes, and a bunch of updated USB, SCSI, ATA, media, GPU, ATM, HID, MTD, SPI, and networking (Ethernet and Wireless) drivers.

You need to upgrade to Linux kernel 4.9 LTS or 4.4 LTS now

Of course, this being the last maintenance update in the series, you are urged to move to a newer LTS branch, such as Linux kernel 4.9 or 4.4, which are far more secure and perfor...