For Android users, this meant that devices running 4.14.117 were protected against a wave of speculative execution attacks that plagued earlier kernels.
| Area | Observation | |------|-------------| | | Stable with minor OOM improvements over .110. | | Scheduler (CFS) | No major regressions; EAS (Energy-Aware Scheduling) functional on arm64. | | Storage (F2FS) | Fixed a data corruption bug affecting encrypted F2FS partitions. | | Power management | Suspend/resume cycle improved for QCOM platforms. | | Known bug | Rare sdcardfs deadlock when unmounting (Android-specific). |
Keeping older flagship phones secure and functional via custom software communities.
The ACK source is housed in Google's kernel/common repository. It serves as a stable base that device manufacturers can adopt, saving them from having to maintain their own kernel from scratch. kernel version 4.14.117 android
The Linux kernel, at its core, is the great conductor of the device orchestra. It is the first piece of software that loads after the bootloader, and it mediates every single interaction between the hardware (CPU, memory, camera, touchscreen) and the software (apps, system services). Version 4.14, released by Linus Torvalds in November 2017, was designated a release. This designation is crucial. It means that the Linux Foundation's community, including developers from Google, Samsung, Qualcomm, and others, agreed to backport security fixes and critical bug patches for years—typically six years or more.
✅ Recommendation: If deploying a new build, upgrade to (final LTS) or backport critical post-.117 patches.
All Android kernels are based on upstream Linux LTS kernels. Google combines these with Android-specific patches to form what are known as . For devices launching with Android 9, the core requirements explicitly state that any kernel based on the 4.14 LTS line must include the 4.14.42 release or higher . Kernel 4.14.117, released on May 7, 2019, meets this requirement, as it includes 75 patches on top of the baseline release. For Android 11, the 4.14 branch remained a valid "launch kernel" option alongside newer versions like 4.19 and 5.4. For Android users, this meant that devices running 4
# On device adb shell uname -a # Expected: Linux localhost 4.14.117-... #1 SMP PREEMPT ...
The Linux kernel version is a specific stable point release within the 4.14 Long Term Support (LTS)
Have a device still running kernel 4.14.117? Share your experience and security patch level in the comments below — your input helps others assess their own risk. | | Storage (F2FS) | Fixed a data
Released on , the .117 sublevel brought essential stability and security patches to the 4.14 series. Notable broad features inherited from the 4.14 branch include:
The Microsoft Surface Duo update serves as a perfect real-world example of why a kernel version like 4.14.117 matters. While the update brought improvements to call and touch stability, its primary function was to .
Proper memory management prevents background apps from closing aggressively. Kernel 4.14.117 supports explicit memory pressure stalls (PSI), allowing Android's user-space LMKD to make smarter decisions about which background processes to terminate, preserving multitasking capabilities. Why Kernel 4.14.117 Matters for Custom ROMs and Modding
While modern flagship phones have moved on to kernels like 5.10, 5.15, or 6.1, kernel 4.14.117 remains incredibly vital in the custom development community (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience). Reviving Older Hardware
