Re: Which kernel series to use in the installer and for installed systems?

[Mark H Weaver]

Hi Efraim,

Efraim Flashner <efraim@flashner.co.il> writes:
> I don't really understand why
> and how a newer kernel would make things stop working,

Newer kernels _usually_ work fine, but occasionally things break, and
that's much more likely to happen when switching to a newer kernel
series.  It happened to me quite recently, when a couple of us found
that early 5.12.x kernels would lock up a Thinkpad X200 within minutes
of booting.  See <https://bugs.gnu.org/48604>.

For those who can afford to deal with breakage like this at unscheduled
times, the 'linux-libre' variable is likely the best choice.  For those
who prefer stability, I recommend 'linux-libre-X.YY' for some LTS series
X.YY.

The 'linux-libre-lts' variable seems to me the worst of both worlds, and
likely to lead to some people getting burned from unexpected kernel
upgrades that they might not have been expecting.  If 'linux-libre-lts'
is included as an option, I recommend adding text that makes it clear to
users that automatic upgrades to newer LTS series will happen without
warning, years before such upgrades are needed.

What do you think?

     Regards,
       Mark

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