We are planning to move to the 6.18 kernel in the near future (perhaps a few months).
This is the next upstream LTS (Long Term Support) kernel.
One advantage is there is more raspberry pi specific support in the newer upstream kernels which reduces the number of downstream raspberry pi patches and so reduces maintenance effort. In particular there is more upstream support for Pi5, PiSP, and the KMS display driver.
Obviously a newer kernel will bring additional kernel features and support for more devices (e.g. USB devices like wifi and dvb).
You can read up on what appeared in 6.13, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16, 6.17, and 6.18.
We will do this in a few stages. Initially updating the "next" rpi-update firmware branch to the 6.18 kernel.
Assuming testing is positive, we will update the master rpi-update firmware branch.
Eventually the 6.18 kernel will appear with apt upgrades and on new RPiOS images in the future.
Update with:and reboot. Ideally nothing much will change. "uname -a" will report 6.18.
Please report if you have any positive or negative experiences, compared to the 6.12 kernel.
Note: rpi-update kernels don't support regenerating initramfs. If you rely on non-built-in kernel modules to boot
(typically filesystem, or boot device related), then using rpi-update is not recommended.
If you are unsure, you can remove "auto_initramfs=1" from config.txt and check if your system boots okay.
If it does, you are good for testing.
Obviously this release is for testers who like to live on the bleeding edge. It's not intended for beginners, or users who need stability.
Backing up is always advisable. There may be regressions. There may be improvements. But we won't know without testers trying it and reporting back.
This is the next upstream LTS (Long Term Support) kernel.
One advantage is there is more raspberry pi specific support in the newer upstream kernels which reduces the number of downstream raspberry pi patches and so reduces maintenance effort. In particular there is more upstream support for Pi5, PiSP, and the KMS display driver.
Obviously a newer kernel will bring additional kernel features and support for more devices (e.g. USB devices like wifi and dvb).
You can read up on what appeared in 6.13, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16, 6.17, and 6.18.
We will do this in a few stages. Initially updating the "next" rpi-update firmware branch to the 6.18 kernel.
Assuming testing is positive, we will update the master rpi-update firmware branch.
Eventually the 6.18 kernel will appear with apt upgrades and on new RPiOS images in the future.
Update with:
Code:
sudo rpi-update nextPlease report if you have any positive or negative experiences, compared to the 6.12 kernel.
Note: rpi-update kernels don't support regenerating initramfs. If you rely on non-built-in kernel modules to boot
(typically filesystem, or boot device related), then using rpi-update is not recommended.
If you are unsure, you can remove "auto_initramfs=1" from config.txt and check if your system boots okay.
If it does, you are good for testing.
Obviously this release is for testers who like to live on the bleeding edge. It's not intended for beginners, or users who need stability.
Backing up is always advisable. There may be regressions. There may be improvements. But we won't know without testers trying it and reporting back.
Statistics: Posted by dom — Fri Dec 12, 2025 2:40 pm