AL2 kernel
Important
On 2026-01-20, Amazon Linux will update its default kernel from 4.14 to
5.10 for the Amazon Linux 2 base AMI (amzn2-ami-hvm-x86_64-gp2
and amzn2-ami-hvm-arm64-gp2), reflecting our long-standing
recommendation that all AL2 customers use kernel 5.10 as their default.
This means that customers launching new EC2 instances using these standard
AMI names will automatically receive kernel 5.10, benefiting from enhanced
performance, security improvements, and better hardware support without
requiring any explicit action.
We will continue providing kernel 4.14 updates through Amazon Linux 2's
end-of-life on 2026-06-30, and customers who specifically need kernel
4.14 can continue using the dedicated AMI names (amzn2-ami-kernel-4.14-hvm-x86_64-gp2
and amzn2-ami-kernel-4.14-hvm-arm64-gp2) to ensure their
workloads remain unaffected.
AL2 originally shipped with a 4.14 kernel, with version 5.10 as the current default. If you are still using a 4.14 kernel, you are encouraged to migrate to the 5.10 kernel.
Kernel live patching is supported on AL2.
