The current kernel version is based on Linux 4.9.2

Jan 22, 2017 23:43 GMT  ·  By

The Ubuntu devs are preparing to move to a new kernel version for the upcoming release of the popular Linux-based operating system, and they are announcing the initial availability of a kernel based on the last RC of Linux 4.10.

At the moment, Ubuntu 17.04 (Zesty Zapus) is still using the stable Linux 4.9 kernel series, which have been marked as long-term supported (LTS) by renowned Linux kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman. The latest kernel version pushed into the Zesty repositories is based on the Linux 4.9.2 kernel, namely version 4.9.0-12.13.

But it looks like the Ubuntu developers have been tracking the development of the upcoming Linux 4.10 kernel, and they managed to rebuild Zesty's kernel packages on Linux 4.10 Release Candidate 4, announced last week by Linus Torvalds. The Linux 4.10 RC4-based packages are now ready for public testing.

"Please test and let us know your results. We also have a preliminary rebase to v4.10 (4.10-rc4 to be exact) available in our unstable repo: https://git.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-kernel/ubuntu/+source/linux/+git/unstable," said the Ubuntu developers in their latest newsletter. "We'll eventually converge on a v4.10 based kernel for Zesty."

Ubuntu 17.04 could be powered by Linux kernel 4.10

They said from the start of the development cycle that Ubuntu 17.04 (Zesty Zapus) could be powered by Linux kernel 4.10, because Linux kernel 4.9 was nearing its final release in December, closing the merge window for Linux kernel 4.10 two weeks after its launch.

Now that they also prepared a preliminary rebase of Zesty's kernel packages to Linux 4.10, we can only hope that the Ubuntu developers will keep track of the development of Linux kernel 4.10 and, eventually, rebase the operating system on this upcoming release, which should hit the streets in mid-February.

Without any further ado, if you're running Ubuntu 17.04 on your machines, don't hesitate to take the Linux 4.10-based kernel packages for a test drive from the unstable repository listed above. Of course, you should keep in mind that this is a pre-release version, which can't be used in a production environment.