Linux kernel question

[cinelli]

I am running linux Mint 20 Cinnamon and am regularly offered software updates, occasionally including a new kernel. At the moment I am running kernel 5.4.0-99 and have an to option to upgrade to 5.4.0-100 which is marked as being supported until April 2025. But in the update manager, other kernels are available, namely

series 5.8.0-xx, all marked "end of life"
series 5.11.0-xx. The latest xx is 46, supported to Feb 22
series 5.13.0-xx. The latest xx is 30, supported to Aug 22

Now the 5.11 and 5.13 series are presumably more recent than 5.4 but I am never offered them as routine software updates. It seems odd that the 5.4 kernel has a much longer support life than the others. Does anyone know why there is this choice of kernel? Is there a logic to this numbering scheme? Is there an advantage in going for 5.11.0-46 or 5.13.0-30? Thanks.

Cinelli

[GrahamPlatt]

When you say “Cinnamon”, do you mean Una? Because that’s the latest in the Cinnamon line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Mint

Intrigued re kernels - not to be found in the Wiki article - I had a search around. This seems to be the best answer yet:
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=353283
It seems likely that you have an LTS kernel. The others are HWE, which are “provisional”.

I may be wrong...

[tsr2]

Now the 5.11 and 5.13 series are presumably more recent than 5.4 but I am never offered them as routine software updates. It seems odd that the 5.4 kernel has a much longer support life than the others. Does anyone know why there is this choice of kernel? Is there a logic to this numbering scheme? Is there an advantage in going for 5.11.0-46 or 5.13.0-30? Thanks.

Every year a specific kernel release is chosen for Long Term Support (LTS), as a way of managing the support workload.

5.4 is the LTS release for 2019, 5.10 for 2020 and 5.15 for 2021.

Theer's going to be little advantage to a newer kernel. Maybe a small performance improvement and some support for devices that aren't supported by earlier kernels.

[cinelli]

When you say “Cinnamon”, do you mean Una? Because that’s the latest in the Cinnamon line.

Actually I am running Ulyana.

Cinelli