Ubuntu, a popular open-source operating system, is planning to change its kernel update schedule from a four-week cycle to a two-week cycle, as announced by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, on September 23. Under the new model, the first week will be dedicated to developers preparing patches and builds, while the second week will focus on testing and certification before the kernel update is released. Additionally, users who want more frequent updates will have the option to automatically receive updates every week. This shift is primarily driven by the growing need for security updates, especially with the increased use of large language models (LLMs) in detecting software vulnerabilities. Similar changes have been observed in other software environments, such as those used by Chrome and Firefox. Canonical explains that the new approach is necessary to manage the rising number of corrections required. For example, Mozilla uses a tool called Mythos 5 from Anthropic, and Microsoft employs its own infrastructure called Perception to handle similar challenges. Under the new process, security fixes will be continuously integrated into the kernel development tree and then frozen at a specific date. Once frozen, the updated kernel will be sent to a specialized repository called « -proposed ». This allows for parallel development of the next kernel while the current one undergoes testing and certification. While Canonical emphasizes the importance of thorough testing before releasing a kernel update, users with more demanding needs will have the ability to run their own validation tests using the new repository, which will be updated weekly. The company also stated that its policy on mitigation measures will remain unchanged. During the development of a fix, mitigation strategies will be implemented. If no specific measures are available, general hardening techniques will be used. Canonical aims to restore a system to a “defendable” state—meaning it is secure against known threats—within 24 to 48 hours. Greg Kroah-Hartman, the main maintainer of the Linux kernel, has noted a significant increase in the number of vulnerabilities being addressed. For example, between kernel versions 6.9 and 6.19, an average of 500 vulnerabilities (CVEs) were fixed. Version 7.0 corrected over 1,000 CVEs, and version 7.2 exceeded 1,500. At this rate, version 7.3 could surpass 2,000 CVEs.