How to Verify Kernel 7.x on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

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Kernel is the central component of an operating system that manages hardware resources and enables communication between software and hardware. It handles memory management, process scheduling, device drivers, and system calls.

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon) ships with Linux Kernel 7.0 by default.

Prerequisites

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• Access to the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS command line terminal.
• Root privileges or a user account with sudo access.

Step 1 - Check the Current Kernel Version

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Use the following command to display the currently running kernel version:

uname -r

Output:

7.0.0-14-generic

You can also verify the operating system version:

lsb_release -a

Example Output:

Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 26.04 LTS
Release:        26.04
Codename:       resolute

Step 2 - Update Package Lists

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Update the package repository information:

apt update

Output:

Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security InRelease [137 kB]
Hit:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute InRelease
Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-updates InRelease [137 kB]
Get:4 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security/main amd64 Packages [203 kB]
Get:5 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security/main Translation-en [54.8 kB]
Get:6 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security/main amd64 Components [31.1 kB]
Get:7 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security/main amd64 c-n-f Metadata [3,332 B]
Get:8 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security/restricted amd64 Packages [201 kB]
Get:9 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security/restricted Translation-en [35.1 kB]
Get:10 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu resolute-security/restricted amd64 c-n-f Metadata [396 B]

Step 3 - Upgrade Installed Packages

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Upgrade all installed packages to their latest versions:

apt upgrade -y

Output:

Upgrading:
  base-files                 libntfs-3g89t64         openssl
  bind9-dnsutils             libpackagekit-glib2-18  openssl-provider-legacy
  bind9-host                 libssh2-1t64            packagekit
  bind9-libs                 libssl3t64              python3-twisted
  bpftool                    linux-generic           python3-urllib3
  curl                       linux-headers-generic   rsync
  distro-info-data           linux-image-generic     sed
  gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0  linux-libc-dev          snapd
  inetutils-telnet           linux-perf              telnet
  jq                         linux-tools-common      vim
  libcurl3t64-gnutls         motd-news-config        vim-common
  libcurl4t64                nano                    vim-runtime
  libgcrypt20                ntfs-3g                 vim-tiny
  libgnutls30t64             openssh-client          xxd
  libjq1                     openssh-server
  libnghttp2-14              openssh-sftp-server

Step 4 - Verify Installed Kernel Packages

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Check the installed kernel image package:

dpkg -l | grep linux-image

Output:

ii  linux-image-7.0.0-14-generic            7.0.0-14.14                                amd64        Signed kernel image generic
ii  linux-image-7.0.0-22-generic            7.0.0-22.22                                amd64        Signed kernel image generic
ii  linux-image-generic                     7.0.0-22.22                                amd64        Generic Linux kernel image

Check the installed kernel headers:

dpkg -l | grep linux-headers

Output:

ii  linux-headers-7.0.0-14                  7.0.0-14.14                                all          Header files related to Linux kernel version 7.0.0
ii  linux-headers-7.0.0-14-generic          7.0.0-14.14                                amd64        Linux kernel headers for version 7.0.0
ii  linux-headers-7.0.0-22                  7.0.0-22.22                                all          Header files related to Linux kernel version 7.0.0
ii  linux-headers-7.0.0-22-generic          7.0.0-22.22                                amd64        Linux kernel headers for version 7.0.0
ii  linux-headers-generic                   7.0.0-22.22                                amd64        Generic Linux kernel headers

Step 5 - Verify the Running Kernel

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Confirm the active kernel version:

uname -r

Example Output:

7.0.0-14-generic

You can also display additional system information:

uname -sr

Output:

Linux 7.0.0-14-generic

Step 6 - Reboot (If Required)

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If a newer kernel package was installed during the upgrade, reboot the system:

reboot

After rebooting, verify the kernel version again:

uname -r

Output:

7.0.0-22-generic

The system is now running Linux Kernel 7.x on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.