The Linux Kernel 5.15 LTS has been released, and below we will show you how to install it on Ubuntu or Linux Mint distributions in a few easy steps.
The Linux Kernel 5.15 was released on October 31, 2021 and brings some interesting new features, such as a new NTFS file system application that does not require you to use third-party software such as NTFS-3G to fully manage NTFS disks.
It also offers some new features for users of the Btrfs and XFS file systems, support for Nintendo Wii consoles, multicast support for VLANs, SMB server kernel, new r8188eu Realtek wireless LAN driver to replace the old rtl8188eu driver, and more.
Best of all, the Linux Kernel 5.15 is in the LTS kernel series (Long Term Support), and will be supported for at least two years.
And now the eternal question… why upgrade the Linux kernel? If the possibilities mentioned above do not excite you, do not do it.
But if you need support for existing or new hardware supported by Linux Kernel 5.15 or if you are having hardware issues with your current kernel version, why not give it a try.
Warning! Be aware that Linux Kernel 5.15 has just been released and may not be supported by all software programs or drivers, such as the proprietary NVIDIA graphics driver. Therefore, if you are using the NVIDIA GPU for gaming or anything else, you will have to wait until NVIDIA starts supporting the Linux Kernel 5.15.
Below we will use the Ubuntu kernel PPA file provided by Ubuntu developers. These kernel packages are not signed, which means that they cannot be installed on UEFI / Secure Boot systems. Therefore, you must first disable Secure Boot to install the 5.15 kernel.
Installation is very easy. Just download Linux 5.15 in a folder. Here are the links for 64-bit systems, but you can also install the Linux 5.15 kernel on ARM64, s390x and ppc64el systems.
https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.15/amd64/linux-image-unsigned-5.15.0-051500-generic_5.15.0-051500.202110312130_amd64.deb
https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.15/amd64/linux-modules-5.15.0-051500-generic_5.15.0-051500.202110312130_amd64.deb
Open a terminal in the folder where you downloaded the new kernel packages by right-clicking and selecting "Open in Terminal". Make sure you have the correct DEB packages in the folder and run the following command.
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
The command will install the Linux Kernel 5.15. You will have to wait until the installation process is complete and then you will have to restart your computer.
If you want to remove the Linux 5.15 kernel from your system, simply remove the packages you have installed using the easy Synaptic Package Manager path.