NetBSD 5 End of Life
Support dates and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
End of Life
NetBSD 5 reached end of life on 11 Nov 2015. It no longer receives security fixes.
3,924 days without security patches
Recommended action: upgrade to NetBSD 11. Check your versionuname -r
Support timeline
Official dates from the NetBSD release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 29 Apr 2009 | — |
| End of life | 11 Nov 2015 | 10.8 years ago |
| Active support ended | 17 Oct 2012 | security fixes only after this |
| Latest release | 5.2.3 · 15 Nov 2014 | final |
Where to go from 5
Recommended target: NetBSD 11.
The newest actively supported branch is NetBSD 11 (latest release 11.0).
Frequently asked questions
Is NetBSD 5 still safe to use?
NetBSD 5 reached end of life on 11 Nov 2015, 3,924 days ago, and is no longer covered by standard support. Running it means no guaranteed security fixes.
Can I still download NetBSD 5?
Yes — the final release (5.2.3) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade NetBSD 5 to?
Upgrade to NetBSD 11, the newest actively supported branch.