Why is ubuntu booting into an old kernel by default?

[DanR01]

I'm running 20.04. Grub detects the following kernels.

Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-36-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-36-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.8.0-34-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.8.0-34-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.4.0-61-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-61-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.4.0-58-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.4.0-58-generic

For some reason, ubuntu always boots into 5.8.0-36-generic.

The relevant output of cat /etc/default/grub is

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden
GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to have a newer kernel automatically selected at boot?

Thank you

[1fallen]

Kernel 5.4.0-61, is The LTS kernel=default >>> kernel 5.8.0-36-generic is more or less a point release, and currently breaking some WiFi chips along with sound.
Newest isn't always better.rr
For your question though, you would have to show us this as well:

ls -l /lib/modules/

[ajgreeny]

It is not booting to an old kernel; look properly at the kernel version numbers, in particular the second of the 4 digits in the version numbers and you will see you are now booting to 5.8.0-36.

Both of the two kernel versions that I believe you think are newer than 5.8.0-36 are in the 5.4 series.

Where id that 5.8.0-36 kernel come from; was it through normal upgrades?

[DanR01]

My mistake, I didn't check the kernel versions properly.

Thank you both of you.

I had a kernel panic, I think due to a problem with the bcmwl-kernel-source package. I enabled focal-proposed updates to see if there was a newer kernel version which may be why I have a more recent linux version.

[1fallen]

I enabled focal-proposed updates to see if there was a newer kernel version which may be why I have a more recent linux version.

And thank you for adding "focal-proposed", this helps.

[jeremy31]

It is not booting to an old kernel; look properly at the kernel version numbers, in particular the second of the 4 digits in the version numbers and you will see you are now booting to 5.8.0-36.

Both of the two kernel versions that I believe you think are newer than 5.8.0-36 are in the 5.4 series.

Where id that 5.8.0-36 kernel come from; was it through normal upgrades?

It is coming from normal upgrades, you can check to see the results from

apt policy linux-generic-hwe-20.04

If you want to avoid the 5.8 kernels, you might have to

sudo apt remove linux-generic-hwe-20.04 && sudo apt autoclean && sudo apt install linux-generic

[1fallen]

It is coming from normal upgrades, you can check to see the results from

apt policy linux-generic-hwe-20.04

jeremy31 do you have proposed enabled??? I never showed kernel 5.8 until I enabled it. (This was a month or so ago)
Even then apt-policy never showed proposed as a source. I'm trying to clear up some confusion.

[jeremy31]

jeremy31 do you have proposed enabled??? I never showed kernel 5.8 until I enabled it. (This was a month or so ago)

Actually it happened on a fresh install with updates enabled. I then reinstalled without internet, did a sudo apt update and then looked at results from the apt policy command, it showed a 5.4 kernel as installed version and 5.8.0-36 as candidate

I asked about in in #ubuntu-kernel and Kleber Souza replied

By default the 20.04 media installs the hwe kernel for desktop images. The hwe meta was still pointing to the 5.4 generic kernel, until this week when we released an update to pull the hwe-5.8 backport

[1fallen]

Actually it happened on a fresh install with updates enabled. I then reinstalled without internet, did a sudo apt update and then looked at results from the apt policy command, it showed a 5.4 kernel as installed version and 5.8.0-36 as candidate

I asked about in in #ubuntu-kernel and Kleber Souza replied

Big Baada Boom! ....Thank You Sir, that explains it.

[ajgreeny]

Does this depend on the original .iso version installed? I installed right at the start of life of the released version 20.04, not 20.04.1, and I am not offered the 5.8 kernels when upgrading, only the 5.4 series.

I have no hwe packages installed but I'm aware that I could add them if I wanted, which currently I don't.