Supported distributions & lifecycle status

Every Linux distribution KernelCare patches, grouped by family and lifecycle status. Cloud images, architectures and special kernel lines are shown as tags on each version. Find your distro and see whether it’s actively patched.

Patches

How coverage works

The lifecycle behind each status

Coverage is predictable by design. A branch only changes state against published criteria, with advance notice, and there is always a path to ask for it back.

Actively patched Active

Full KernelCare for every in-scope CVE, on a schedule with an SLA. The default state for a distribution we onboard and keep supporting.

Paused Paused

No new patches, but existing patches remain installable and the branch stays in the active tree — so patching can resume cheaply if the situation changes.

Retired Discontinued

No new patches; existing patches remain installable, but the branch leaves the active tree — signaling no plan to resume. Triggered by a Legacy classification.

What makes a branch Legacy

  • Upstream vendor stopped updates and no update in 12 months, or
  • Updates exist but are subscription-only (ELS / ESM), the upstream longterm kernel is EOL, and no close code analog is still updated, or
  • For mainline-based kernels, the upstream stable / longterm branch is no longer supported.

Notice, cadence & asking for coverage back

📢 6-month notice
At least six months’ warning before any branch moves from Active to Paused or Discontinued.
→
🗓️ Quarterly batch
Lifecycle changes are batched and announced at most once per quarter to avoid surprise churn.
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🔁 Pushback path
Rely on a paused or retired branch? Ask your Account Manager — the bar to extend or resume is intentionally low.
Check your kernel

Not sure if your kernel is covered? Run this on the server to check whether it’s supported:

On older systems without python3, use python.

$curl -s -L https://kernelcare.com/checker | python3