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Ubuntu kernel lifecycle and enablement stack

The Ubuntu LTS enablement, or Hardware Enablement (HWE), stack provides the newer kernel and X support for existing Ubuntu LTS releases. That stack can be enabled manually, but may also be pre-enabled with an Ubuntu LTS release.

The HWE stack can be used by desktop and server systems, as well as cloud or virtual images.

Installation

Ubuntu 14.04 LTS — Trusty Tahr

Desktop:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-core-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-video-all-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-input-all-lts-xenial libwayland-egl1-mesa-lts-xenial

Server:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-xenial

The 14.04.2 and newer point releases ship with an updated kernel and X stack by default. If you have installed with older media, you can use these instructions to install the newer HWE kernel derived from 16.04 (Xenial).

If you run a multiarch desktop (for example, i386 and amd64 on amd64, for gaming or Wine), you may find you need a slightly more involved command:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-core-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-video-all-lts-xenial xserver-xorg-input-all-lts-xenial libwayland-egl1-mesa-lts-xenial libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-xenial libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-xenial:i386 libglapi-mesa-lts-xenial:i386

Ubuntu 16.04 LTS — Xenial Xerus

Desktop:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-16.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-16.04

Server:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-16.04

The 16.04.2 and newer point releases ship with an updated kernel and X stack by default for the desktop. Server installations default to the GA kernel and provide the enablement kernel as optional.The 16.04 HWE stacks follow the Rolling Update Model.

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS — Bionic Beaver

Desktop:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04

Server:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-18.04

The 18.04.2 and newer point releases will ship with an updated kernel and X stack by default for the desktop. Server installations will default to the GA kernel and provide the enablement kernel as optional.

The 18.04 HWE stacks follow the Rolling Update Model.

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS — Focal Fossa

Desktop:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-20.04

Server:

sudo apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-20.04

Desktop installations of 20.04 default to tracking the HWE stack. Server installations will default to the GA kernel and provide the enablement kernel as optional.

Note that certain desktop machines may be on a separate "OEM" track. To determine if the machine is eligible for this, run the command ubuntu-drivers list-oem from a terminal. If this is non-empty, the machine is running the OEM cadence instead of HWE.

The 20.04 HWE stack follows the Rolling Update Model.

Check your support status

To determine if your install is still supported, use this terminal command:

hwe-support-status --verbose

Kernel release schedule

  Released End of Life Expanded security maintenance
Ubuntu 22.04.0 LTS (v5.15) Apr 2022 Apr 2027 Apr 2032
Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (v5.15) Aug 2022 Apr 2027 Apr 2032
Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS (v5.19) Feb 2023 Jul 2023  
  Released End of Life Expanded security maintenance
Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS (v5.15) Aug 2022 Apr 2025 Apr 2030
Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS (v5.13) Feb 2022 Aug 2022  
Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS (v5.11) Aug 2021 Feb 2022  
Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (v5.8) Feb 2021 Aug 2021  
Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS (v5.4) Jul 2020 Apr 2025 Apr 2030
Ubuntu 20.04.0 LTS (v5.4) Apr 2020 Apr 2025 Apr 2030
  Released End of Life Expanded security maintenance
Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS (v5.4) Aug 2020 Apr 2023 Apr 2028
Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS (v5.3) Feb 2020 Aug 2020  
Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS (v5.0) Aug 2019 Feb 2020  
Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS (v4.18) Feb 2019 Aug 2019  
Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS (v4.15) Jul 2018 Apr 2023 Apr 2028
Ubuntu 18.04.0 LTS (v4.15) Apr 2018 Apr 2023 Apr 2028
  Released End of Life Expanded security maintenance
Ubuntu 16.04.5 LTS (v4.15) Aug 2018 Apr 2021 Apr 2024
Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS (v4.13) Feb 2018 Jul 2018  
Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS (v4.10) Aug 2017 Jan 2018  
Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS (v4.8) Feb 2017 Jul 2017  
Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS (v4.4) Aug 2016 Apr 2021 Apr 2024
Ubuntu 16.04.0 LTS (v4.4) Apr 2016 Apr 2021 Apr 2024
  Released End of Life Expanded security maintenance
Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS (v4.4) Aug 2016 Apr 2019 Apr 2022
Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS (v4.2) Feb 2016 Jul 2016  
Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS (v3.19) Aug 2015 Jul 2016  
Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS (v3.16) Feb 2015 Jul 2016  
Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS (v3.13) Aug 2014 Apr 2019 Apr 2022
Ubuntu 14.04.0 LTS (v3.13) Apr 2014 Apr 2019 Apr 2022
  Released CVE/Critical fixes only End of Life
Ubuntu 14.04.0 LTS (v3.13) Apr 2014 Apr 2016 Apr 2019
Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS (v3.13) Aug 2014 Apr 2016 Apr 2019
Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS (v3.16) Feb 2015 May 2015 Jul 2016
Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS (v3.19) Aug 2015   Jul 2016
Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS (v4.2) Feb 2016   Jul 2016
Ubuntu 16.04.0 LTS (v4.4) Apr 2016 Apr 2018 Mar 2023
Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS (v4.4) Aug 2016 Apr 2018 Apr 2019
Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS (v4.4) Aug 2016 Apr 2018 Apr 2021
Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS (v4.8) Feb 2017   Jul 2017
Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS (v4.10) Aug 2017   Jan 2018
Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS (v4.13) Feb 2018   Jul 2018
Ubuntu 18.04.0 LTS (v4.15) Apr 2018 Apr 2020 Mar 2025
Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS (v4.15) Jul 2018 Apr 2020 Apr 2023
Ubuntu 16.04.5 LTS (v4.15) Aug 2018 Apr 2020 Apr 2021
Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS (v4.18) Feb 2019   Jul 2019
Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS (v5.0) Aug 2019   Jan 2020
Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS (v5.3) Feb 2020   Jul 2020
Ubuntu 20.04.0 LTS (v5.4) Apr 2020 Apr 2022 Apr 2025
Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS (v5.4) Jul 2020 Apr 2022 Apr 2025
Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS (v5.4) Aug 2020 Apr 2022 Apr 2023
Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (v5.8) Feb 2021   Aug 2021
Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS (v5.11) Aug 2021   Feb 2022
Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS (v5.13) Feb 2022   Jul 2022
Ubuntu 22.04.0 LTS (v5.15) Apr 2022 Apr 2024 Apr 2027
Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS (v5.15) Aug 2022 Aug 2024 Apr 2025
Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (v5.15) Aug 2022 Apr 2024 Apr 2027
Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS (v5.19) Feb 2023   Jul 2023
  Early preview Released End of Life
Ubuntu 14.04.0 LTS (v3.13) Jan 2014 Apr 2014 Apr 2019
Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS (v3.13) May 2014 Aug 2014 Apr 2019
Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS (v3.16)   Feb 2015 Jul 2016
Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS (v3.19)   Aug 2015 Jul 2016
Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS (v4.2)   Feb 2016 Jul 2016
Ubuntu 16.04.0 LTS (v4.4) Jan 2016 Apr 2016 Apr 2021
Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS (v4.4) May 2016 Aug 2016 Apr 2019
Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS (v4.4) May 2016 Aug 2016 Apr 2021
Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS (v4.8)   Feb 2017 Jul 2017
Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS (v4.10)   Aug 2017 Jan 2018
Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS (v4.13)   Feb 2018 Jul 2018
Ubuntu 18.04.0 LTS (v4.15) Jan 2018 Apr 2018 Apr 2023
Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS (v4.15) Apr 2018 Jul 2018 Apr 2023
Ubuntu 16.04.5 LTS (v4.15) May 2018 Aug 2018 Apr 2021
Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS (v4.18)   Feb 2019 Aug 2019
Ubuntu 19.04 (v5.0)   Apr 2019 Jan 2020
Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS (v5.0)   Aug 2019 Feb 2020
Ubuntu 19.10 (v5.3)   Oct 2019 Jul 2020
Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS (v5.3)   Feb 2020 Jul 2020
Ubuntu 20.04.0 LTS (v5.4) Jan 2020 Apr 2020 Apr 2025
Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS (v5.4) Apr 2020 Jul 2020 Apr 2025
Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS (v5.4) May 2020 Aug 2020 Apr 2023
Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (v5.8)   Feb 2021 Aug 2021
Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS (v5.11)   Aug 2021 Feb 2022
Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS (v5.13)   Feb 2022 Aug 2022
Ubuntu 22.04.0 LTS (v5.15) Jan 2022 Apr 2022 Apr 2027
Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS (v5.15) May 2022 Aug 2022 Apr 2025
Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (v5.15)   Aug 2022 Apr 2027
Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS (v5.19)   Feb 2023 Jul 2023