Canonical Announces Shift in Ubuntu Kernel Selection Strategy
Quoting: Canonical Announces Shift in Ubuntu Kernel Selection Strategy —
In a bold move, the Canonical Kernel Team (CKT) has announced a significant shift in selecting Linux kernel versions for upcoming Ubuntu releases. The team aims to align more closely with the latest developments from the upstream Linux kernel.
This change is intended to provide Ubuntu users with the most recent kernel features and enhancements, even if this means incorporating Release Candidate versions at the time of the Ubuntu release freeze.
Historically, the kernel selection process for Ubuntu releases was a careful balance between the independent release schedules of the upstream Linux kernel and Ubuntu’s own rigid release timelines.
The upstream Linux kernel, developed by the global Linux community, follows a loosely time-based model, releasing new versions approximately every two to three months depending on readiness and stability.
OMG Ubuntu:
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Canonical Announce Major Ubuntu Kernel Change - OMG! Ubuntu
Yes, even if that upstream kernel hasn’t yet seen a formal stable release (and received the requisite newspaper-graphic-topped rundown on this blog).
Which is a huge change.
Currently, new Ubuntu releases include the most recent stable Linux kernel release at the time of the kernel freeze milestone in the Ubuntu development cycle.
Kernel freezes tends to be around 2 months before the final release, which can mean the kernel chosen for Ubuntu isn’t the latest at the time of release.
LWN and original:
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A new kernel-version policy for Ubuntu
The Canonical Kernel Team has announced a new policy regarding the version of the kernel that will ship with each Ubuntu release; the result will generally be the shipping of newer releases.
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Kernel Version Selection for Ubuntu Releases
The Canonical Kernel Team (CKT) is responsible for all things relating to the Linux kernel for any Ubuntu distribution release, including version selection, preparation, qualification, the actual release, and then ongoing maintenance for 9 months or 12 years depending on the release type. One of the most common questions asked is “what will be the kernel version for upcoming release YY.MM?”, but before we talk about that process let’s familiarize ourselves with the differences between the upstream Linux kernel (henceforth referred to as ‘upstream’) and Ubuntu release philosophies.
As described here 5, the upstream developers “use a loosely time-based release process, with a new major kernel release happening every two or three months”, interpreted to mean that while the intention is to put out a release every 2-3 months, the actual release date is fluid to be able to adjust for any issues that may be found.
In contrast, Ubuntu follows a hard time-based release 8 process, with release dates committed 6 months (or more) in advance with only the most extreme of circumstances able to delay a release.
Given the non-aligned nature of the two release schedules, it is inevitable that there will be instances where both release dates happen to fall on or near the same date. This can be further exacerbated by the nature of the upstream kernel releasing when it is deemed ready, not at some predetermined deadline, which therefore could mean a much later release date than originally anticipated. A general rule of thumb, that the CKT has determined, is that about a month is required between an upstream release and the associated Ubuntu kernel to be considered stable enough for release. That can pose a problem when the upstream release is expected to land either within the 4 weeks before the Ubuntu release or even a few weeks after the Ubuntu release is scheduled.
This is a situation we are heading towards with the upcoming Ubuntu 24.10 which is currently expected to have its release date on or very near the upstream 6.11 release. Here is an illustrative example: [...]