The upcoming Ubuntu 22.04 LTS will come with the Linux 5.15 kernel by default.
That’s the current plan according to Canonical’s Sebastien Bacher, who says “the plan is to use 5.15 for the LTS but the oem and hwe variants will get 5.17 as some point”.
Surprised?
Don’t be.
Linux 5.15 is a marginally older kernel version than that currently available, but there is logic in using it: Linux 5.15 is a long-term support release supported until October 2023.
Ubuntu 22.04 is an LTS, Linux 5.15 is an LTS, so sorta makes sense, doesn’t it?
Still, many had expected Ubuntu 22.04 to ship something new as, based on the past, Ubuntu LTS releases haven’t always used kernel LTS releases.
Linux 5.15 includes some interesting changes, such as a new NTFS file system driver, an in-kernel SMB file server, and various enhancements to the EXT4 file system Ubuntu uses by default. Plus a raft of updated drivers, new hardware support, and performance tuneups.
So don’t gnash your teeth unnecessarily; you’re not stuck on 5.15 for the full five years Ubuntu 22.04 is supported for. When you use an Ubuntu LTS release you get access to newer Linux kernel and graphic drivers periodically through the hardware enablement stack (HWE) updates.
While the Linux 5.16 kernel (and its big gaming improvements) won’t make the cut, the upcoming Linux 5.17 kernel and several releases beyond it will be back-ported to use in this LTS, or made available via OEM kernels (which ship preinstalled on laptops from the likes of Dell and Lenovo).
If you’re an LTS user sporting newer hardware only supported in more recent kernels, will this decision put you off using Jammy Jellyfish? Or do you prefer to install third-party or mainline kernel builds on your system anyway?
Let me know your thoughts down in the comments.