It turns out that Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is planning to use the Linux 5.15 kernel as its default kernel. This makes sense since Linux 5.15 is also a long-term supported kernel, but unfortunately, Ubuntu LTS releases don’t always use the LTS kernel version, and when “Jammy Jellyfish” was released in April, v5.15 was already announced with It’s been half a year.
This is a particularly unfortunate choice for those with the latest hardware, but at least there are Ubuntu mainline kernel PPAs and other non-default options available. In a discussion about GNOME plans for Ubuntu 22.04, Canonical’s Sebastien Bacher mentioned that the plan is to use 5.15 in LTS, but the OEM and hwe releases will be upgraded to 5.17 at some point.
So if this plan holds up, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS will use Linux 5.15 by default, and in 2023, Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS will use Ubuntu 22.10’s new hardware-enabled kernel, on the one hand, Ubuntu’s OEM partners like Dell also have the Ability to ship updated kernels for their latest Linux preinstalled systems.
Linux 5.15 does make sense for Ubuntu 22.04 as both are long-term support (LTS) releases. Linux 5.15 LTS was released at the end of October, Linux 5.16 was released last week, and then Linux 5.17 should be released around the end of March, so Linux 5.17 won’t come by default in Ubuntu’s 22.04 release anyway.
Linux 5.16 brings Alder Lake S graphics support enabled by default, FUTEX2 futex_waitv system call which is very important for the development of Wine/Steam Play games, I/O optimizations, fuller AMD Ryzen 6000 mobile series support, Intel AMX support, This is also very important for the Xeon Sapphire Rapids server in the Ubuntu LTS release, along with many other hardware support additions and improvements.
Some fixes/additions of PCI IDs may be rolled back to Linux 5.15 or by Ubuntu’s kernel build, but there may not be any major projects coming. So while Linux 5.15 LTS makes sense for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS from a logistical point of view, especially Linux enthusiasts and those who want to run Ubuntu on the latest Intel/AMD hardware are better off using 3rd party/unofficial kernel builds until the introduction of the HWE kernel in a future Jammy Jellyfish release.
Thankfully, the Ubuntu mainline kernel PPA provides a convenient mainline kernel build for Linux 5.16 or Linux 5.17, as well as other third-party kernel builds/PPAs, when Ubuntu 22.04 is officially released. As Canonical wants to make Ubuntu the “best Linux desktop for gaming”, maybe they’ll come up with a more recognized/user-friendly way, like running more of the latest Linux mainline stable release on Ubuntu.