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Which version of Ubuntu supports Intel's Kaby Lake processor?

I just unboxed my new Dell XPS13 9560 yesterday, torched Windows 10 off it and installed Mint 18. Graphics and USB-C HDMI problems.

Although it was nowhere as an option on the Dell site when I ordered it a week ago, I learnt from all my searching for Kaby Lake compatibility that Dell started shipping a version with Ubuntu 3 days ago! That option must have been deeply buried on the Dell site.

So, that's great. Which version of Ubuntu supports the processor? If it is being OEM'd straight from Dell, I'd expect all the obvious incompatibilities (and there are a few) to be ironed out on the XPS13.

muru
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Simon
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  • Can you give this release a try? It is the absolute newest. (Literally, it was released today) https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/thank-you?version=16.10&architecture=amd64 – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit Oct 13 '16 at 22:10
  • Probably a fully updated 16.04 (kernel 4.4) should also support it more or less already. I know that my 16.04 installation asked me to download a Kabylake driver module after a recent kernel update, so it is at least aware of it. The latest release 16.10 (released today) is built on kernel 4.8, it should have better support for it anyway. – Byte Commander Oct 13 '16 at 22:42
  • @ByteCommander - Which is why I linked OP to 16.10 – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit Oct 13 '16 at 22:43
  • @AndroidDev Did I say anything against that? Just added my guess that 16.04 with updated kernel might also provide some sort of support. – Byte Commander Oct 13 '16 at 22:45
  • @ByteCommander - No, not in the least :) My point is simply that if OP needs newest possible kernel, 16.10 will have it OOTB. – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit Oct 13 '16 at 22:46
  • @AndroidDev Yeah, at the moment the Yakkety kernel is even newer than the latest one you get in Arch Linux by default - they have "only" 4.7.5 :D – Byte Commander Oct 14 '16 at 07:13
  • Okay, I will try 16.10. First time Ubuntu install. Sayonara Mint. For now anyway. – Simon Oct 14 '16 at 17:43
  • I installed the new release side by side Mint 18. – Simon Oct 14 '16 at 22:27
  • I installed the new release side by side Mint 18. The good news is that it found the Wi-Fi adapter perfectly, unlike Mint. It also had better compatibility with external monitors, although I am still experiencing major problems. With a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort cable and my 24" 1920x1200 display, it works. But not with Dell's USB-C to HDMI/VGA/Ethernet/USB adapter using an HDMI cable. With that, nothing over 1024x768 resolution works. Oddly, when I use the same adapter and an HDMI to DVI cable into my 20" 1680x1050 resolution monitor, it works. – Simon Oct 14 '16 at 22:36
  • More test results: I can go from the adapter via a VGA cable into a VGA/HDMI converter into the 24" screen at 1920x1080 (The highest the converter supports). So it's kind of weird. On Mint, external monitor compatibility with the XPS13 is worse. Not many things work and when it doesn't work, it usually results in a hang that requires a hard boot. – Simon Oct 14 '16 at 22:37

2 Answers2

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Support for new Intel processors always takes some time, but I'd say your best bet would be to try installing the latest kernel from the deb packages at http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.8.7/ and you will need the kbl_dmc firmware from Intel Graphics 01 project. Download the tar.bz2 from https://01.org/linuxgraphics/downloads/kabylake-dmc-1.0

Nicholas Stommel
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  • The latest kernel from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.8.1/ is up to a year more up-to-date than the latest kernel version that can be installed from the default Ubuntu repositories. – karel Nov 12 '16 at 10:27
  • http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.8.7/ – Nicholas Stommel Nov 14 '16 at 06:05
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Right now Dell sells 3 versions of the New XPS 13 (9360, not 9560 btw) with Ubuntu 16.04 preinstalled in their UK store - but note they add it is "Augmented with the necessary hardware drivers, tools and utilities". As Dell themselves supports this machine's full functionality on Kaby Lake with 16.04, I'd suggest Dell support may be a good starting point for any issues. There is a specific XPS 13 'developer edition' (Ubuntu) forum.

MatzFan
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