This week marks the release of Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS, the first point release to feature an updated hardware enablement (HWE) stack. The HWE aims to backport newer Linux kernel and Mesa GPU drivers to LTS users, enhancing compatibility with the latest hardware.
A key proposal from Canonical engineer Shane McKee suggests expanding Ubuntu’s HWE updates to include a broader range of Intel graphics driver packages. This change aims to provide benefits and features from new Intel hardware to all users of the latest Ubuntu LTS for the initial three years of its support period.
The updates would not only focus on new hardware but would also include fixes and enhancements for existing Intel graphics. The proposal envisions a ‘multi-package recipe’ that complements the existing Mesa stack, aiming to support a variety of essential Intel components.
McKee highlights that whenever new Intel graphics hardware is introduced, support must be implemented in both the kernel and user space packages to maintain functionality. He emphasizes that, as many users favor LTS releases, regular backporting of these packages is necessary for timely support of new hardware.
The proposal earmarks several packages for future inclusion, such as:
- Intel Compute Runtime (intel-compute-runtime)
- Intel Graphics Compiler (intel-graphics-compiler)
- Intel Media Driver (intel-media-driver)
- VA-API (libva, libva-utils)
- oneTBB Threaded Building Blocks (onetbb)
- oneAPI Level Zero (level-zero)
- VC Intrinsics project (intel-vc-intrinsics)
- Intel Video Processing Library (libvpl, libvpl-tools)
- Intel VPL GPU Runtime (onevpl-intel-gpu)
- Intel Graphics Memory Management Library (intel-gmmlib)
Currently, this remains a proposal, and the aforementioned packages will not be included in the recent HWE stack update released with Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS. However, considering Canonical’s commitment to periodic hardware updates, this enhancement to Intel driver support in the HWE framework seems logical and beneficial for LTS users.
Comments on the proposal are encouraged as the community assesses its potential impact.