The Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS hardware enablement stack (HWE) has finally hit the updates repo, bringing Linux kernel 6.17 and Mesa 25.2.7 to users on the current long-term support release.
All users on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS can install this newer kernel version and updated GPU driver set as a regular software update. The stack will also be baked into the Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS ISO when released on February 12, 2026.
I covered the HWE update (and the reason why they exist) back in January, when the key pieces began to arrive in the proposed repository. For those who missed it, here’s the gist:
Linux 6.17 kernel brings better power management for newer Intel CPUs, SmartMux support for AMD hybrid laptops, initial RDNA 4 support, various Framework laptop improvements and improved stability for Wi-Fi 7.
Mesa 25.2.7 brings production-ready NVK (open-source NVIDIA Vulkan driver), Rusticl replacing Clover for OpenCL, full Vulkan 1.4 compliance on Intel and AMD, and a variety of game-specific fixes for titles like No Man’s Sky and Borderlands 4.
Wayland Protocols 1.45 is included in this HWE update. It offers new staging protocols for transparency effects and a pointer warp API. Some software can make use of these now, and more will use them in time – important since 24.04 is a long-term support release.
If you run Ubuntu 24.04 LTS you can install the update now through the Software Updater, or apt if you prefer updating from your terminal.
One more HWE update will follow in August 2026, bringing the Linux 6.20/7.0 kernel and Mesa stack from Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.