Ubuntu Pro subscribers will be able to apply reboot-free updates to more Linux kernels from July.
As spotted by our friends at Neowin, Canonical announced Livepatch support for Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernels starting this summer. The first HWE kernel being covered as part of this support extension is Linux 6.2, which will be backported from the Ubuntu 23.04 release and pushed out to users of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
Livepatch is a feature only available on long-term support (LTS) versions of Ubuntu for users with an active Ubuntu Pro subscription. When enabled, Livepatch allows users to install kernel updates (on eligible machines) without needing to reboot after.
Extending the number of kernels covered by the feature is an important move, albeit one aimed at enterprise, server, and business customers. While being asked to reboot to finish applying kernel updates is common, it’s not something Ubuntu desktop users typically mind.
However, those who don’t want to reboot or, due to critical workflows they run/host, can’t reboot, will find this an invaluable boon. Instead of being stuck running an unpatched kernel Livepatch will enable them to opt-in to updates so they remain protected without requiring (brief) downtime.
HWE kernels are issued to Ubuntu LTS releases only, but are back-ported from interim releases of the distro. For example, the current HWE kernel at the time of writing is based on the Linux 5.19 kernel released as part of Ubuntu 22.10 last October.
While Ubuntu LTS releases are backed by 5 years of ongoing update at the minimum, Ubuntu Pro extends this for another five years. With Livepatch available for newer Linux kernels as well, Canonical is further extending the envelope of usefulness for those riding the long-term series.
Canonical hasn’t stated whether they plan to support HWE kernels on older LTS releases too but I’d imagine, by not mentioning that, they won’t, and this extension in support will only cover HWE releases made from July onwards.
More details on the Ubuntu blog.