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Linux kernel 6.0 is the latest release for the operating system and includes the usual bevy of fixes, performance improvements, enhancements and new hardware support. However, it will be some time before the majority of Linux distributions ship with the latest kernel from creator Linus Torvalds.

Never fear: I’m going to show you how to get this new kernel running on your Ubuntu 22.04 deployments.

SEE: 40+ open source and Linux terms you need to know (TechRepublic Premium)

One thing you should keep in mind is that you really should wait until the kernel has been released to the repositories for your distribution of choice. By holding off, you ensure the maintainers of your distribution have had time to polish everything so that everything works exactly as expected.

Nevertheless, I know how some — such as myself — cannot wait to test out the shiniest new release from the kernel maintainers. To that end, I have the steps you need to get this new kernel up and running.

What you’ll need to install kernel 6.0 on Ubuntu 22.04

First of all, you’ll need a running instance of Ubuntu 22.04, though I would advise against doing this on production machines. Instead, install it on test machines to make certain everything works as expected. You’ll also need a user with sudo privileges. Believe it or not, that’s it.

How to upgrade Ubuntu

The first thing we need to do is run a full upgrade. Log in to your Ubuntu instance, open a terminal window, and issue the command:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get full-upgrade -y

The above command will update apt and then run the full upgrade. Once this completes, reboot the system and log back in.

How to upgrade to kernel 6.0

The first method we’ll use is manually downloading the necessary files and installing them with dpkg. Here are the files you’ll want to download and the commands to do so:

wget https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v6.0/amd64/linux-image-unsigned-6.0.0-060000-generic_6.0.0-060000.202210022231_amd64.deb

wget https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v6.0/amd64/linux-modules-6.0.0-060000-generic_6.0.0-060000.202210022231_amd64.deb
wget https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v6.0/amd64/linux-headers-6.0.0-060000-generic_6.0.0-060000.202210022231_amd64.deb
wget https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v6.0/amd64/linux-headers-6.0.0-060000_6.0.0-060000.202210022231_all.deb

Now, to install those files, issue the command:

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

You might get an error that the system is unable to build the modules. If that’s the case, resolve it with:

sudo apt-get install gcc make perl -y

Once the installation completes, reboot the machine and verify the kernel with:

uname -r

You should see that the system is now running kernel 6.0.

The second method uses a third-party PPA, which means that the kernel will be updated with the built-in package manager instead of having to upgrade manually as you did above.

To add the new repository, issue the command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cappelikan/ppa

Next, update apt with:

sudo apt update

Finally, install the kernel with the command:

sudo apt install mainline 6.0.0 -y

After the installation completes, reboot, log back in and issue the command uname -r to see that your system is now powered by the 6.0 kernel.

Congratulations: You’ve taken your Linux machine to the next level of performance and features.

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