Linux 7.3.4, 6.18.63, and 6.12.117 stable kernels released with combined 3,640+ patches

Greg Kroah-Hartman has published three new stable Linux kernel releases: 7.3.4, 6.18.63, and 6.12.117. The 7.3.4 release incorporates more than 1,250 patches, 6.18.63 contains over 860 patches, and the long-term support 6.12.117 release includes more than 1,530 patches. These updates deliver accumulated bug fixes, driver corrections, and security patches backported from mainline development to supported stable branches.

Users and distributions tracking these kernel series should plan upgrades to incorporate the corrections. The 6.12 series remains a long-term support kernel, making 6.12.117 particularly significant for enterprises and distributions with extended maintenance requirements. The patch volumes indicate substantial maintenance activity across all three supported release lines.

Stable kernel patch distribution and maintenance scope

• 7.3.4 series: More than 1,250 patches backported to the current stable branch, representing the largest volume of fixes for the leading-edge stable kernel.
• 6.18.63 series: Over 860 patches applied to this intermediate stable branch, continuing maintenance for distributions and users not yet on 7.x.
• 6.12.117 series: More than 1,530 patches for the long-term support kernel, the highest patch count of the three releases, reflecting sustained backporting effort for the extended-support branch.
• Maintenance model: All three releases follow the Linux stable kernel maintenance process where Greg Kroah-Hartman coordinates backports of verified fixes from mainline to supported stable branches.
• Upgrade recommendation: Users of these kernel series are explicitly encouraged to upgrade to receive the accumulated corrections.

Why it matters

Linux distributions and system administrators depend on stable kernel releases for reliable security and bug fix delivery without the instability risk of mainline kernels. The substantial patch counts, particularly the 1,530+ patches in 6.12.117, demonstrate continued investment in long-term kernel maintenance that underpins enterprise Linux deployments and distribution LTS offerings. Steam Deck and other consumer Linux devices tracking stable kernels will eventually receive these fixes through their distribution update channels.