Linux kernel version

[fantom]

The latest firmware is running 4.1.27 and the entire 4.1 family was EOL over a year ago. Anyone knows if there is an expectation/plan that the kernel will be upgraded by ASUS or it will just stay on an unsupported version forever?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Search the forum. This question has been asked and answered many times over.

 

[sfx2000]

The latest firmware is running 4.1.27 and the entire 4.1 family was EOL over a year ago. Anyone knows if there is an expectation/plan that the kernel will be upgraded by ASUS or it will just stay on an unsupported version forever?

Upstream with Asus and the chipset providers...

One doesn't always be on the tip - changes there can break other things.

 

[RMerlin]

The latest firmware is running 4.1.27

The kernel is determined by the SDK and the platform, not by the firmware. 4.1.27 is used by the RT-AC86U, the RT-AX88U uses 4.1.51, and the RT-AX89U will be on 4.4 (if my memory's right). Just like Broadcom SDK6.37 and SDK7 models are on 2.6.36.

Kernel versions are never upgraded, because they are dictated by the SDK used for the specific device. This is the norm in the embedded world. Smartphones for instance never get kernel upgrades even when moving to newer Android versions, they will always stick to the kernel release that was used by the SDK of the used SoC during design time.

There is no reason to upgrade a kernel in an embedded device really. Security fixes can be backported without requiring redesigning everything to deal with the kernel changes of newer versions.

 

[fantom]

The kernel is determined by the SDK and the platform, not by the firmware. 4.1.27 is used by the RT-AC86U, the RT-AX88U uses 4.1.51, and the RT-AX89U will be on 4.4 (if my memory's right). Just like Broadcom SDK6.37 and SDK7 models are on 2.6.36, and none of these ever has, nor ever will change kernel version.

Thx, I got the idea now...

 

[Odkrys]

One thing I know is synology rt2600ac.
It gained kernel upgrade to 4.4.60 from 3.4.103.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/dsgpl/files/SRM 1.1 Tool Chains/
https://sourceforge.net/projects/dsgpl/files/SRM 1.2 Tool Chains/

 

[RMerlin]

One thing I know is synology rt2600ac.
It gained kernel upgrade to 4.4.60 from 3.4.103.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/dsgpl/files/SRM 1.1 Tool Chains/
https://sourceforge.net/projects/dsgpl/files/SRM 1.2 Tool Chains/

Maybe Qualcomm upgrades their SDKs from time to time. I know that unlike Broadcom, they don't implement a ton of kernel patches in their SDK, which is what makes it impossible to upgrade the kernel on a BCM-based device. Try diffing the HND kernel sources with vanilla kernel for a good scare...