To install new kernel or not?

[deepakdeshp]

Newer kernels get released all the time . Some like series 4.9 are LTS and have many sub version numbers.
The question is , if your running kernel supports all your hardware, then should you upgrade?
Upgrades will have many improvements like bug fixes, additional security features.
If you decide to upgrade which branch should you choose, like the 4.9 LTS branch or the latest 4.14 branch.
Will the later versions of kernels be bulkier than the older versions, hence consuming more resources like memory etc?

Thanks for any help in this,

[MintBean]

The latest LTS kernel is 4.4. Ubuntu maintain their own kernel builds,so look to Ubuntu for information, not kernel.org.

So on Mint 18 your choices are:
a) Stick with the 4.4 LTS kernel which is good for the life of Mint 18.x.
b) Upgrade to the latest kernel, which is not LTS and ensure you continually update to the latest as they will lose security support. Eventually you will end up with the next LTS kernel.

Ubuntu LTS kernels are those that ship with the LTS Ubuntu releases which are the April releases every second year, i,e, 16.04 (which Mint 18.x is based on), 18.04 (which Mint 19.x will be based on) etc.

Stick with the initial LTS unless you've got a reason (new hardware support) to upgrade. Whatever you stick with, ALWAYS accept kernel security updates.

[mr_raider]

What's your hardware specs?

[Schultz]

MintBean's advice is spot-on. The only thing to add is that kernel series 4.8 is already end of life, so if you are on that series you will need to switch to another one to get the latest security updates. Higher series are the 4.10, 4.11, and 4.13, none of which are LTS (which means if you choose one of these you will soon have to switch to a higher series). If you want an LTS you will need the 4.4 series as MintBean has noted.

[deepakdeshp]

MintBean's advice is spot-on. The only thing to add is that kernel series 4.8 is already end of life, so if you are on that series you will need to switch to another one to get the latest security updates. Higher series are the 4.10, 4.11, and 4.13, none of which are LTS (which means if you choose one of these you will soon have to switch to a higher series). If you want an LTS you will need the 4.4 series as MintBean has noted.

I am on version 4.9.61 which is LTS. Here whats LTS , meaning till which year will it be supported?

[Schultz]

That kernel is "outside of the Mint world" and not recommended; it's best to stick with kernels directly from Mint (unless you really know what you're doing). Kernel series 4.4 is supported till April 2021. Source link below (second graph chart):

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/RollingL ... ementStack

[deepakdeshp]

That kernel is "outside of the Mint world" and not recommended; it's best to stick with kernels directly from Mint (unless you really know what you're doing). Kernel series 4.4 is supported till April 2021. Source link below (second graph chart):

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/RollingL ... ementStack

The thought in choosing 4.9.61. kernel was that it was LTS and higher numerically than the 4.4 series.
Higher numbered kernels should be better than the lower numbered ones if the hardware is supported was my assumption. May be it is not correct?

[MintBean]

Yes Schultz makes a good point. If you installed 18.0 you will have the 4.4LTS kernel. If you installed 18.1,2 or 3 you will have a non LTS kernel.

+1 on not installing non Ubuntu supported kernels. You're better off rolling with the latest HWE kernels (i.e. always updating to latest offered in update manager) than sticking on something non Ubuntu.

[pcspecialistpdx]

I'm finding that the best hardware support is with 4.4... kernels, I've had problems on all my former Chromebooks when upgrading to more recent kernels and even a Lenovo Thinkpad didn't like the more recent ones.

[Moem]

Interestingly, my X201 thinkpad is quite happy with 4.10.0-37.