Canonical released yesterday the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus) operating system with built-in new kernels and graphics cards.
After being delayed a few weeks because of the vulnerabilities Meltdown and Specter which affect billions of devices, Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS maintenance update is finally here for existing users using Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS as well as older versions.
As expected, the 16.04.4 LTS version incorporates new kernels and graphics cards based on the OS system Ubuntu 17.10 (Artful Aardvark). Includes Linux kernel 4.13 and Mesa 17.2.2 graphics list for Intel and AMD GPUs.
This means that every new installation of 16.04.4 LTS will be powered by the Linux 4.13 kernel and uses prechoice the latest Mesa graphics drivers 17.2.2 or later. Of course, 16.04.4 LTS also includes updated components that you can install via the software repositories.
As in the previous LTS series, 16.04.4 includes a new hardware activation list based on newer hardware. This support is offered in all architectures. Existing users of the 16.04 LTS version only need to update their operating system.
During the upgrade, you can choose to stay with the default 16.04 LTS kernel or install the newest 17.10 version.
Either way, both kernels are now secured against Meltdown and Specter security vulnerabilities, but if you need support for specific hardware, you can install the Artful HWE (Hardware Enablement) kernel included in Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS.
To update your computers, simply open the Software utility Update and install all available updates. For new applications, you should download the Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS 64-bit or 32-bit ISO images via Ubuntu Portal.
Of course, users of other official versions of Ubuntu can now download their respective Kubuntu 16.04.4 LTS, Kubuntu 16.04.4 LTS, Lubuntu 16.04.4 LTS, Ubuntu MATE 16.04.4 LTS, Ubuntu GNOME 16.04.4 LTS, Mythbuntu 16.04.4 LTS, Ubuntu Kylin 16.04.4 LTS and Ubuntu Studio 16.04.4 LTS.
