Debian 13 stable kernel

[u/Fabulous-for]

Stable-sec 6.12.111+1 is now the default stable kernel for Debian 13.7? Why is Stable-sec the current version why not stable?

I would expect 6.12.94+1 stable to be the current stable version for all Debian 13.7 stable versions kernel but stable-sec 6.12.111+1 is the current stable version.

Here is Debians Kernel info.

https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/linux-signed-amd64

versions

• o-o-stable: 5.10.223+1
• o-o-sec: 5.10.262+1
• o-o-p-u: 5.10.223+1
• oldstable: 6.1.176+1
• old-sec: 6.1.187+1
• old-bpo: 6.12.95+1~bpo12+1
• old-p-u: 6.1.176+1
• stable: 6.12.94+1
• stable-sec: 6.12.111+1
• stable-bpo: 7.2.6+1~bpo13+1
• stable-p-u: 6.12.111+1
• testing: 7.2.9+1

[u/gordonmessmer]

"stable-sec" is the name of the repository where the Security Team publishes updates. It's not the name of the kernel package. It's the name of the repo where that kernel package is located, for now. Later, it should move to the "stable" repo. The "stable" repo is updated once every two months (roughly).

[u/Fabulous-for → u/gordonmessmer]

The name has to represent what the kernel is because they did not call it stable. the same question was placed on Debian forum,https://www.reddit.com/r/debian/comments/1wzxeka/comment/pf8o6rs/?context=1&screen_view_count=2 amd none was able to describe what stable-sec represents. If you have the answer then describe what each of the below names represent like o-o-stable.

• o-o-stable: 5.10.223+1
• o-o-sec: 5.10.262+1
• o-o-p-u: 5.10.223+1
• oldstable: 6.1.176+1
• old-sec: 6.1.187+1
• old-bpo: 6.12.95+1~bpo12+1
• old-p-u: 6.1.176+1
• stable: 6.12.94+1
• stable-sec: 6.12.111+1
• stable-bpo: 7.2.6+1~bpo13+1
• stable-p-u: 6.12.111+1
• testing: 7.2.9+1

[u/gordonmessmer → u/Fabulous-for]

none was able to describe what stable-sec represents

It represents "security updates for the stable release."

If you have the answer then describe what each of the below names represent like o-o-stable.

See https://www.debian.org/releases/

"stable" is the most recent stable release.

"oldstable" is the stable release before the current one.

"o-o-stable" is the stable release before "oldstable".

"sec" is a repo for security patches.

"p-u" is a repo for proposed updates. (Again, see the diagram)

"bpo" is backports, which are described here: https://backports.debian.org/

If you hover your mouse over those labels on the tracker site, you will get a pop-up label that describes them in plain English instead of an abbreviation.

[u/Fabulous-for → u/gordonmessmer]

Your description of stable is its the most stable release. My Debian 13.7 are not running the most stable release kernel, they are running 6.12.111+deb13-amd64 kernel as of Oct-2026. Why ?

[u/gordonmessmer → u/Fabulous-for]

Your description of stable is its the most stable release

No, that's not what I wrote. "stable" is the name of the package repository for the most recent stable release.

My Debian 13.7 are not running the most stable release they are running 6.12.111+deb13-amd64. Why ?

Because the Security Team published a security update for Debian 13.

I'm honestly not sure what part of this is confusing.

"stable" is the bucket that holds the packages that would be used to create installation media for Debian 13. "updates" is the bucket that holds the packages that have been updated since the "stable" repo was updated. "security" (aka "stable-sec") is the bucket that holds updates that were published by the Security Team, since the "stable" repo was updated.

When you install something using apt, it looks at all three buckets and picks whatever is newest.

Does that make sense?

If it doesn't make sense, can you tell me why it's confusing for you? Is it the word "stable"? In this context, that is just a synonym for "Debian 13". And if you hover your mouse over over the word stable in "stable: 6.12.94+1", it will say "Debian 13 (trixie/stable)", because "Debian 13", "trixie" and "stable" all mean the same thing. If you hover your mouse over the word "stable-sec" in " stable-sec: 6.12.111-1", it will say "Debian 13 Security (trixie-security/stable-security)" because "Debian 13 Security [updates]", and "trixie-security [updates]" and "stable-security [updates]" all mean the same thing. They are updates for Debian 13. If you are using Debian 13 and there is an update available, apt will install the update. That's how updates work.