Score:0

Ubuntu

How do I install an older kernel in jammy and later Ubuntu?

Andrew Savinykh

5/15/24, 1:59 AM

There were similar questions before, e.g. How do I install an old kernel? but this was in the pre jammy era.

Currently it seems that older packages gets removed from the package list on Canonical servers as they get superseded by newer packages. For example these are search results from jammy and lunar, they only return a couple of versions at best.

For comparison these are results from focal - many versions.

The antivirus that I'm using cannot release support for the newest kernel they day it becomes available. So as soon as I upgrade the kernel the antivirus switches off. I cannot upgrade "just a little" to the latest supported version as I used to do with focal, because they are no longer in the repository.

How do I work around this and install an older version that is supported by my antivirus?

Update 1

Answering to comments: Please let me know what is missing from the question, and I'll add it. I'm trying to install the latest supported kernel apt install linux-image-5.15.0-67-generic on Ubuntu jammy and getting this error:

E: Unable to locate package linux-image-5.15.0-67-generic
E: Couldn't find any package by glob 'linux-image-5.15.0-67-generic'

It's an industry standard AV solution, they just need time to get their product updated so there is always a few weeks lag. I do need it as per enterprise policy.

So the alternative to it is roll with the latest kernel and have the entire fleet unprotected for weeks each time the kernel bumps. We are on 3 years support contract anyway, so that's not something I can change and our security personnel is adamant that this is one of the best systems on the market, I have no reasons to doubt that, the fact that they do not have access to the kernel before it's released so they can run their test cycle, and the fact that their test cycle takes long seems plausible. It's also a fact, that this is what they say.

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guiverc

5/15/24, 2:12 AM

If you install/use older kernels, you won't get *supported* patching intending for Ubuntu 22.04 or *jammy*... ie. you're wanted *workaround* may make using you *antivirus* easier, but you're making your system (*in my opinion*) more insecure as you're taking on the patching/upgrades of the kernel on yourself given you won't be using a *supported* kernel for you release. I consider what you're askinf for a poor decision security wise.

guiverc

5/15/24, 2:12 AM

FYI: I don't believe they are removed from the repository, just removed from the software lists that are automatically searched (*it's safer that way*) but you didn't provide specific example so I may have misunderstood what you're asking for.

Nmath

5/15/24, 2:15 AM

If your intention is to have a more secure system, forcing an older unsupported kernel on a newer release to allow you to install an outdated AV is probably not a good decision. Find a new AV or maybe don't use one at all. [Do you really need it](https://askubuntu.com/q/10373)?

Andrew Savinykh

5/15/24, 2:29 AM

@guiverc I updated the question, please let me know what other information is missing

user535733

5/15/24, 3:42 AM

"*they do not have access to the kernel before it's released*" Utter bilgewater: The pre-release kernel packages are tested in public on the Kernel PPA. Then it's available in the Proposed repo. Your security folks and testers ...and AV provider... have access to it for *weeks* before release. They have access to the upstream mainline kernel even longer. And all the Ubuntu kernel patches are in the Ubuntu Kernel Team's git tree -- it's all open source; no secrets.

Score:2

Ubuntu

user535733

5/15/24, 4:00 AM

Older kernel packages are kept on https://launchpad.net. This is the official version control system and build library for Ubuntu.

Launchpad is not a source that apt knows how to use. You must download the .deb yourself, then tell apt to install the local .deb package.

For example, the specific 5.15.0-67 kernel can be downloaded from that kernel's page: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/jammy/amd64/linux-image-generic/5.15.0.67.65 . You can see from the URL that you can look for specific architectures and releases.

+ 2

Andrew Savinykh

5/15/24, 5:42 AM

Thank you, it is suspicious that file is around 2K where as all other images from the 5.15 series were around 10M, how can that be explained?

Andrew Savinykh

5/15/24, 5:48 AM

Also the one that came from the apt before was named `linux-image-5.15.0-67-generic_5.15.0-67.74_amd64.deb` which is different, not sure why, do you know?

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