How to install newer versions of the Linux kernel?

Question

A new version of the Linux kernel, 3.4, has been released today. How do I install it?

Answer 1

Warning.

This can break your system. The NVIDIA and ATI/AMD drivers and the broadcom wireless will most likely not work on this yet.

I would advise against it but if things get messed up you should be able to fix it by booting an old kernel and removing this one. Something like this ...

Boot from CD
mount -o bind /dev  /dev
mount -o bind /proc  /proc
chroot 
apt-get install 
update-grub

From comment by Tomas an easier method:

• By entering GRUB through holding shift during boot you can enter the "Previous versions" of Linux. There you can select your old kernel, which is by default not removed.

• Now if you still want it ...

Download the three .DEB files with the name starting with linux from here: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4-precise/

Example for i386 (take the 2 with amd64 in the name for 64-bit and pae in the name for i386 with 4+Gb memory; check uname -a if you are unsure!):

linux-headers-3.4.0-030400_3.4.0-030400.201205210521_all.deb
linux-image-3.4.0-030400-generic_3.4.0-030400.201205210521_i386.deb
linux-headers-3.4.0-030400-generic_3.4.0-030400.201205210521_i386.deb

• Install all 3 packages ...

Example for i386

sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-3.4.0-030400_3.4.0-030400.201205210521_all.deb    
sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-3.4.0-030400-generic_3.4.0-030400.201205210521_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-image-3.4.0-030400-generic_3.4.0-030400.201205210521_i386.deb

• Reboot your system ...

sudo reboot

• Test it ...

uname -r

This should show a kernel with 3.4 in the name.

• Now for the good news ...

• "This release includes several Btrfs updates: metadata blocks bigger than 4KB,
• much better metadata performance,
• better error handling and
• better recovery tools.
• a new X32 ABI which allows to run in 64 bit mode with 32 bit pointers;
• several updates to the GPU drivers: early modesetting of Nvidia Geforce 600 'Kepler', support of AMD RadeonHD 7xxx and AMD Trinity APU series, and support of Intel Medfield graphics;
• support of x86 cpu driver autoprobing, a device-mapper target that stores cryptographic hashes of blocks to check for intrusions, another target to use external read-only devices as origin source of a thin provisioned LVM volume,
• several perf improvements such as GTK2 report GUI and
• a new 'Yama' security module."
• You can help test official 3.4 support in 12.04 by following these instructions: http://www.theorangenotebook.com/2012/06/call-for-testing-1210-kernel-on-1204.html

Answer 2

Go into Terminal and type each of these commands to upgrade to latest 3.5 kernel AND newest nvidia drivers:

 sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa

 sudo apt-get update

 sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

If something doesn't work properly or you just wish to go back to the old kernel then type these:

 sudo apt-get install ppa-purge

 sudo ppa-purge ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa

Answer 3

Ubuntu (32-bit) Generic:

Run the following commands:

1.Create Folder for kernel

mkdir kernel3.4.1stable && cd kernel3.4.1stable 

2.Download Kernel

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4.1-quantal/linux-headers-3.4.1-030401-generic_3.4.1-030401.201206041411_i386.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4.1-quantal/linux-headers-3.4.1-030401_3.4.1-030401.201206041411_all.deb 

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4.1-quantal/linux-image-3.4.1-030401-generic_3.4.1-030401.201206041411_i386.deb 

Extra Package

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4.1-quantal/linux-image-extra-3.4.1-030401-generic_3.4.1-030401.201206041411_i386.deb 

3.Install Kernel

sudo dpkg -i linux-*.deb 

sudo update-grub 

Ubuntu (64-bit):

Run the following commands:

1.Create Folder for kernel

mkdir kernel3.4.1stable && cd kernel3.4.1stable

2.Download Kernel

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4.1-quantal/linux-headers-3.4.1-030401-generic_3.4.1-030401.201206041411_amd64.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4.1-quantal/linux-headers-3.4.1-030401_3.4.1-030401.201206041411_all.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4.1-quantal/linux-image-3.4.1-030401-generic_3.4.1-030401.201206041411_amd64.deb 

Extra Package

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.4.1-quantal/linux-image-extra-3.4.1-030401-generic_3.4.1-030401.201206041411_amd64.deb

3.Install Kernel

sudo dpkg -i linux-*.deb 

sudo update-grub 

Extra Package? - It contains extra drivers left out of the base kernel package; install it only if you need these drivers.

Enjoy!