How to Install Linux Kernel 5.15 on Linux Mint 20

Linux kernel 5.15 is out with many new features, support, and security. The Linux 5.15 kernel release further improves the support for AMD CPUs and GPUs, Intel’s 12th Gen CPUs, and brings new features like NTFS3, KSMBD (CIFS/SMB3), and further Apple M1 support, amongst many other changes and additions.

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install the latest 5.15 Linux Kernel on Linux Mint 20.xx.

Prerequisites

• Recommended OS: Linux Mint 20 or higher.
• User account: A user account with sudo or root access.

Update Operating System

Update your Linux Mint operating system to make sure all existing packages are up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

The tutorial will be using the sudo command and assuming you have sudo status.

To verify sudo status on your account:

sudo whoami

Example output showing sudo status:

[joshua@linuxmint ~]$ sudo whoami
root

To set up an existing or new sudo account, visit our tutorial on Adding a User to Sudoers on Linux Mint.

To use the root account, use the following command with the root password to log in.

su

Import TuxInvader PPA

The first option to install the Linux 5.15 kernels is to install the ppa:tuxinvader/lts-mainline by TuxInvader. This has some of the most up-to-date 5.15, and the previous 5.14 kernel builds and is often updated regularly.

The drawback is this is an untrusted PPA and not an official release by the Linux Mint or Ubuntu official teams, but given the history of the PPA, it is safe as any other reputable PPA. You should not be installing this on a sensitive or production-type system anyway.

First, install the LTS Mainline Tuxinvader PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tuxinvader/lts-mainline -y

Once installed, update your repository list.

sudo apt update

Next, proceed to the installation of the Linux Kernel. Make sure at this point any sensitive documents are backed up just in case of anything going wrong.

Install Linux Kernel 5.15 on Linux Mint

Next, install the 5.15 generic Linux kernel drivers by executing the following command.

sudo apt-get install linux-generic-5.15

Example output:

Type “Y,” and then press the “ENTER KEY” to proceed with the installation.

Once complete, you will need to reboot your system for the new kernel to be fully activated.

reboot

Once logged back into your system, run the following command to confirm the kernel version running.

sudo uname -r

Example output:

5.15.2-051502-generic

Additionally, install the Neofetch package that will print out a fancy output in the terminal of your system specs.

sudo apt install neofetch -y

Next, run the neofetch printout command.

neofetch

Example output:

Congratulations, you have installed the latest 5.15 kernel on your Linux Mint operating system.

Updates for Kernel 5.15

To keep your kernel 5.15 up to date, you will use the apt update and upgrade commands to pull updates from the PPA repository just like any other package on your Linux Mint system.

To check for updates and upgrade.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Remember, for any kernel updates, and you will need to reboot your system.

Comments and Conclusion

In the tutorial, you have learned how to install the latest 5.15 kernel on your Linux Mint 20 system.

It should be noted if your system is a production server, it would be advised to use the existing kernel that ships with Linux Mint or use the HWE version for the most stability. However, this is worth trying for those wanting to try kernel 5.15 for its new hardware support.