Hey there, let's clear up your confusion about the kernel packages for Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS!

1. 两个包的区别与选择建议 #

First, let's break down what these two packages actually do:

• linux-image-generic 4.4.0.112.118: This is a meta-package—it doesn't contain kernel binaries itself, but acts as a smart pointer to the latest supported generic kernel version for your 16.04 release. Installing it will automatically pull in the matching actual kernel image package (the second one you mentioned) and keep your kernel aligned with future point releases in the 4.4.0 series.
• linux-image-4.4.0-112-generic 4.4.0-112.135: This is the actual kernel image package that holds the kernel binaries your system boots with.

My recommendation: Go with linux-image-generic 4.4.0.112.118. Using the meta-package is way simpler—it handles all dependencies automatically, so you don't have to manually track specific kernel version numbers for future updates. It ensures you get the correct, compatible kernel image and related packages without extra hassle.

2. 需更新的具体包清单 #

To fully apply the USN-3540-1 update, you'll need these packages (most will be installed automatically via meta-packages):

• linux-generic: Top-level meta-package that pulls in both kernel image and headers meta-packages
• linux-image-generic: Meta-package for the kernel image (as discussed above)
• linux-headers-generic: Meta-package that fetches matching kernel headers (required if you compile third-party kernel modules, like for some wireless drivers)
• linux-image-4.4.0-112-generic: The actual kernel image (installed automatically via linux-image-generic)
• linux-headers-4.4.0-112-generic: Matching kernel headers (installed automatically via linux-headers-generic)
• linux-image-extra-4.4.0-112-generic (optional but recommended): Contains extra kernel modules for hardware support (e.g., wireless drivers, additional filesystem modules)

3. 快速升级命令 #

Run these terminal commands to update all necessary packages in one go:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install linux-generic linux-image-generic linux-headers-generic

After installation, reboot your system with sudo reboot, then verify the kernel version worked with:

uname -r

You should see 4.4.0-112-generic as the output.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Nidhi