Important updates to our hosted kernels

3.18 is now the default kernel on the HVM platform

Linux kernel 3.18 is now the new default on the HVM platform, replacing 3.12.

Docker usage is now easier out-of-the-box on the HVM platform, since 3.18 supports the “overlay” storage engine. You can learn more about Docker usage on our platform from our Wiki.

Deprecation warning on 3.10 kernel, including AUFS (Xen platform)

On March 10, 2016, we will be upgrading the kernel to 3.10.96. The new version includes security fixes (also related to CVE-2016-0728) but will, notably, drop AUFS support.

If you are using AUFS technology and wish to continue using it, please note that once the update goes through, your system may not function properly and we nonetheless recommend migrating to our HVM platform.

Users wishing to continue using AUFS technology can opt to use their own kernel with the “raw” or “grub” boot options.

Docker users that don’t need AUFS can also migrate to HVM and use the 3.18 kernel with their current system, which supports the the “overlay” storage engine by default, but does require you to tweak Docker settings.

You can learn more about migrating to the new HVM platform and more about Docker usage from our Wiki.

Security patch and minor version upgrades to 3.2, 3.12 and 3.18

Xen platform kernel 3.2 has been upgraded to 3.2.76 and HVM platform kernels 3.12 and 3.18 have been upgraded to 3.12.53 and 3.18.26. To start using the new versions, just reboot your server.

EOL warning on grsecurity-enabled kernels

On March 10, 2016 we will remove our “grsec” kernels (2.6.32-x86_64-grsec and 3.2-x86_64-grsec) from the platform, following recently announced updates to grsecurity’s distribution policy.

On this date, “non-grsec” kernel versions will become the default.

Users who wish to continue using these features can use the “raw” and “grub” boot options on our HVM platform[1] to set up their systems with custom kernels.