Install or Upgrade To Latest Linux Kernel on Ubuntu 22.04

Keeping your Ubuntu system updated with the latest Linux kernel is one of the most impactful upgrades you can perform. The Linux kernel – the core layer between software and hardware – sees new releases every 2-3 months with cutting-edge features, security patches, and hardware support. Ubuntu 22.04 ships with a 5.15 kernel focused on stability rather than bleeding edge. This guide will demonstrate how to safely install or upgrade to newer mainline kernel versions on Ubuntu 22.04.

Why Update Your Kernel Regularly?

The Linux kernel undergoes heavy development upstream, with 7,000-8,000 patches per release. These modifications can provide:

• Performance improvements – newer schedulers, memory managers, and filesystem code to speed up your system
• Security fixes – patches for the latest CVEs like dirty pipe to harden your OS
• Hardware enablement – drivers and modules to improve compatibility for newer components
• Feature additions – expanded capabilities around namespaces, control groups, and more

In 2022 alone, crucial security updates shielded against vulnerabilities like:

• Follina – MS-DOM-based remote code execution
• Dirty Pipe – local privilege escalation via pipe i/o layers
• Spectre-BHB – speculative execution side channel risks

Without the latest kernel, you miss out on literally thousands of bug fixes and optimizations.

Check Current Kernel Version

First, verify your current kernel release before upgrading:

uname -r

This prints your active kernel version:

5.15.0-27-generic

On Ubuntu 22.04‘s default 5.15 kernel, over 100 vulnerabilities have been discovered to date.

Refresh Package Index

Ensure you pull down fresh package metadata with:

sudo apt update

This syncs your local index with Ubuntu‘s repositories to see available kernel versions for installation.

Install Mainline Kernel Installer

To simplify installing upstream kernel releases, use the Ubuntu Mainline Kernel Installer tool:

sudo apt install mainline

This packages ships a neat UI and automation scripts to download, unpack, and configure mainline kernel .deb packages from kernel.org.

The alternative is to manually download and dpkg install about a dozen .deb packages per kernel version. Overall, the Mainline Kernel Installer handles 95% of complexity for you.

Launch Mainline Installer

With the tool installed, launch it from your applications menu or run:

mainline

This opens up an intuitive UI where available kernels are displayed.

Identify Latest Kernel

Scan down the list of kernel versions (organized by release date) to spot the newest upstream version. At time of writing, 5.19.1 is current.

Tick the checkbox by the latest kernel to mark it for installation:

Optionally choose multiple releases, such as the latest long term support version as well.

Install Selected Kernel

With your desired kernel(s) selected, click "Install" to proceed.

Behind the scenes, this:

1. Downloads ~100 MB of kernel .deb packages per version
2. Verifies integrity of packages
3. Calls dpkg to install packages
4. Blacklists older kernel images from the bootloader

Follow any on-screen prompts as elevation privileges are required. The install process can take 2-15 minutes based on CPU and internet speed.

Reboot to Apply Kernel Changes

For a new Linux kernel to load, you must reboot your system. This starts the boot sequence fresh, selecting the newest kernel image.

sudo reboot

Give your system 30-60 seconds to fully restart.

Confirm New Kernel Version

Once your system boots up again, confirm uname outputs your new upstream kernel:

uname -r

It should print the latest release, proving you‘ve upgraded:

5.19.1-051901-generic

How Mainline Kernels Differ from HWE Stacks

You may wonder – how do "mainline" kernels installed via the Kernel Installer tool differ from Ubuntu‘s hardware enablement (HWE) kernel stacks?

In short:

• Mainline kernels are the latest pure, unmodified releases direct from kernel.org. They contain cutting edge changes that may be less tested.
• HWE stacks are Ubuntu-optimized kernel versions pulled from newer Ubuntu releases. These undergo additional integration testing by Canonical.

An example HWE stack would be pulling the Linux kernel from Ubuntu 22.10 into 22.04 – moving from 5.15 to a potential 5.19 base.

For users focused on stability, HWE may be preferred. But for maximum new features and hardware support, mainline kernels are recommended.

Weighing LTS Kernel vs. Latest Mainline

At this point, you may wonder – should I just stick to the long term support kernel shipped in Ubuntu 22.04 (5.15) versus continually upgrading to latest mainline releases like 5.19?

There are no universal answers, but here are salient considerations:

Default LTS Kernel	Latest Mainline Kernel
Extensively integration tested by Canonical	Less testing means higher chance of regressions
Guaranteed stability from Ubuntu‘s kernel team	Stability depends on your hardware and workload
Less CPU overhead from Ubuntu kernel tuning	Novel features and tweaks may impact performance
Security from Ubuntu‘s kernel live patching service	Faster delivery of bleeding edge security patches
Supports wide range of server and cloud hardware configs	Specialized for modern hardware – especially laptops/desktops given rapid pace of development
Ideal for systems needing maximum uptime like banking servers	Preferred option if leveraging newer hardware or driver capabilities not yet backported

If your priority is stability and reliability – stick to the stock LTS kernel. But for optimal performance, compatibility, and security – update to the latest mainline releases.

Of course, more testing of kernel changes is wise, especially before production deployment.

Test Kernel Upgrades Responsibly

Make kernel upgrades painless by testing them first in non-critical environments. Essential steps include:

• Install on local VMs or dev machines
• Monitor system for stability issues over 2+ weeks
• Check dmesg and logs for hardware conflicts
• Validate performance via benchmarks
• Gradually roll out to pre-production infrastructure
• Delay deployment for ~1 month on legacy systems

This minimizes the chance of a faulty kernel disrupting key services. Always have a rollback plan as well!

Additional Commands to Validate Kernel Versions

Beyond uname -r, power users can employ other utilities to validate kernel changes:

• cat /proc/version_signature – kernel source version info
• lsmod – loaded kernel modules
• sysctl kernel – active kernel parameters
• zcat /proc/config.gz – kernel config options

Analyze this output before and after upgrades to catch variations.

Conclusion

I hope this guide shed insight into upgrading your Linux kernel on Ubuntu 22.04 systems. Keeping your kernel current is among the most impactful updates with thousands of fixes and features. Using the Mainline Kernel Installer tool simplifies downloading, installing, and rebooting into new kernels.

Be sure to responsibly test kernel changes before deployment – especially on production infrastructure. But otherwise – go forth and enjoy the latest kernel goodness! Reach out via the comments if you have any other questions.