Flavours
Kernel Flavours
This document aims to document the flavours which exist in each release and further to document any transitions between flavours you may need to make.
What is a Kernel Flavour?
It is impossible to build a single kernel for every occasion, any such configuration cannot be optimal for all use cases. As a result we offer a number of kernel variants for each release, these variants termed flavours. We commonly refer to those flavours using the flavour name, for example: generic, generic-pae, and server.
How do we choose which Flavours are supported in a release?
At the Ubuntu Developer Summit (UDS) we will discuss the current flavours and their applicability. During this discussions we will make recommendations for additions to or removals from the supported flavours. Those recommendations feed into the development for that upcoming release.
Current Flavours
Below are the flavours as found in each release, for each there is a description of the likely use case for that flavour and where support is forthcoming; Distro (Ubuntu Kernel team) or Ports (community). Note for release which are no longer supported these are for information only.
Quantal
Arch |
Flavour |
Description |
Support |
i386 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop/Server use (>= 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
amd64 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop/Server use |
Distro |
armel |
omap |
Kernel for TI OMAP3 use |
Distro |
armhf |
omap |
Kernel for TI OMAP3 use |
Distro |
armhf |
omap4 |
Kernel for TI OMAP4 use |
Distro |
armhf |
highbank |
Kernel for Calxeda Highbank use |
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
Precise
Arch |
Flavour |
Description |
Support |
i386 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (< 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
generic-pae |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (>= 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM, XEN, and EC2 use |
Distro |
amd64 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop/Server use |
Distro |
amd64 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM, XEN, and EC2 use |
Distro |
armel |
omap |
Kernel for TI OMAP3 use |
Distro |
armel |
omap4 |
Kernel for TI OMAP4 use |
Distro |
armhf |
omap |
Kernel for TI OMAP3 use |
Distro |
armhf |
omap4 |
Kernel for TI OMAP4 use |
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc |
Single CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports (likely to be dropped) |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
Oneiric
Arch |
Flavour |
Description |
Support |
i386 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (< 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
generic-pae |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (>= 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM, XEN, and EC2 use |
Distro |
amd64 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use |
Distro |
amd64 |
server |
Kernel optimised for Server use |
Distro |
amd64 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM, XEN, and EC2 use |
Distro |
amd64 |
xen-dom0 |
Kernel optimised for XEN dom0 use |
Distro (To Be Confirmed) |
armel |
versatile |
Kernel for QEMU use |
Distro |
armel |
ti-omap4 |
Kernel for TI OMAP4 use |
Distro (To Be Confirmed) |
powerpc |
powerpc |
Single CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
Natty
Arch |
Flavour |
Description |
Support |
i386 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (< 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
generic-pae |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (>= 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM, XEN, and EC2 use |
Distro |
amd64 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use |
Distro |
amd64 |
server |
Kernel optimised for Server use |
Distro |
amd64 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM, XEN, and EC2 use |
Distro |
armel |
versatile |
Kernel for QEMU use |
Distro |
armel |
ti-omap4 |
Kernel for TI OMAP4 use |
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc |
Single CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
Maverick
Arch |
Flavour |
Description |
Support |
i386 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (< 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
generic-pae |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (>= 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM, XEN, and EC2 use |
Distro |
amd64 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use |
Distro |
amd64 |
server |
Kernel optimised for Server use |
Distro |
amd64 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM and XEN, and EC2 use |
Distro |
armel |
versatile |
Kernel for QEMU use |
Distro |
armel |
omap |
Kernel for Texas Instruments OMAP3 SOCs |
Distro |
armel |
omap4 |
Kernel for Texas Instruments OMAP4 SOCs |
Distro |
armel |
dove |
Kernel for Marvell Dove SOCs |
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc |
Single CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
Lucid
i386 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (< 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
generic-pae |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (>= 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
386 |
Kernel optimised for i486 processors |
Distro |
i386 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM and XEN use |
Distro |
i386 |
ec2 |
Kernel optimised for EC2 use |
Distro |
amd64 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use |
Distro |
amd64 |
server |
Kernel optimised for Server use |
Distro |
amd64 |
preempt |
Kernel optimised for low latency applications |
Distro |
amd64 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM and XEN use |
Distro |
amd64 |
ec2 |
Kernel optimised for EC2 use |
Distro |
armel |
versatile |
Kernel for QEMU use |
Distro |
armel |
imx51 |
Kernel for Freescale IMX51 SOCs |
Distro |
armel |
dove |
Kernel for Marvell Dove SOCs |
Distro |
armel |
omap |
Kernel for Texas Instruments OMAP3 SOCs |
Distro |
armel |
st1-5 |
Kernel for QualComm ST1-5 SOCs |
Distro |
ia64 |
ia64 |
Kernel for Itanium CPUs |
Ports |
lpia |
lpia |
Kernel for Intel Low Power architecture systems |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc |
Single CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
sparc |
sparc64 |
Single CPU 64 bit sparc kernel |
Ports |
sparc |
sparc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit sparc kernel |
Ports |
Karmic
Arch |
Flavour |
Description |
Support |
i386 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (< 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
generic-pae |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use (>= 3.5GB of RAM) |
Distro |
i386 |
386 |
Kernel optimised for i486 processors |
Distro |
i386 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM and XEN use |
Distro |
i386 |
ec2 |
Kernel optimised for EC2 use |
Distro |
amd64 |
generic |
Default kernel optimised for Desktop use |
Distro |
amd64 |
server |
Kernel optimised for Server use |
Distro |
amd64 |
virtual |
Kernel optimised for KVM and XEN use |
Distro |
amd64 |
ec2 |
Kernel optimised for EC2 use |
Distro |
armel |
imx51 |
Kernel for Freescale IMX51 SOCs |
Distro |
armel |
dove |
Kernel for Marvell Dove SOCs |
Distro |
ia64 |
ia64 |
Kernel for Itanium CPUs |
Ports |
lpia |
lpia |
Kernel for Intel Low Power architecture systems |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc |
Single CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Ports |
sparc |
sparc64 |
Single CPU 64 bit sparc kernel |
Ports |
sparc |
sparc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit sparc kernel |
Ports |
Hardy
Arch |
Flavour |
Description |
Support |
i386 |
386 |
|
Distro |
i386 |
generic |
|
Distro |
i386 |
server |
|
Distro |
i386 |
virtual |
|
Distro |
i386 |
rt |
|
Ports |
i386 |
xen |
|
Ports |
i386 |
openvz |
|
Ports |
amd64 |
generic |
|
Distro |
amd64 |
server |
|
Distro |
amd64 |
rt |
|
Ports |
amd64 |
xen |
|
Ports |
amd64 |
openvz |
|
Ports |
hppa |
hppa32 |
|
Distro |
hppa |
hppa64 |
|
Distro |
ia64 |
itanium |
|
Distro |
ia64 |
mckinley |
|
Distro |
lpia |
lpiacompat |
|
Distro |
lpia |
lpia |
|
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc |
Single CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Distro |
sparc |
sparc64 |
Single CPU 64 bit sparc kernel |
Distro |
sparc |
sparc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit sparc kernel |
Distro |
Dapper
Arch |
Flavour |
Description |
Support |
i386 |
386 |
|
Distro |
i386 |
686 |
|
Distro |
i386 |
k7 |
|
Distro |
i386 |
server |
|
Distro |
i386 |
server-bigiron |
|
Distro |
amd64 |
amd64-generic |
|
Distro |
amd64 |
amd64-k8 |
|
Distro |
amd64 |
amd64-server |
|
Distro |
amd64 |
amd64-xeon |
|
Distro |
hppa |
hppa32 |
|
Distro |
hppa |
hppa32-smp |
|
Distro |
hppa |
hppa64 |
|
Distro |
hppa |
hppa64-smp |
|
Distro |
ia64 |
itanium |
|
Distro |
ia64 |
itanium-smp |
|
Distro |
ia64 |
mckinley |
|
Distro |
ia64 |
mckinley-smp |
|
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc |
Single CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc-smp |
Multiple CPU 32 bit powerpc kernel |
Distro |
powerpc |
powerpc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit powerpc kernel |
Distro |
sparc |
sparc64 |
Single CPU 64 bit sparc kernel |
Distro |
sparc |
sparc64-smp |
Multiple CPU 64 bit sparc kernel |
Distro |
Flavour Transitions
Over time we have changes the flavours supported merging and splitting support into various flavours. This means that on upgrade it is sometimes necessary to change which kernel flavour you use for a specific use case. The tables below include the major transitions and aim to help selection of the appropriate flavour. Note that where at all possible a sensible default will be applied during upgrade so generally no manual intervention should be required. Also note that upgrades are only supported from the previous release (plus the previous LTS for an LTS release).
Maverick -> Natty
None
Lucid -> Maverick
Arch |
Existing Flavour |
Replacement Flavour |
Description |
i386 |
ec2 |
virtual |
EC2 support is now merged with mainline and into our main virtual kernels |
amd64 |
ec2 |
virtual |
EC2 support is now merged with mainline and into our main virtual kernels |
i386 |
prempt |
NONE |
No longer supported |
amd64 |
prempt |
NONE |
No longer supported |
Karmic -> Lucid
None
Hardy -> Lucid
Arch |
Existing Flavour |
Replacement Flavour |
Description |
i386 |
server |
generic-pae |
The need for a desktop variant utilising PAE triggered server to be subsumed and replaced by this new flavour |
Kernel/Dev/Flavours (last edited 2012-09-19 19:03:51 by c-67-171-184-21)