14 DAY TRIAL // Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) is getting closer to the April launch and the Ubuntu developers have upgraded the Linux kernel one more time, to the latest version released until now.
For now, the latest Linux kernel available is 3.13.6, which has been out for a couple of weeks already. It's very likely that another point release will be made available in the next few days for this branch, which means that Ubuntu developers might choose to upgrade it one more time before the Kernel freeze, which arrives on April 3, just two weeks before the launch.
“The 3.13.0-18.38 Trusty kernel has been uploaded to the archive. This is based on the v3.13.6 upstream stable kernel. I would also like to remind everyone that Trusty Kernel Freeze is fast approaching on Thurs, Apr 3. Please make sure to get any outstanding patches submitted to our Ubuntu kernel team mailing list for review asap. After kernel freeze, all patches are subject to our Ubuntu SRU policy,” said Canonical's Joseph Salisbury.
Getting the latest Linux kernel in the Ubuntu distributions is more of a current preoccupation of the developers. Up until a few years ago, this wasn't exactly a priority, but the release schedule for the Linux kernel has evolved a lot and picked up some Steam.
It takes less time for the Linux maintainers to release new versions of the kernel, and more people are contributing to the project than ever before. Ubuntu developers must integrate the latest possible version of the kernel because it usually comes with very important features and current hardware support.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) will be released with five years of support and will be picked up by many users and businesses, even if two of three years have passed since the launch. Canonical might even pick up the Linux kernel 3.13.x branch if the Linux maintainers decide to end it sooner.
If Linux kernel 3.13.x becomes an LTS version, Ubuntu developers won't have to intervene like they did with the 3.10.x branch after it became EOL, shortly after the launch of their operating system.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) is scheduled for launch on April 17. It will be one of the most publicized Ubuntu launches in recent history, and the community expectations are pretty high. Canonical has spent a great deal of effort to make this release a memorable one, so get your PC ready for Ubuntu.