Perl 5.38 End of Life
Support dates and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
End of Life
Perl 5.38 reached end of life on 2 Jul 2026. It no longer receives security fixes.
38 days without security patches
Recommended action: upgrade to Perl 5.44. Check your versionperl -v
Support timeline
Official dates from the Perl release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 2 Jul 2023 | — |
| End of life | 2 Jul 2026 | 0.1 years ago |
| Active support ended | 3 Jul 2025 | security fixes only after this |
| Latest release | 5.38.5 · 3 Aug 2025 | final |
Where to go from 5.38
Recommended target: Perl 5.44 (supported until 15 Jul 2029).
The newest actively supported branch is Perl 5.44 (latest release 5.44.0).
Frequently asked questions
Is Perl 5.38 still safe to use?
Perl 5.38 reached end of life on 2 Jul 2026, 38 days ago, and is no longer covered by standard support. Running it means no guaranteed security fixes.
Can I still download Perl 5.38?
Yes — the final release (5.38.5) generally remains available from vendor archives and OS package mirrors, but installing it means running software with known, unpatched vulnerabilities.
What should I upgrade Perl 5.38 to?
Upgrade to Perl 5.44, the newest actively supported branch (supported until 15 Jul 2029).