The developers of the Linux Mint distribution have released updated ISO images featuring a newer version of the Linux kernel. For the release of Linux Mint 22.3, originally shipped with kernel 6.14, a Hardware Enablement (HWE) update has been released with kernel version 7.0, ported from Ubuntu 26.04 and prepared for inclusion in Ubuntu 26.04.5 LTS. It is expected that the publication of such interim updated ISO images will resolve users' issues with support for new hardware, amid the extended release cycle and the decision to publish the next release of Linux Mint at the end of December 2026, rather than in early September.
Additionally, the Linux Mint developers announced the creation of a new interface for managing packages with the Linux kernel, which will replace the old tools embedded in the Update Manager. The new implementation supports both Linux Mint and LMDE and focuses on managing kernel series rather than individual kernels. Users can specify which kernel series to track and how many old versions to keep in the system. When updating the kernel, old versions will be automatically removed according to the specified settings. Manual options for cleaning up old kernels and viewing the history of old version deletions will also be available.
Source: opennet.ru
