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How to Install/Upgrade to Kernel 4.0 in Ubuntu, Linux Mint

Last updated: July 28, 2015

Linux Kernel 4.0

Linux Kernel 4.0, a new stable release, has been announced by Linus Torvalds last night. He wrote on the Linux kernel mailing list:

So I decided to release 4.0 as per the normal schedule, because there really weren’t any known issues, and while I’ll be traveling during the end of the upcoming week due to a college visit, I’m hoping that won’t affect the merge window very much. We’ll see.

Linux 4.0 was a pretty small release both in linux-next and in final size, although obviously “small” is all relative. It’s still over 10k non-merge commits. But we’ve definitely had bigger releases (and judging by linux-next v4.1 is going to be one of the bigger ones).

What’s New in Kernel 4.0:

Linux Kernel 4.0, formerly known as Linux 3.20, features:

  • Live Kernel Patching, ability to install security kernel updates WITHOUT REBOOT.
  • DisplayPort Audio, and better better fan control support for the Radeon DRM driver.
  • Graphics and power-management support for Intel’s Skylake processors
  • Intel Quark SoC support
  • PlayStation PS 3 support.
  • new ARM hardware support, IBM z13 support, better Toshiba laptop support, improved Logitech HID support, and more.

Install Kernel 4.0 in Ubuntu/Linux Mint:

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

Download Kernel 4.0 (.DEB)

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-4.0.0-xxx_all.deb
  2. linux-headers-4.0.0-xxx-generic_xxx_i386/amd64.deb
  3. linux-image-4.0.0-xxx-generic_xxx_i386/amd64.deb

After installing the kernel, you may run sudo update-grub command in terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) to refresh grub boot-loader.

If you need a low latency system (e.g. for recording audio) then download & install below packages instead:

  1. linux-headers-4.0.0_xxx_all.deb
  2. linux-headers-4.0.0-xxx-lowlatency_xxx_i386/amd64.deb
  3. linux-image-4.0.0-xxx-lowlatency_xxx_i386/amd64.deb

For Ubuntu Server with a graphical UI, you may run below commands one by one to grab packages with wget and install them via apt-get:

For 64-bit system run:

cd /tmp/

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0-vivid/linux-headers-4.0.0-040000_4.0.0-040000.201504121935_all.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0-vivid/linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic_4.0.0-040000.201504121935_amd64.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0-vivid/linux-image-4.0.0-040000-generic_4.0.0-040000.201504121935_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-4.0.0-*.deb linux-image-4.0.0-*.deb

For 32-bit system, run:

cd /tmp/

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0-vivid/linux-headers-4.0.0-040000_4.0.0-040000.201504121935_all.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0-vivid/linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic_4.0.0-040000.201504121935_i386.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0-vivid/linux-image-4.0.0-040000-generic_4.0.0-040000.201504121935_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-4.0.0-*.deb linux-image-4.0.0-*.deb

Uninstall Linux Kernel 4.0:

If for some reason, the new kernel does not work properly for you, reboot into a previous Kernel (Grub boot loader -> Advanced -> select a previous kernel) and run below command in terminal to remove the Linux Kernel 4.0:

sudo apt-get remove linux-headers-4.0.0-* linux-image-4.0.0-*
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    16 responses to How to Install/Upgrade to Kernel 4.0 in Ubuntu, Linux Mint

    1. Despiser April 15, 2015 at 12:15 am

      Terrible How-To. You went directly from downloading the headers and kernel to “After installing the kernel, you may run sudo update-grub command in terminal”. How about the part where you actually install the headers and kernel? Oh that might be to easy in a post about installing a Linux Kernel.

      • donkeyofdarkness April 16, 2015 at 6:30 pm

        sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-4.0.0-*.deb linux-image-4.0.0-*.deb

        The author included it just after the wget parts

    2. gregzeng April 21, 2015 at 6:54 am

      Install any Ubuntu Linux kernel from:
      http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/

      I save the needed kernels in my archive folder. In my case, this archive folder is off-line, on a NTFS-compressed partition (Win8.1 format). All my Linux & Windows operating systems have no trouble read-write-install from this off-line drive.

      Double click on the Linux kernel icon. It will auto-install. Do the ALL, then IMAGE & HEADERS, in that order.

      Or move your cursor to the folder where the three files (ALL, IMAGE, HEADER) are kept. Open a terminal in that folder. Then run the command:

      sudo dpkg -i linux-*.deb

      This will work for any Linux kernel, into any Ubuntu-based distro. According to Distrowatch.com, there are 69 such distros. Of course, the real number is much, much higher than that.

      The above method will also work for all beta & alpha Linux kernels. Grub-customizer will allow a GUI-based way to skillfully put the multi-boot menu in the order you prefer. On my website & my Youtube channel, I’ll show you all, one day, how easy & “simple” this GUI method is.

      Retired Chief Information Officer (1984)
      Australian Capital Territory.

    3. hal April 25, 2015 at 11:45 am

      i am a newbie, and i dont get it:

      sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-4.0.0-*.deb linux-image-4.0.0-*.deb

      we have downloaded two package but installed linux-headers-4.0.0…. linux-image-4.0……

      will we install only 2 packages? where is the linux-headers-4.0.0_xxx_all.deb ?

      or we must install all the packages including all.deb? in turn…?

      thanks

      • Ji m April 25, 2015 at 3:20 pm

        the “linux-headers-4.0.0-*.deb” will automatically select and install both the “linux-headers-4.0.0_xxx_all.deb” and “linux-headers-4.0.0_xxx-generic-xxx_i386/amd64.deb” since both packages’ name started with linux-headers-4.0.0-

        • hal April 25, 2015 at 4:17 pm

          i got some errors, are those important?:

          Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 4.0.0-040000-generic (i686)
          Consult /var/lib/dkms/virtualbox-guest/4.3.18/build/make.log for more information.

          Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 4.0.0-040000-generic (i686)
          Consult /var/lib/dkms/virtualbox-guest/4.3.18/build/make.log for more information.

          W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8107e-2.fw for module r8169
          W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8107e-1.fw for module r8169
          W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168h-2.fw for module r8169
          W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168h-1.fw for module r8169

          but os doesnt seem to be effected badly, it boots and everything works properly….

          • hellfis May 4, 2015 at 12:58 pm

            Hal , you have to recompile , virtual box kernel modules , to fix the error.
            And than you have to download rtl8168h-2.fw which is Wifi or Audio driver.
            And your good to go

    4. am May 3, 2015 at 11:30 am

      thanks mate – just ran it all and it works as a charm. nice from you to have the write-up available here.

    5. Alvin-Michael Tiago Linton May 13, 2015 at 9:44 pm

      Great tutorial very straight forward, never-mind the negative Nancy that`s to stupid to follow instructions.

    6. fjdks May 16, 2015 at 1:16 pm

      Hi,

      I installed the kernel however I get a kernel panic and can’t start so I’m logged back in under the old kernel however I can’t remove the new one. I get the following error message:

      E: Unable to locate package linux-headers-4.0.0-*
      E: Couldn’t find any package by regex ‘linux-headers-4.0.0-*’
      E: Unable to locate package linux-image-4.0.0-*
      E: Couldn’t find any package by regex ‘linux-image-4.0.0-*’

      Here’s the output of ls -l on /boot:
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 1268815 Apr 30 18:23 abi-3.19.0-16-generic
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 1258025 May 8 16:43 abi-4.0.2-040002-generic
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 177656 Apr 30 18:23 config-3.19.0-16-generic
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 183518 May 8 16:43 config-4.0.2-040002-generic
      drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 4096 May 16 14:07 grub
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 20827390 May 15 08:05 initrd.img-3.19.0-16-generic
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 19818521 May 16 13:56 initrd.img-4.0.2-040002-generic
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 164216 Mar 6 16:23 memtest86+.bin
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 165892 Mar 6 16:23 memtest86+.elf
      -rw-r–r– 1 root root 166396 Mar 6 16:23 memtest86+_multiboot.bin
      -rw——- 1 root root 3615358 Apr 30 18:23 System.map-3.19.0-16-generic
      -rw——- 1 root root 3008732 May 8 16:43 System.map-4.0.2-040002-generic
      -rw——- 1 root root 6611904 Apr 30 18:23 vmlinuz-3.19.0-16-generic
      -rw——- 1 root root 6325520 May 8 16:43 vmlinuz-4.0.2-040002-generic

      So it looks like it’s installed but apt doesn’t seem to think so. How do I get rid of it?

      Thanks

      • Ji m May 16, 2015 at 5:41 pm

        Seems you’ve installed kernel 4.0.2, so the command should be:

        sudo apt-get remove linux-headers-4.0.2-* linux-image-4.0.2-*

        refresh grub boot-loader if previous command doesn’t do it:

        sudo update-grub
        • fjdks May 16, 2015 at 10:18 pm

          Didn’t realise I’d done that :D

          I was able to remove the headers however it says it’s couldn’t find the image file to remove. I updated grub however it’s still showing in the grub list. I guess I could edit it out of grub however at the next update grub will put it in again so hoping for something a little more permanent. Have you any other ideas?

    7. cornelis stravers May 28, 2015 at 7:16 pm

      would not compile due to wl mod needed for my wireless card.

    8. Sonic Temple July 1, 2015 at 11:42 am

      When i run
      cpupower frequency-info

      it follows by this:
      You may need to install the following packages for this specific kernel:
      linux-tools-4.0.0-040000-generic
      linux-cloud-tools-4.0.0-040000-generic

      Is there any chance to have it soon?
      Thank’s!!

    9. kanka76 August 19, 2015 at 7:33 am

      Guys, I am confused don’t you need to compile the kernel after the install?
      I mean like with the command:

      sudo make && make modules && make install && make modules_install

      Regards,
      Kanka76

    10. Victor Escobar September 15, 2015 at 3:59 pm

      I get the following errors when I try an installation of the headers DEB file:
      ————————————————————————-
      userXXXX@hostXXXX ~/Downloads $ sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic_4.0.0-040000.201504121935_amd64.deb
      [sudo] password for userXXXX:
      Selecting previously unselected package linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic.
      (Reading database … 243332 files and directories currently installed.)
      Preparing to unpack linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic_4.0.0-040000.201504121935_amd64.deb …
      Unpacking linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic (4.0.0-040000.201504121935) …
      dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic:
      linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic depends on linux-headers-4.0.0-040000; however:
      Package linux-headers-4.0.0-040000 is not installed.

      dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic (–install):
      dependency problems – leaving unconfigured
      Errors were encountered while processing:
      linux-headers-4.0.0-040000-generic
      ———————————————————————-
      Please advise. TIA.