ZDNET
The latest kernel has arrived, but as you’ve probably already assumed, it won’t be available to Ubuntu distributions for some time. Why is that? Ubuntu has always been a step behind with the latest releases of software because it takes a rather Debian-like approach to upgrades. In other words, stability takes priority.
If you’re itching to test (or use) the latest kernel on Ubuntu (or Ubuntu-based distributions), you’re not out of luck, as you can install the latest kernel, and I’m going to show you how.
Keep in mind that it’s generally best to wait for the kernel to hit the standard repositories for your distribution. But there might be an instance where you need a feature in the latest kernel, or maybe you have new hardware that isn’t fully supported in the older kernels. In that case, you might want the HWE (Hardware Enablement Kernel), which supports newer hardware.
The kernel I will demonstrate this with is version 6.13, which is a mainline kernel.
We’ll start out by checking the currently installed version of the kernel with the command:
The next thing we’ll do is create a folder to house the downloaded files. Do that with the command:
The mainline kernel files can be downloaded from the mainline site. You’ll want to make sure to click on the sub-folder containing the kernel that you want (in this case, 6.13, because that’s the latest stable version). You’ll need to download the following files into your newly created directory:
Also: 5 lightweight Linux distributions that will bring your old PC back to life
4. Install the kernel
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
When the installation is complete, restart your machine, and you should be presented with an option to select the latest kernel. You can verify by issuing the uname -r command, which should result in 6.13.0-061300-generic.
An alternative method
There’s another method of installing the latest kernel, which is by way of the Mainline Kernels tool. This tool allows you to easily select which kernel you want and install it from within an easy-to-use GUI.
Here’s how to install this handy tool.
1. Add the necessary repository
The first thing to do is add the necessary repository, which can be achieved with the command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cappelikan/ppa
2. Update APT
Next, let’s update APT with the command:
sudo apt update
3. Install the Mainline App
Installing different kernels with the Mainline Kernels tool is a no-brainer.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
And there you have it — two methods for installing the latest Linux kernel on Ubuntu. You will likely find the latest kernel performs better and supports even more new hardware.
Also: 5 best Linux commands for troubleshooting problems (and how I use them)