Ubuntu Linux LTS: Force Kernel Package Updates Which Have Been Kept Back

On Ubuntu Linux LTS (long-term support) systems, kernel package updates are often "kept back" to ensure stability and avoid potential issues. If you want to force an update to a kernel package that has been kept back, you can use the following steps:

1. First, check which kernel packages are installed on your system by running the following command:

dpkg --list | grep linux-image

This will list the installed kernel packages, along with their version numbers.

2. Check which kernel packages are available for update by running the following command:

apt-get update
apt-cache policy linux-image-generic

This will show you the version of the linux-image-generic package that is available for update, as well as the version that is currently installed on your system.

3. If the version of the linux-image-generic package that is available for update is different from the version that is currently installed, you can force the update by running the following command:

apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade

This will update all packages on your system, including the kernel packages.

Keep in mind that updating the kernel can be risky, as it is a core component of the operating system. It is always a good idea to make a backup of your system before updating the kernel, in case anything goes wrong.