Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS Brings the Linux 7.0 Kernel to Noble Numbat Users

by Geth Author

What Is a Point Release?

Long-Term Support (LTS) releases of Ubuntu are built to last. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS "Noble Numbat" launched in April 2024 and carries standard security support through May 2029. Point releases — the .1, .2, .3 suffixes — are cumulative snapshots of everything that's landed since launch: security patches, bug fixes, and updated hardware support. They matter most for fresh installs, sparing new deployers from immediately applying months of accumulated updates.

Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS, released on September 10, 2026, follows that pattern — except its kernel bump is anything but routine for an 18-month-old release.

Linux 7.0 on Noble Numbat

The headline change in 24.04.5 is the Hardware Enablement (HWE) stack shifting to Linux 7.0, the same kernel that shipped with Ubuntu 26.04 LTS "Resolute Raccoon" earlier this year. Ubuntu's HWE mechanism is how the project delivers newer kernel and graphics support to older LTS releases — it lets the underlying OS stay current with new hardware without requiring users to upgrade to a new Ubuntu version.

Alongside the kernel, Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS bundles the Mesa 26.2 graphics stack, which brings improved driver coverage for recent AMD RDNA 4, Intel Arc Battlemage, and other GPU hardware released in the past year. As OMG Ubuntu explains, both the Linux 7.0 kernel and Mesa 26.2 were already available as an opt-in HWE update for existing Noble Numbat users before today's point release — the ISO just ships with them by default now.

What Doesn't Change

If you're already running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and value kernel stability over freshness, nothing is forced on you. Systems running the General Availability (GA) kernel stay on the original 6.8 series that shipped with 24.04.0 in April 2024. Enterprise deployments that depend on specific kernel versions for certification or ISV support can continue doing exactly that without any changes.

The support window is also unchanged. Standard security support for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS runs through May 2029, measured from the original April 2024 release. Point releases don't reset the clock.

Should You Make the Switch?

If you're on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and your hardware is recent enough to benefit from Linux 7.0 or Mesa 26.2 — newer AMD or Intel GPUs, newer laptops with fingerprint readers, newer NVMe controllers — enabling the HWE kernel is worth it. You don't need to reinstall; you can switch on an existing system. Canonical's kernel lifecycle page has the full details on when HWE kernel updates land and what each brings.

If you're doing a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 LTS deployment now, the 24.04.5 ISO is the right one to grab — it saves your first boot from downloading months of accumulated patches. The updated image is available at releases.ubuntu.com/noble/.

It's not a dramatic release. It's a practical one — which is exactly what a point release for a mature LTS should be.