On Ubuntu Desktop or Server, the supported kernel-update routine is straightforward: check the running kernel with uname -r, refresh package metadata with sudo apt update, install updates with sudo apt upgrade, reboot if a new kernel package was installed, and run uname -r again after startup. The reboot is what switches the machine from the old running kernel to the newly installed one.
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Ubuntu normally receives kernels through its installed kernel metapackage. Keep the previous kernel until the replacement has booted and your important hardware, modules, and services have passed a basic check. Use the generic GA kernel for the broad stable default, or an HWE kernel when an Ubuntu LTS system needs newer hardware enablement. Livepatch can reduce urgent reboots for supported high- and critical-severity security fixes, but it does not replace ordinary kernel updates.
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The normal Ubuntu kernel-update procedure
Kernel packages are delivered through Ubuntu’s package-management system. The same routine applies to most Ubuntu Desktop and Server installations, whether the machine uses the generic GA stream or an HWE stream.
- Record the kernel that is running:
uname -rSave this value so you can confirm the change after reboot.
- Refresh package metadata:
sudo apt updateThis downloads current package information. It does not itself install a new kernel.
- Install available updates:
sudo apt upgradeRead the transaction summary. A kernel update normally appears as one or more kernel image, headers, or related packages. Ubuntu’s installed kernel metapackage keeps the supported kernel series coming through future upgrades.
- Reboot when a new kernel was installed:
sudo rebootSchedule this for a maintenance window, because the running kernel cannot be replaced in place by an ordinary package update.
- Verify the running kernel: after the system returns, run
uname -ragain. Compare the result with the value recorded before the upgrade.
Use the distribution’s documented full-upgrade procedure only when dependency changes require it. Do not make a routine habit of removing the standard kernel metapackage to hold a particular version; that can stop the system from receiving later kernel updates.
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Prepare before installing a kernel
Choose a maintenance window
An ordinary kernel update becomes active only after a reboot. On a workstation, that means closing applications and saving work. On a server, account for service interruption, remote-access loss during startup, and any monitoring or failover procedure your environment requires.
Keep a known-good fallback
Leave the previous kernel installed until the new one has booted successfully and been tested. Ubuntu’s GRUB boot menu normally keeps older kernels under Advanced options. That entry is your recovery path if a driver, DKMS module, firmware combination, or other component does not work with the new kernel.
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Capture the baseline
Run uname -r before updating. Also note the machine’s critical workload: storage mounts, network interfaces, graphics, encryption, virtualization, external hardware, and services that must start automatically. These are the areas to check after the reboot.
What the package commands actually do
apt update refreshes information
sudo apt update contacts the configured Ubuntu repositories and refreshes the local package index. It does not change the running kernel and does not reboot the computer. Running it first ensures that apt upgrade is working from current package metadata.
apt upgrade installs the available kernel
sudo apt upgrade installs available updates without the broad dependency-removal behavior associated with more aggressive upgrade operations. On a normally configured Ubuntu system, the installed kernel metapackage points to the supported kernel packages for that release and stream. When those packages are offered, accepting the upgrade installs the new kernel alongside the old one.
If the package manager says that dependency changes are required, follow Ubuntu’s documented full-upgrade procedure for that release rather than forcing a partial transaction. The exact package set can differ between releases and between GA and HWE installations.
The package installation is not the reboot
Kernel files can be present on disk while the old kernel is still running. The output of uname -r changes only after a successful reboot into the new image. This is why both stages matter: package installation prepares the replacement, and rebooting activates it.
Generic GA and HWE kernels: which stream fits?
Ubuntu LTS releases commonly offer two kernel approaches. The generic GA kernel is the stable, broad-purpose default. HWE, or Hardware Enablement, delivers newer upstream kernel versions during the LTS lifecycle to improve support for newer hardware.
| Decision point | Generic GA kernel | HWE kernel |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Broad compatibility and a stable default for common hardware and workloads | Newer hardware support through a newer kernel stream |
| Change pattern | Conservative kernel line for the Ubuntu release | Rolling HWE stream that is replaced by a newer HWE stack as the LTS lifecycle progresses |
| Typical fit | Systems without a specific need for newer kernel hardware enablement | Recent hardware or peripherals that need drivers and support introduced after the original LTS kernel |
| Desktop defaults documented by Canonical | Not the default tracking choice for Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 Desktop | Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 Desktop track HWE by default |
| Server default documented by Canonical | Commonly the Server default | Available as an option when newer hardware support is needed |
| Out-of-tree and DKMS modules | Still require validation after a kernel change | Newer and more frequent kernel changes can require particular attention to DKMS rebuilds and vendor modules |
Canonical’s guidance is that customers and business partners without specialized bleeding-edge workloads or the latest-hardware requirement should use the latest LTS release’s -generic kernel. HWE is a deliberate choice for hardware enablement, not an automatic performance upgrade.
Installing the matching HWE metapackage
Use the metapackage matching the Ubuntu release installed on the machine. For example, on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS:
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sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-22.04Do not copy a release number that does not match the operating system. Installing the matching metapackage lets the package manager track the appropriate HWE series. After installation, use the normal update and reboot process, then verify the active kernel with uname -r.
Switching expectations
Installing an HWE metapackage does not mean the currently running kernel changes immediately. The package is installed first; the machine uses it after reboot. Keep the previous bootable kernel while you test the new stream. Before changing streams on a production machine, confirm that storage, network, graphics, virtualization, encryption, and any out-of-tree or DKMS-dependent components support the target kernel.
Livepatch: fewer urgent reboots, not a complete replacement
Canonical Livepatch, available as part of Ubuntu Pro, applies supported high- and critical-severity Linux kernel security fixes to the running kernel. When a vulnerability is covered, the security correction can be applied without an immediate reboot, reducing urgent maintenance pressure.
Enable Livepatch
On a supported Ubuntu installation, attach the machine to Ubuntu Pro, enable Livepatch, and inspect its state:
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sudo pro attach
sudo pro enable livepatch
pro status
canonical-livepatch statusThe commands report whether the service is enabled and whether the current kernel is receiving Livepatch updates. Livepatch support is kernel-specific, so check Canonical’s current support matrix for the Ubuntu release, architecture, flavour, and GA or HWE version before relying on it.
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What Livepatch does not cover
Livepatch does not cover every kernel change. Canonical identifies several categories that still require an ordinary kernel package update and reboot:
- non-security bug fixes;
- performance improvements;
- driver updates;
- new kernel features; and
- security patches that cannot be produced as live patches.
Canonical also advises using normal update tools to install all standard kernel updates, including lower-severity vulnerabilities and vulnerabilities that cannot be live patched. Livepatch therefore changes the urgency of some reboots; it does not remove the need for routine maintenance.
| Maintenance method | What it handles | Reboot expectation | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary package update | Kernel packages delivered through Ubuntu’s package manager, including fixes outside Livepatch scope | Reboot into the installed kernel to activate it | Use apt on Ubuntu Desktop or Server |
| Livepatch | Supported high- and critical-severity kernel security fixes that can be converted into live patches | No immediate reboot for a covered patch; other updates still require one | Ubuntu Pro entitlement, an enabled service, and a supported kernel |
Planning around Livepatch
Even with Livepatch enabled, retain a regular reboot schedule. Reboots activate ordinary kernel packages, apply changes outside Livepatch scope, and provide an opportunity to verify that modules and services work with the current kernel. Treat Livepatch as a way to reduce emergency downtime, not as permission to postpone every kernel maintenance window indefinitely.
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After the machine starts, verify the kernel first:
uname -rThe result should show the newly installed version rather than the pre-update value. Then perform checks appropriate to the machine:
- Confirm that expected storage devices and mounts are available.
- Test wired or wireless networking and remote access.
- On a desktop, verify display output, graphics acceleration, audio, suspend, and external peripherals.
- Check DKMS or other out-of-tree modules used by the workload.
- Confirm that critical services started and that applications can reach their data.
A kernel update is operationally complete only when the new kernel is running and the machine’s important functions have been checked.
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If the new kernel does not work
Boot the previous kernel
Restart and open GRUB’s Advanced options. Select the previous known-good kernel. This returns the machine to a working kernel while you investigate; it does not remove the new package.
Investigate the component that failed
Focus first on the package transaction, DKMS or other out-of-tree modules, firmware, graphics drivers, storage, and network drivers. Review the system’s package and service logs for the failing component. A module that was built for the older kernel may need a compatible rebuild before the new kernel can provide the same function.
Do not delete the running kernel
Kernel cleanup is release- and package-state-sensitive. Never remove the kernel reported by uname -r. Keep at least one tested fallback until the replacement has been validated, and remove obsolete kernels only after confirming which image is running and which fallback you intend to retain.
Common situations and the correct response
“The upgrade finished, but uname -r is unchanged.”
This normally means the new package is installed but the system has not rebooted into it. Schedule the reboot, then run uname -r again. If it still shows the old version, use GRUB’s Advanced options to inspect the available kernels and confirm that the expected metapackage and image were installed.
“No kernel update appeared.”
Run sudo apt update and then sudo apt upgrade again. If no kernel package is offered, do not remove the standard metapackage to force a version change. Check that the machine is tracking the intended GA or HWE stream and that the package manager completed without errors. Release-specific package state can affect which kernel is currently offered.
“A DKMS module or driver stopped working.”
Boot the previous kernel from GRUB if necessary, then inspect the module, firmware, and driver logs. Test the affected hardware on the new kernel only after the required module rebuild or compatibility fix is available. Keep the fallback kernel until the workload is stable.
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Only for supported Livepatch fixes. Driver changes, features, non-security fixes, uncovered vulnerabilities, and ordinary kernel packages still require a reboot. Continue installing standard updates with the package manager and maintain planned reboot windows.
A repeatable maintenance checklist
- Record
uname -r. - Confirm whether the machine should remain on generic GA or use the matching HWE metapackage.
- Schedule downtime and ensure a tested fallback kernel remains installed.
- Run
sudo apt update. - Run
sudo apt upgrade; use the release’s documented full-upgrade procedure only when dependency changes require it. - Read the transaction output and confirm that the intended kernel packages were installed.
- Reboot with
sudo rebootduring the maintenance window. - Run
uname -rafter startup. - Test storage, networking, graphics, DKMS modules, and critical services.
- If the new kernel fails, select the previous kernel under GRUB’s Advanced options and investigate before removing anything.
Following this sequence keeps Ubuntu’s kernel packages under the supported package-management path, makes the reboot requirement explicit, and preserves a practical recovery route when hardware or modules need additional work.
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