Ubuntu 24.04 LTS users will soon receive a hardware enablement update featuring the Linux 6.17 kernel and Mesa 25.2.7 graphics drivers. This stack, backported from Ubuntu 25.10, arrives via regular software updates this month, before the full 24.04.4 LTS point release on February 12, 2026. The update enhances support for newer hardware like Intel Core Ultra CPUs and AMD RDNA 4 graphics.
The hardware enablement (HWE) update for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS introduces significant improvements in kernel and graphics components, drawn from the October 2025 release of Ubuntu 25.10. Scheduled to roll out through standard software updates in January 2026, it precedes the official Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS point release on February 12, 2026. That point release will include a new installation ISO with the updated kernel and drivers preinstalled, along with accumulated bug fixes and security patches since August 2025.
At the core of this HWE is the Linux 6.17 kernel, a major upgrade from previous versions. It includes power management enhancements for Intel Core Ultra processors, SmartMux support for automatic switching on AMD hybrid GPU laptops, and initial compatibility for AMD's upcoming RDNA 4 Radeon cards. Other additions cover ambient light sensors and power-button LEDs on Framework Laptop 13 and 16 models, improved battery reporting for Logitech wireless peripherals, Intel IPU7 camera support for more webcams, compatibility with newer Wacom Intuos and Cintiq tablets, stabilized Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) functionality, and an SSD 'zero out' flag to minimize flash memory wear.
Complementing the kernel, Mesa 25.2.7 provides the latest graphics driver fixes, advancing from the original Mesa 24.0.5 and recent 25.0.7. This version stabilizes the open-source NVK Vulkan driver for NVIDIA Turing, Blackwell, and newer architectures, potentially serving as a default alternative to proprietary drivers on some systems. It removes the legacy Clover OpenCL driver in favor of Rusticl for better OpenCL 3.0 support, aiding applications like Blender and Darktable. Full Vulkan 1.4 compliance arrives for Intel (ANV) and AMD (RADV) drivers, with maturing hardware support for NVIDIA Blackwell (RTX 50 series) and Intel Battlemage GPUs. A new mesa-compat package ensures legacy compatibility, while bug fixes address issues in games such as No Man’s Sky, Borderlands 4, Resident Evil 4, and Penumbra: Overture.
Additional updates include Intel VAAPI driver 2.4.1, libva, libdrm, and Wayland Protocols 1.45. The latter backports new staging protocols for effects like transparency blur and pointer warping, plus experimental ones for session management and improved input-method interactions.
These components are currently in the noble-proposed repository for testing and will soon move to noble-updates for broader availability. One more HWE update is planned later, incorporating elements from the April 2026 Ubuntu 26.04 LTS as its general availability kernel.
