Arch Linux

ArchEr9

Member

Registered: 2025-03-18

Posts: 39

Difference between linux-hardened kernel, linux kernel and linux-lts

There are 3 kernels that are available in the Arch core and extra repositories
1) Linux stable Kernel: Currently the most recent version 6.13.8
2) Linux-hardened: Linux hardened kernel version  6.13.7
3) Linux LTS kernel: The LTS kernel version 6.12.20-1

Is there a list maintained that what parameters are set in each of these kernels? For example in the Linux-hardened it known that init_on_alloc and init_on_free are enabled by default. But what is not known are all the enabled of disabled flags/capabilities in the Linux hardened Kernel as compared to the LTS Kernel or stable kernel.

So is there a complete list of all the flags and configuration/flags that are changed for Linux-hardened kernel? And similarly is there a list of flags or capabilities that have been modified in the LTS as well as mainline kernel? A blog or some thread in a forum or some mailing list post?

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Edited
removed reference from mainline to stable as per the observation of a reply

Last edited by ArchEr9 (2025-03-26 11:59:17)

BS86

Member

Registered: 2022-11-03

Posts: 97

Re: Difference between linux-hardened kernel, linux kernel and linux-lts

The config files are all found here:
https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … g/packages

gromit

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From: Germany

Registered: 2024-02-10

Posts: 1,523

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Re: Difference between linux-hardened kernel, linux kernel and linux-lts

6.13.8 is not the mainline kernel but the stable kernel which is derived from mainline: https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html

ArchEr9

Member

Registered: 2025-03-18

Posts: 39

Re: Difference between linux-hardened kernel, linux kernel and linux-lts

6.13.8 is not the mainline kernel but the stable kernel which is derived from mainline: https://www.kernel.org/category/releases.html

Modified the post.

gromit

Administrator

From: Germany

Registered: 2024-02-10

Posts: 1,523

Website

Re: Difference between linux-hardened kernel, linux kernel and linux-lts

Linux hardened is also not just another set of configuration options in "config" but also a whole patchset of extra things if I remember correctly ...
You can view the configs as bs86 referenced above or run "zcat /proc/config.gz" with the kernel when you boot from it.