Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS is now available to download.
It is the third point release in the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS series, and the second to be released this year.
Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS will follow it early next year.
What is an Ubuntu point release?
Ubuntu LTS releases come with 5 years of ongoing package updates, bug fixes, hardware improvements, and security patches.
A point release is an updated version of the LTS installation image that rolls together all of these updates. This helps to reduce the number of packages and patches that a user has to download after installation.
Certain point releases also ship with a new hardware enablement stack (HWE). This is composed of a recent Linux kernel release, graphics drivers (including mesa 17) and display server.
Ubuntu 16.04.3 Changes: New Hardware Enablement Stack
The updated hardware stack in Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS brings Linux 4.10 kernel with it. This is the same kernel available in the Ubuntu 17.04 release.
As with all kernel updates this offers improved hardware support, particularly for newer devices, as well as performance improvements, and better power management.
The next HWE will likely ship with the kernel from Ubuntu 17.10, which at the time of writing is looking like Linux 4.13.
This point release also adds minor revisions to the ‘GA kernel’, which gets a minor revision bump to Linux 4.4.0-87.110.
You can read a full list of changes made between Ubuntu 16.04.2 and Ubuntu 16.04.3 here while you can download it at the link below:
How to Upgrade to Ubuntu 16.04.3
If you’re already running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and you have kept up to date with security patches, bug fixes, and app updates, then you’re effectively already running Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS.
If you installed using the Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS image you’ll automatically receive the new HWE via the Software Updater.
But if you installed Ubuntu 16.04 LTS when it was first released (or you used the first point release image) you won’t get the HWE update automatically.
Instead, to install Linux Kernel 4.10 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, you need to opt-in
How? By running one single, simple command:
sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-16.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-16.04
Let all updates complete fully and then restart your machine when prompted.
If you encounter issues after the kernel update don’t panic: you can boot using the GA kernel by selecting it from the GRUB boot menu.