How to Install / Upgrade to Linux Kernel 3.18.4 in Ubuntu

Last updated: January 28, 2015

Linux Kernel 3.18.4

The latest Linux Kernel 3.18.4 has been released. All users of 3.18 kernel series are urged to upgrade as soon as possible.

The kernel 3.18.4 is a big release that brings architecture updates for x86 and ARM, driver updates for i915, radeon, wireless, and ethernet, various USB fixes, and more. For details, see the release note.

Upgrade to Kernel 3.18.4 in Ubuntu 14.04/ 14.10:

Ubuntu Kernel team has made the binary packages of this kernel release, available for download at the link below:

DOWNLOAD KERNEL 3.18.4 .DEBs

First check out your OS type, 32-bit (i386) or 64-bit (amd64), then download and install the packages below in turn:

  1. linux-headers-3.18.4-031804_xxx_all.deb
  2. linux-headers-3.18.4-031804-generic_3.18.4-031804.xxx_i386/amd64.deb
  3. linux-image-3.18.4-031804-generic_3.18.4-031804.xxx_i386/amd64.deb

If you need a low latency system (e.g. for recording audio) then download and install the packages below in turn:

  1. linux-headers-3.18.4-031804_xxx_all.deb
  2. linux-headers-3.18.4-031804-lowlatency_3.18.4-031804.xxx_i386/amd64.deb
  3. linux-image-3.18.4-031804-lowlatency_3.18.4-031804.xxx_i386/amd64.deb

For Ubuntu Server edition without a graphical session, run below commands one by one to download & install the kernel debs:

For 64-bit system, run:

cd /tmp/

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.18.4-vivid/linux-headers-3.18.4-031804-generic_3.18.4-031804.201501271243_amd64.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.18.4-vivid/linux-headers-3.18.4-031804_3.18.4-031804.201501271243_all.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.18.4-vivid/linux-image-3.18.4-031804-generic_3.18.4-031804.201501271243_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-3.18.4-*.deb linux-image-3.18.4-*.deb

For 32-bit system, run:

cd /tmp/

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.18.4-vivid/linux-headers-3.18.4-031804-generic_3.18.4-031804.201501271243_i386.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.18.4-vivid/linux-headers-3.18.4-031804_3.18.4-031804.201501271243_all.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.18.4-vivid/linux-image-3.18.4-031804-generic_3.18.4-031804.201501271243_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-3.18.4-*.deb linux-image-3.18.4-*.deb

Once done, restart the machine. For proprietary graphics driver, you may have to re-install/re-built your driver.

If for some reason, the new kernel does not work properly for you, reboot with the previous Kernel (Grub boot loader -> Advanced -> select previous kernel) and run below command to remove Linux Kernel 3.18.4:

sudo apt-get remove linux-headers-3.18.4-* linux-image-3.18.4-* && sudo update-grub

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