LXer (@lxer.mas.to.ap.brid.gy)

**Linux 6.18 LTS** is now the latest stable and long-term supported (LTS) kernel series, and Ubuntu users can install it on their machines via the official Ubuntu Mainline Kernel PPA archive. Here’s how! **Linux kernel 6.18 LTS** was released on November 30th, 2025, with new features like support for the Rust Binder driver, a new dm-pcache device-mapper target to enable persistent memory as a cache for slower block devices, and a new `microcode=` command-line option to control the microcode loader’s behavior on x86 platforms. To install Linux 6.18 on **Ubuntu 25.10 (Questing Quokka)** or **Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin)** systems, we will use the official Linux kernel packages from the Ubuntu Mainline Kernel PPA archive built by the Ubuntu Kernel Team, which can be installed manually or via the Mainline Kernels utility. However, I must warn you that **these kernels are produced with no warranty. The Ubuntu Kernel Team will NOT offer support for these kernels in case you have issues, and they will NOT be held responsible for any damages these kernels may cause due to improper installation or use.** ## Method 1: Install Linux kernel 6.18 LTS on Ubuntu with the “Mainline Kernels” tool The easiest way to install Linux kernel 6.18 LTS on your Ubuntu computer is by using a graphical tool called Mainline Kernels, which you can install from _this PPA_ by running the commands below in the Terminal app. Open the Terminal app and run the following commands to install the Mainline Kernels tool: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cappelikan/ppa sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade sudo apt install -y mainline Once the Mainline Kernels tool is installed, you can open it from the applications menu of your Ubuntu system. The tool will quickly check the availability of all kernel versions from Canonical’s Mainline Kernel PPA archive and will list Linux kernel 6.18 at the top. Click on the “6.18” entry to select it and then click on the big “Install” button on the right to install the new kernel on your Ubuntu machine. Wait for the installation to complete and then reboot your computer. The advantage of using this method is that you will receive new kernel versions (e.g., Linux 6.18.1, 6.18.2, etc.) when they are released upstream. Even better, the Mainline Kernels tool can inform you of new Linux kernel versions if you enable the notification feature in the tool’s settings. ## Method 2: Install Linux kernel 6.18 LTS on Ubuntu via CLI The second method is recommended for experienced users who know what they’re doing and don’t want to use the Mainline Kernels tool from the first method above. This method can be used as a fallback method when the Mainline Kernels tool fails to show the latest kernels from the Ubuntu Mainline Kernel PPA archive. This method implies that you must manually download and install the Linux 6.18 LTS kernel packages for your specific architecture (64-bit (amd64), AArch64 (ARM64), ARMhf, PowerPC 64-bit Little Endian (ppc64el), or IBM System z (s390x)) from the official _Ubuntu mainline kernel PPA archive_ and install them on your system via the command line. For example, to install Linux kernel 6.18 LTS on a 64-bit (amd64) Ubuntu system, download the packages listed below in a folder in your Home directory. Once you have downloaded all the kernel packages in the respective folder, you can install them all at once by running the `sudo dpkg -i *.deb` command. linux-image-unsigned-6.18.0-061800-generic_6.18.0-061800.202511302339_amd64.deb linux-modules-6.18.0-061800-generic_6.18.0-061800.202511302339_amd64.deb linux-headers-6.18.0-061800-generic_6.18.0-061800.202511302339_amd64.deb linux-headers-6.18.0-061800_6.18.0-061800.202511302339_all.deb ## Going back to Ubuntu’s default kernel or another installed kernel If, for some reason, you experience issues with Linux kernel 6.18 LTS and you want to go back to Ubuntu’s default kernel or another kernel that’s installed on your system, press the Esc key when your computer boots, go to the “Advanced options” boot entry, and select a different kernel version from the list of available kernels. ### _Related_ https://9to5linux.com/how-to-install-linux-kernel-6-18-lts-on-ubuntu-25-10-and-ubuntu-25-04