Install Linux Kernel 4.4.1 LTS in CentOS and Ubuntu

Linux Kernel 4.4.1 LTS stable version has been released on January 31, 2016. The significant features of this LTS Kernel are given below.

1. Support for Intel'snew Skylake processor family ;
2. Support for ARM's 64-bit processors and Qualcomm's high-bandwidth capable Snapdragon 820 ;
3. Beta Kernel Mode Setting (KMS) driver that gives the better graphics support for Raspberry pi ;
4. New virtio-gpu driver allows the virtualization guests to use the host graphics card efficiently ;
5. And many.

For more details, refer,

• Linux Kernel archives
• Linux Kernel 4.4.1 announcement
• Linux Kernel 4.4.1 ChangeLog

In this tutorial, let us see how to install Linux Kernel 4.4.1 LTS version in CentOS and Ubuntu.

Install Linux Kernel 4.4.1 LTS in CentOS 7

I tested this tutorial on CentOS 7 64 bit edition. Although, these steps should work on RHEL 7, Scientific Linux 7 and Fedora etc.

To install the latest kernel, add ELRepo repository.

Add ELRepo GPG key:

rpm --import https://www.elrepo.org/RPM-GPG-KEY-elrepo.org

Then, add ELRepo in CentOS 7 / RHEL 7 / Scientific Linux 7 using command:

rpm -Uvh http://www.elrepo.org/elrepo-release-7.0-2.el7.elrepo.noarch.rpm

To Install ELRepo for CentOS 6 / RHEL 6 / Scientific Linux 6:

rpm -Uvh http://www.elrepo.org/elrepo-release-6-6.el6.elrepo.noarch.rpm

rpm -Uvh http://www.elrepo.org/elrepo-release-5-5.el5.elrepo.noarch.rpm

To enable ELRepo fastest mirror, install the following package:

yum install yum-plugin-fastestmirror

================================================================================
 Package Arch Version Repository
 Size
================================================================================
Updating:
 yum-plugin-fastestmirror noarch 1.1.31-34.el7 base 30 k

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Upgrade 1 Package

Total download size: 30 k
Is this ok [y/d/N]: y
Downloading packages:
Delta RPMs disabled because /usr/bin/applydeltarpm not installed.
yum-plugin-fastestmirror-1.1.31-34.el7.noarch.rpm | 30 kB 00:00 
Running transaction check
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded
Running transaction
Warning: RPMDB altered outside of yum.
 Updating : yum-plugin-fastestmirror-1.1.31-34.el7.noarch 1/2 
 Cleanup : yum-plugin-fastestmirror-1.1.31-25.el7_0.noarch 2/2 
 Verifying : yum-plugin-fastestmirror-1.1.31-34.el7.noarch 1/2 
 Verifying : yum-plugin-fastestmirror-1.1.31-25.el7_0.noarch 2/2

Updated:
 yum-plugin-fastestmirror.noarch 0:1.1.31-34.el7

Complete!

We have added the ELRepo. Now, it is time to install Linux kernel 4.4.1 LTS.

Let us find out the current version details with command:

uname -r

3.10.0-123.9.3.el7.x86_64

As you see, the installed version is 3.10.0-123.9.3.el7.x86_64.

Install Linux Kernel 4.4.1 LTS using command:

yum --enablerepo=elrepo-kernel install kernel-ml

Sample output:

Dependencies Resolved

================================================================================
 Package Arch Version Repository Size
================================================================================
Installing:
 kernel-ml x86_64 4.4.1-1.el7.elrepo elrepo-kernel 38 M

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install 1 Package

Total download size: 38 M
Installed size: 170 M
Is this ok [y/d/N]: y
Downloading packages:
kernel-ml-4.4.1-1.el7.elrepo.x86_64.rpm | 38 MB 02:28 
Running transaction check
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded
Running transaction
 Installing : kernel-ml-4.4.1-1.el7.elrepo.x86_64 1/1 
 Verifying : kernel-ml-4.4.1-1.el7.elrepo.x86_64 1/1

Installed:
 kernel-ml.x86_64 0:4.4.1-1.el7.elrepo

Complete!

After installing the Kernel, Reboot your system and select the latest Kernel from the Boot menu.

Check the Kernel version using command:

uname -r

Sample output:

4.4.1-1.el7.elrepo.x86_64

Congratulation! Your CentOS 7 system is currently running on Kernel 4.4.1.

Have any problems after installing Linux Kernel 4.4.1? No worries, reboot your system. Select your previously working Kernel from the Boot menu.

Then, remove the newly installed Kernel using command:

yum remove kernel-ml

That's it.

Install Linux Kernel 4.4.1 LTS in Ubuntu 14.04

I tested these tutorial in Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. However, these guide should work Debian, Linux Mint etc.

Check the current Linux kernel version with command:

uname -r

Sample output:

3.13.0-24-generic

As you see, my Ubuntu 14.04 system has 3.13.0-24-generic kernel version.

Now, we will install Linux Kernel 4.4.1. You can download the latest kernel from here.

For 32bit Ubuntu systems:

wget kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4.1-wily/linux-headers-4.4.1-040401_4.4.1-040401.201601311534_all.deb

wget kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4.1-wily/linux-headers-4.4.1-040401-generic_4.4.1-040401.201601311534_i386.deb

wget kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4.1-wily/linux-image-4.4.1-040401-generic_4.4.1-040401.201601311534_i386.deb

For 64 bit Ubuntu systems:

wget kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4.1-wily/linux-headers-4.4.1-040401_4.4.1-040401.201601311534_all.deb

wget kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4.1-wily/linux-headers-4.4.1-040401-generic_4.4.1-040401.201601311534_amd64.deb

wget kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.4.1-wily/linux-image-4.4.1-040401-generic_4.4.1-040401.201601311534_amd64.deb

Then install Kernel 4.4.1 using command:

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Then update the Grub boot loader with command:

sudo update-grub

Sample output:

Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.1-040401-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.1-040401-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-24-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.13.0-24-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin

If you’re using BURG boot loader, then run:

sudo update-burg

Then, reboot your system and log in to the newly installed Kernel.

Check if new Kernel has been installed with command:

uname -r

Sample output:

4.4.1-040401-generic

If you have any problems after upgrading the Kernel, force reboot your system, and login to the old Kernel by selecting the ‘Advanced options for Ubuntu’ from the Boot menu.

Then uninstall the new Kernel with command:

sudo apt-get remove linux-headers-4.4* linux-image-4.4*

Finally reboot your system.

But I guess the new kernel should work without any problem.

That's all for now.

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Thanks for reading.