Linux Mint Mesa Updates

[Perfect Lynk]

Hey. When do the Mesa drivers update on Linux Mint? I'm on Linux Mint 21.2 Kernel 5.15.0-89, Ubuntu 22.04.1 and Mesa 23.0.4. Searching the Mesa website the latest is 23.3.0. So is it as Linux Mint updates it's Kernel, sooner or later it'll reach 23.3.0 for Mesa driver updates? I've read you can you use a PPA but when will Linux Mint get these updates officially.

Thanks

[D. Flame]

6.2.0-37 is available in the official updater right now.

5.15.0-89 is the extend support one.

5.15.0-89 is supported until April 2027.
6.2.0-37 is only supported until February of 2024.

[Marlock]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

6.2.0-37 is available in the official updater right now.

5.15.0-89 is the extend support one.

5.15.0-89 is supported until April 2027.
6.2.0-37 is only supported until February of 2024.

Mint's Updates Manager has a menu item just for kernel updates where you can see those options and install them via a 100% convenient GUI

[Marlock]

Originally posted by Xenophobe:

mesa updates are not as quick on linux mint (or ubuntu and its derivatives). the kisak-fresh ppa is good for getting the current or closer to current releases. kisak is also a valve developer, so I personally prefer to use a ppa for graphics drivers made by a gaming service developer.

https://launchpad.net/~kisak/+archive/ubuntu/kisak-mesa?field.series_filter=

exactly the above

if you want fresher Mesa than Mint's defaults, go for Kisak PPA (fresh or slow)

Mint is based on the latest LTS version of Ubuntu available, which is released every two years

it usually stays at the same version of its core components, including Mesa (eg: 23.0.x), until the next Ubuntu LTS is released... this is what they call a "version freeze" for the OS components

after the version freeze tat version of the OS will only receive bug fixes and security updates (the last version number tracks those)

that means Mint is between 6 months behind the version of a system component that was frozen for its base Ubuntu LTS (this comes in april, the new Mint based on it comes "when ready"... usually ~6 months later)... or 2 and a half years (after 2 years a new Ubuntu LTS as already released but before a new version of Mint comes based on it)

Having new versions of Mesa may improve performance and help support newer features and newer hardware, but isn't *required* to play games on linux

[Perfect Lynk]

Thank you all. So is installing the 6.2.0-37 worth installing or just stay on the 5.15. Also how often does the 6.2.0 kernel version update and does the 6.2.0 update the mesa drivers or do I still have to update to the Kisak PPA for the latest?

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by Perfect Lynk:

Thank you all. So is installing the 6.2.0-37 worth installing or just stay on the 5.15. Also how often does the 6.2.0 kernel version update and does the 6.2.0 update the mesa drivers or do I still have to update to the Kisak PPA for the latest?

Whether you prefer bleeding edge (which can let you try new features first, but might also force you to reinstall your entire OS if you get a major bug), or you prefer the rock solid, no fuss, stability of the LTS kernel is entirely up to preference.

Personally though, I prefer to take the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach with kernels. I would only update the kernel if I had a problem that it fixed or it had a feature that I specifically wanted/needed.

[Marlock]

Originally posted by Perfect Lynk:

Thank you all. So is installing the 6.2.0-37 worth installing or just stay on the 5.15.

in general, yes

see why in the answers below

Also how often does the 6.2.0 kernel version update and does the 6.2.0 update the mesa drivers or do I still have to update to the Kisak PPA for the latest?

around the same frequency as updates appear for the older branch (eg: 5.15)

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Whether you prefer bleeding edge (which can let you try new features first, but might also force you to reinstall your entire OS if you get a major bug), or you prefer the rock solid, no fuss, stability of the LTS kernel is entirely up to preference.

There is nothing "bleeding edge about any of the kernel versions offered in Linux Mint's kernel updates GUI

the oldest branch is the one that version of Mint came with, and is there to 110% ensure you can use it in hardware that lost support adter its release or where some tiny detail works differently and your setup handles the old way better

the newer version is what Ubuntu offers via its HWE (HardWare Enablement) program, which in short brings the kernel branches used in non-LTS versions of Ubuntu to the LTS version of it

the HWE versions of the linux kernel are used by default on Ubuntu LTS on desktops, and can easily be enabled on servers too (which several places actually do), so there is nothing remotely close to bleeding edge there, it's the older version that's hyper-conservative

Personally though, I prefer to take the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach with kernels. I would only update the kernel if I had a problem that it fixed or it had a feature that I specifically wanted/needed.

If you grab a brand new kernel from kernel.org and use that, you do run a small risk of bumping into issues. Once in a blue moon those issues might include data corruption, but I do mean once in a blue moon, and for very specific scenarios... as in less likely than loosing data by applying regular windows updates.

Any issues that may actually slip through into an Ubuntu HWE kernel and ergo the latest branch in Linux Mint is 99,999% harmless enough that you will just have to select an older version of the kernel in the boot menu entry for fallback options

Once you're booted into the older kernel just uninstall the new faulty one and you're back on track

[D. Flame]

I have upgraded kernels in the past (not Mint), "blue screened" (kernel panic) my machine, and only manage to fix it with a clean install.

I have upgraded kernels in Ubuntu (or was it Mint) in the past and lost Wifi and Network functions. Since I had no internet access, I couldn't look up the how to fix it, and the GUI Kernel picker wasn't available back then.

Ever since then, I have played it super safe when it comes to Kernels. It is a scale.

Least risk/hassle}-LTS release----Short support release ---PPAs--------------compile your own-{Russian Roulette

The GUI picker even warns you when picking a different kernel, that it can break things and now gives you a potential solution if things do break.

[Marlock]

At least when setup by Linux Mint's installer, the GRUB boot menu offers a submenu for listing the installed older kernel versions (you can have multiple versions installed at the same time)

this is offered before the kernel runs so even a kernel panick is solvable that way...

...unless the boot menu is hidden and you don't know the secret knock necessary to reach it (not hard at all, and *definitely* not reachable only after booting the OS like some modern machines BIOS setup + win10 and above

[D. Flame]

I got a black screen then kernel panic screen. All I could do is get to BIOS. And I obviously couldn't log in to look up solutions. Plus, this was around 2010-ish.

[Marlock]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Plus, this was around 2010-ish

That explains everything, LOL

Linux has come a loooong way in the last decade

You probably had a broken GRUB there and the kernel panick stemmed from that

My advice for 100% fearless computing is to keep the Linux Mint liveboot pendrive around after using it to setup the OS

It's a very handy way to recover your data, recover the OS, reinstall from scratch, and even get something done in a hurry, all from the same UI as the definitive OS with multitasking capabilities and a browser to search for help on the very machine that needs it... I have just shed a tear for the poor folks that ever needed to use windows recovery, like I did a few times before moving over

[Marlock]

Originally posted by Xenophobe:

when still using windows, I kept an ubuntu live disk around just to recover my data from an inevitable unrecoverable windows bsod, windows recovery wouldn't find the windows files, but linux could.

i made a backup of my mom's files via Mint's liveboot from her win7 laptop that broke completely during the forced upgrade to win10...

i also did her income tax declaration from the liveboot because it broke when she was nearing her deadline and it was her only machine... that was a unique experience, LOL

Dell support banged their heads for 4 months trying to make their autorecovery partition work, then windows recovery, then a recovery feature from a full win10 setup disk

They eventually gave up and just formatted the entire machine with win10 from scratch (I did offer to do that for her when i was visiting, but support was still so hopeful then...)

[Perfect Lynk]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Originally posted by Perfect Lynk:

Thank you all. So is installing the 6.2.0-37 worth installing or just stay on the 5.15. Also how often does the 6.2.0 kernel version update and does the 6.2.0 update the mesa drivers or do I still have to update to the Kisak PPA for the latest?

Whether you prefer bleeding edge (which can let you try new features first, but might also force you to reinstall your entire OS if you get a major bug), or you prefer the rock solid, no fuss, stability of the LTS kernel is entirely up to preference.

Personally though, I prefer to take the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach with kernels. I would only update the kernel if I had a problem that it fixed or it had a feature that I specifically wanted/needed.

I see where you're coming from, and I agree. I just 6.2 was worth it and if it comes with the latest driver fixes.

[Perfect Lynk]

Originally posted by Xenophobe:

Originally posted by Perfect Lynk:

Thank you all. So is installing the 6.2.0-37 worth installing or just stay on the 5.15. Also how often does the 6.2.0 kernel version update and does the 6.2.0 update the mesa drivers or do I still have to update to the Kisak PPA for the latest?

I've been using the 6.2.0-x kernel and kisak-fresh mesa 23.3.0 with no issues. The newer kernels also have better support for newer hardware.

Edit: the newer kernel still uses the same mesa version as the 5.15 kernel, you would need to use the kisak-fresh ppa for the most up to date mesa driver. once the ppa is added, any updates to the ppa will appear in update manager ... I do advise making a Timeshift before updating to the next version, just in case you need to roll it back, then after updating test your currently active games to be sure there are no issues.

How come with the latest 6 kernel still has the 5.12 drivers? I thought it would have the latest one. Any other benefits to 6 other than the latest hardware? So when do the Mesa drivers get updated then if the 23.3.0 is not included in 6 without using ppa?

[Perfect Lynk]

Thanks everyone that was help.