Linux kernel 6.1 or 6.6 for OpenWrt 24.x release?

[Daniel Golle]

On Sat, Feb 03, 2024 at 05:42:22PM +0100, Felix Baumann via openwrt-devel wrote:
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> Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2024 17:42:22 +0100
> From: Felix Baumann <felix.baumann at freifunk-aachen.de>
> To: openwrt-devel at lists.openwrt.org
> Subject: Re: Linux kernel 6.1 or 6.6 for OpenWrt 24.x release?
> 
> Hi,
> 
> from what I imagine the maintainance standpoint to be:
> Kernel 6.6 is probably still quick to migrate to. Most targets that already moved, moved early (due to need and due to great work by the devs).
> The targets you listed would take long to switch to the new Kernel regardless of Kernel 6.6 or 6.1
> 
> 6.6 probably requires less maintenance for y'all in the long run (like for the next 3 years atleast due to catching up closer with kernel development) and has more fixes and features.
> The effort for 5.15 stays more or less the same, just a few months longer in the master branch though some targets with higher velocity will likely drop it early and switch to 6.6 fully then.
> 
> There could be a blocker: certain features that are required to be implemented by OpenWrt for certain targets that increase the effort and I don't know about.
> 
> Sure the branch off will take longer, but 23 is at a good point and there's still some stuff left to be ironed out/ stabilized.
> Maybe this means a release in 2025, but maybe it also comes with support for new WiFi and more devices then. 
> 
> I don't have any say in this but I fully support the choice Kernel 6.6. Drop 6.1 over the next months and do no release with it. :)

I just also thought about this in the past days, and as the amount of
backported patched on top of Linux 6.1 is becoming increasingly annoying
I would also be in favor of not doing a release based on Linux 6.1 and go
straight with Linux 6.6. I'd also volunteer to take care of hardware
targets if needed.


> 
> --------
> 
> What can be done from a community stand-point to accelerate rollout of Kernel 6.6 for the targets you listed? Mostly testing and reporting issues or it running fault-free in the corresponding PR?
> What makes it harder for these targets? All the subtargets and their different popularity (like mt7620 and xway/danube)?
> Atleast for ramips it felt like the switch to 5.15 in master had taken longer than it needed to have.
> 
> Regards
> Felix Baumann
> 
> Am 3. Februar 2024 13:06:13 MEZ schrieb Hauke Mehrtens <hauke at hauke-m.de>:
> >Hi,
> >
> >I track the status of the Linux kernel 6.1 migration in this github issue: https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/issues/14546
> >
> >There are still many targets on kernel 5.15 without testing support for kernel 6.1 in OpenWrt master. I assume that we need at least 4 months to get everything to 6.1 and more or less stable. Kernel 6.1 support is also missing for some important targets like lantiq, realtek and ramips.
> >
> >
> >Which kernel should we use for the next major OpenWrt release?
> >We have two options and I would like to get some feedback on these:
> >
> >1. Do the OpenWrt 24.X release with kernel 6.1. Branch off when all or most of the targets are on kernel 6.1 by default.
> >2. Do the OpenWrt 24.X release with kernel 6.6. Branch off when all or most of the targets are on kernel 6.6 by default. Do not do any stable OpenWrt release which supports kernel 6.1.
> >
> >Doing a OpenWrt release with multiple kernels cases too much maintenance effort from my point of view based on previews experience.
> >
> >
> >I think with kernel 6.1 we can branch off at around May 2024. With kernel 6.6 we could probably branch off around September 2024. The final release will be out about 2 to 4 months later.
> >
> >Currently OpenWrt releases are about 1.5 years behind the Linux LTS releases. When we use kernel 6.1 for the next release we will continue to stay 1.5 years behind. When we switch to kernel 6.6 and do not do any release with kernel 6.1 we will probably only stay 10 months behind Linux LTS kernels.
> >
> >There is already a PR requiring kernel 6.6:
> >https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/pull/14357
> >
> >
> >Currently I would prefer to use kernel 6.6 to get closer to the recent Linux LTS releases.
> >
> >Hauke
> >
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> 

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