Linux Kernel 5.4 Reaches End of Life: What Server Admins Need to Know

One of the most widely deployed Linux kernels has officially reached the end of its lifecycle. The maintainers of the Linux kernel have confirmed that Linux 5.4, once a cornerstone of countless servers, desktops, and embedded devices, is now end-of-life (EOL). After years of long-term support, this significant branch has been retired.

What Does End of Life Mean?

When a Linux kernel reaches EOL, it means:

• No more security patches – Critical vulnerabilities will no longer be fixed
• No bug fixes – Any remaining bugs will not be addressed
• No driver updates – Hardware support will not improve
• Potential compliance issues – Running EOL software may violate security policies

Why Linux 5.4 Was Important

Linux kernel 5.4 was released in November 2019 and became an LTS (Long Term Support) release. It introduced several groundbreaking features:

• ExFAT support – Native filesystem support for better Windows compatibility
• Kernel lockdown mode – Enhanced security for verified boot
• io_uring – High-performance asynchronous I/O interface
• FSCRYPT v2 – Improved filesystem encryption
• virtio-fs – Better file sharing for virtual machines

Who Is Affected?

Several enterprise distributions were based on or included Linux 5.4:

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS – Though Ubuntu provides its own kernel maintenance
• Debian 10 (Buster) – Already EOL in June 2024
• Many embedded devices – IoT devices, routers, and appliances
• Cloud instances – Some older AMIs and VM images

What Should You Do?

1. Audit Your Systems

First, identify which systems are running kernel 5.4:

uname -r

If the output shows 5.4.x, you need to plan an upgrade.

2. Plan Your Migration Path

Consider upgrading to one of the current LTS kernels:

• Linux 6.6 LTS – Supported until December 2026
• Linux 6.12 LTS – Supported until December 2028
• Linux 6.18 LTS – Newly announced, supported until December 2027

3. Upgrade Your Distribution

The easiest path is often upgrading your entire distribution:

• Ubuntu 20.04 → Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• Debian 10 → Debian 12 (Bookworm)
• CentOS/RHEL → RHEL 9 or Rocky Linux 9

Current LTS Kernel Schedule

Here are the currently supported LTS kernels as of December 2025:

Conclusion

The end of Linux kernel 5.4 marks the closing of an important chapter in Linux history. While it served millions of systems reliably for years, it is now time to move forward. System administrators should prioritize upgrading to a supported kernel to maintain security and compliance. The good news is that newer kernels bring significant performance improvements, better hardware support, and enhanced security features.

Do not delay – running an EOL kernel puts your systems at risk. Start planning your migration today.