Linux kernel 6.2 will be at the heart of the upcoming Ubuntu 23.04 release.
Alright, it’s not that surprising in hindsight. After all, Linux 6.2 is the most recent stable kernel release, and it’s out well in advance of the Ubuntu 23.04 release (meaning devs have plenty of time to plumb it in and test it out).
But some folks (including me) did wonder if Canonical might opt to stick with Linux kernel 6.1 given that a) it’s an LTS, and b) they have been testing it in Lunar dailies of late.
But nope: Ubuntu 23.04 will use Linux kernel 6.2.
This is a pretty big deal as regardless of whether you plan to use Lunar or not, the kernel that ships in Ubuntu’s short-term releases is typically back-ported to the most recent LTS in the form of a hardware enablement (HWE) update.
The kernel confirmation comes by way of the Ubuntu developer mailing list, specifically this quote:
in Lunar, no further 6.1 builds will be done for any kernel flavour for the time being. And v6.2 landing, across all flavours, is in progress.
Canonical’s Dimitri John Ledkov
Exciting stuff.
Linux 6.2 ships with everything you’d expect a new kernel to, e.g., new hardware support, performance fixes, file system buffs, etc.
A couple of interesting pull outs: Raspberry Pi 4K @ 60Hz display support; new power savings for Intel Alder Lake N/Raptor Lake P devices; and Sony DualShock 4 gamepad support in the Playstation HID driver.
Ubuntu 23.04 is due for release on April 20, 2023. A beta build will be available in the coming weeks if you’re looking to help test it, and daily ISO images are, as always, available for you to use too.
