The final version of Ubuntu 14.10 should feature Linux kernel 3.16.x

Jun 18, 2014 09:38 GMT  ·  By

Canonical is working on Ubuntu 14.10 (Utopic Unicorn), and the team has just made the switch to Linux kernel 3.15 stable, although the devs are planning to get an even newer version in place.

The Linux kernel is one of the most important packages in a distro and, in fact, it's essential to the OS. Most users won't actually feel the impact of a new kernel, but having the newest one possible is very important, if only for the improved hardware support.

The Ubuntu developers have already announced that they plan to integrate Linux kernel 3.16 in the final version of 14.10. That is a doable plan and they will be able to make it happen if nothing out of the ordinary occurs.

A new Linux kernel is made available every two or three months, depending on the number of Release Candidates needed. If the 3.16 branch development runs longer than usual, Ubuntu developers might be pressed for time, but that shouldn't normally happen.

“We have rebased our Utopic kernel to v3.15 final and uploaded (3.15.0-6.11). As noted in previous meetings, we are planning on converging on the v3.16 kernel for Utopic. We have started tracking v3.16-rc1 in our 'unstable' ubuntu-utopic branch. We'll let this marinate and bake for a bit before we do an official v3.16 based upload to the archive,” said Canonical's Joseph Salisbury in the regular Ubuntu Kernel Team meeting.

The kernel freeze for Ubuntu 14.10 is set for October 2, but the team has to integrate a stable version long before then. That date is mostly set for point releases in a particular branch and not for major version changes.

Until the release of Ubuntu 14.10, the developers have a number of other concerns as well. For example, the first Alpha (for Ubuntu flavors) is scheduled to arrive on June 26, the kernel freeze for Ubuntu 12.04.5 and Ubuntu 14.04.1 is set a day later, on June 27, and the second Alpha (also only for the flavors), will be out on July 31.

The launch date for Ubuntu 14.10 (Utopic Unicorn) has been set for October 23, which means that we are still a long way off and that the bulk of the features haven’t been implemented yet.

Even so, Ubuntu developers provide a daily image for the upcoming 14.10 operating system if users want to test it. It's far from stable, but it's possible to follow in real time what is happening with this release.