Kernel Management GUI

Thoughts & Feedback
#1

Intro
I love Ubuntu Mate it's my first and only daily driver. I have multiple installations on my friends and family machines.

Friends and myself actually don't have any in depth understanding of Linux.

Every so often there is a case, when you need to skip a kernel update or go to newer branch to fix very specific hardware issue.

Feedback
It would be really nice to have kernel management GUI like in Manjaro or Mint

Why?

  • Noobs like me don't know what they are doing so it doesn't feel safe to interfere through the terminal and synaptic.
  • I use Ukuu, but it comes from PPA what in my opinion a bad practice for such critical task.
  • Mate is SO user friendly! whole philosophy just imply to have such tool on board.
3 Likes
#2

Maybe I'll take a look at doing something like that this winter when I have some time it shouldn't be too hard especially if I can maybe fork from manjaros that being said Ubuntu is sort of built around not changing the kernel drastically except for new releases

1 Like
#3

Thanks for reply

I get your point, but if we are talking in a context of getting more people into Linux world it actually make sense. I can come up with couple more use cases:

  • During multiple installations of various OS version sometime I found that autoremove option was not always activated and I didn't even know for the first time that it suppose to exist) So user can safely uninstall older kernels if struggling with space or boot time.
  • Again if newer kernel mess up you performance or touch pad (common issue with some exotic laptops) you might want to delete it after rolling back.
  • it will look good for distro reviews on YouTube :stuck_out_tongue:
1 Like
#4

You can manage kernels through the Synaptic Package Manager. Select the option "Kernel and modules".

1 Like
#6

If you're concerned with PPAs, just use this for installing unsupported kernels on your distro. It's a simple bash script. You can examinate it yourself if you're afraid of its content. Typing sudo ubuntu-mainline-kernel.sh -i in a terminal (or kernelupdate or whatever floats your boat once you've set a .bashrc alias) should be easier than signing in on this forum.

However, Ubuntu is a point release that focuses on stability, that's why they don't update to the latest kernel as soon as it's released. Swapping kernels does not appeal much to normies. I don't see why it would bring more people to Linux. One thing this distro lacks according to Martin Wimpress (the genius that brought us all here) is a GUI for tweaking graphics tablets. Maybe it should be better investing some ressources in this than trying to make this distro into a half-baked rolling release.

Sounds more like another point release vs rolling release dilemma. If your use case involves always using the latest software and supporting the latest hardware, maybe you should try something else like Manjaro/EndeavourOS if you want something arch based or OpenSUSE Tumbleweed that can sport the MATE desktop environment as well.

1 Like
#7

I agree. But while we don't have one shipped with our favorite distro, here's a suggestion: https://github.com/bkw777/mainline

I've been using this guy for some time now and it works pretty decently if you ask me