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Possible Duplicate:
Reasons why not to update an Ubuntu version to a newer/older kernel version

I use Ubuntu 11.10. which has kernel 3.2. Now kernel 3.4.1 is available, is it good or bad to upgrade kernel? if it's bad, what are the consequences?

Community
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kdureidy
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  • Is a good idea, but remember to upgrade to a stable version, unless you're a Ubuntu Dev or want to report bugs, then you can download a RC version (Release Candidate). – Jose Barakat Aug 14 '17 at 13:51

2 Answers2

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In my personal view,updating your kernel to the latest version from an older version may not be appropriate,as the newer version of the operating system may contain the newest version of the kernel itself.

Updating your kernel will expose new functions which may have changed and as a result,not integrate correct with your operating system.

dlin
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  • My experience upgrading to the latest stable version since Ubuntu 12.04 from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/ , says that's not true. It won't make your device fly, but it'll fix a lot of bugs that were in the previous versions. Check https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.12.7 for example to see bug fixes. Main url of changelogs: https://www.kernel.org/ – Jose Barakat Aug 14 '17 at 13:44
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Generally, upgrading from one minor kernel release to the next won't bring any major differences. There are several reasons to upgrade the kernel. One is to take advantage of a specific new feature or driver; another is to be protected against a security vulnerability, or just to maintain an up-to-date and healthy system.

Even if you choose not to update to every new kernel revision, it is recommended that you at least upgrade from time to time. It is strongly recommended that you immediately upgrade to a new kernel if that new release solves a security problem.

Source: Gentoo Linux Kernel Upgrade Guide

To see the changes for upgrading from 3.2 to 3.4.1, see this site.

Eliah Kagan
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Mitch
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  • Reading through all commits may not be suitable for a user. For a outline, see http://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_3.3 (for the intermediate changes) and http://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_3.4 – Lekensteyn Jun 05 '12 at 09:30