Lua 5.1 End of Life
Support dates and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
End of Life
Lua 5.1 reached end of life on 17 Feb 2012. It no longer receives security fixes.
5,287 days without security patches
Recommended action: upgrade to Lua 5.5. Check your versionlua -v
Support timeline
Official dates from the Lua release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 21 Feb 2006 | — |
| End of life | 17 Feb 2012 | 14.5 years ago |
| Latest release | 5.1.5 · 17 Feb 2012 | final |
Where to go from 5.1
Recommended target: Lua 5.5.
The newest actively supported branch is Lua 5.5 (latest release 5.5.1).
Frequently asked questions
Is Lua 5.1 still safe to use?
Lua 5.1 reached end of life on 17 Feb 2012, 5,287 days ago, and is no longer covered by standard support. Running it means no guaranteed security fixes.
Can I still download Lua 5.1?
Yes — the final release (5.1.5) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade Lua 5.1 to?
Upgrade to Lua 5.5, the newest actively supported branch.