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Manually upgrading the Linux kernel is not a simple feat — it requires a fair amount of knowledge. We've covered how to do it before How to Update Linux Kernel for Improved System Performance How to Update Linux Kernel for Improved System Performance The Linux kernel is has regular releases, offering new features and improvements that you have to wait for in a new distribution release - unless you manually upgrade the Linux kernel. We show you how. Read More , but if you'd rather get the latest and greatest without the fuss, and you're running Ubuntu, you might appreciate a more automatic solution in the form of Ukuu.

What Is a Kernel?

The kernel is basically The Linux Kernel: An Explanation In Layman's Terms The Linux Kernel: An Explanation In Layman's Terms There is only one de facto thing that Linux distributions have in common: the Linux kernel. But while it's often talked about, a lot of people don't really know exactly what it does. Read More an important piece of software found in every operating system. It acts as a mediator between the software you run every day (e.g. web browsers), and the hardware that it's running on. Essentially, without a kernel, other programs cannot function since they can't access your computer's resources.

For example, open up your task manager. All of your processes take up some amount of your computer's memory. It is the operating system's kernel that is quietly allocating this memory to your programs.

Different operating systems have different kernels. For Linux users, this means using operating systems built upon the Linux kernel. Other examples include the NT kernel (Windows) and the XNU kernel (Mac).

Why Should I Upgrade My Kernel?

Since the kernel is essentially the go-between for your programs and the hardware it's running on, updates can provide a myriad of benefits. Two examples of these include better support for your computer system, and improved performance 5 Reasons Why You Should Update Your Kernel Often [Linux] 5 Reasons Why You Should Update Your Kernel Often [Linux] If you're using a Linux distribution like Ubuntu or Fedora, you're also using the Linux kernel, the core that actually makes your distribution a Linux distribution. Your distribution constantly asks you to update your kernel.... Read More .

Part of the Linux kernel is devoted solely to controlling things like your graphics card and CPU in the form of device drivers. These drivers inside the kernel tend to be limited to a particular range of hardware. With newer and newer technologies coming out, drivers need to be constantly added and updated to match them. If you're using a partially unsupported computer, upgrading the kernel may help it become more compatible.

Along with this, system performance can go hand-in-hand with better drivers. Your graphics performance in particular get almost constant improvements per release. Just don't expect miracles!

Unfortunately, the process of upgrading a kernel by hand can be a little tedious, and that's where Ukuu comes in.

What Is Ukuu?

Ukuu (short for Ubuntu Kernel Update Utility) makes updating your Ubuntu kernel much easier to perform. It downloads newer kernels from the internet, and changes your system to let it use them. All you really have to do is choose which kernel you'd like and reboot into it.

Traditionally, updating your kernel means installing a new copy of Ubuntu over your old Linux box. If you repeat your installation experience a couple of times, you'll see how it can eat up some time. Ukuu makes this process as easy as installing a program from the Ubuntu Software Center.

Getting Ukuu

Enter these commands in the terminal to install Ukuu:

sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:teejee2008/ppa

You can't get Ukuu by default from the list of software that Ubuntu provides. As such, using the above command, we point our package manager A Beginner's Guide to Installing Software in Ubuntu with APT A Beginner's Guide to Installing Software in Ubuntu with APT If you've used Ubuntu you have probably used the apt command at some point. But did you know there's so much more to it than apt-get install and apt-get upgrade? Read More to the desired repository. Adding such locations lets us install software that Ubuntu doesn't have by default (such as Ukuu).

sudo apt-get update

Package managers (such as APT), work by retrieving a list of all the software that they can install. The second command ensures that this list is up to date. Put shortly, if you don't enter this command, you won't be able to find Ukuu!

sudo apt-get install ukuu

The above command actually downloads and installs the program. Alternatively, you could open the Ubuntu Software Center 5 Great Tips for the Ubuntu Software Center [Linux] 5 Great Tips for the Ubuntu Software Center [Linux] Read More