Let's talk about the LTS kernels

On my 10y old laptop (Intel i5-460M & ATI MobilityRadeon HD5650) the current kernel causes issues with the wake-up from sleep, as I posted in ticket T8699. Since then I use the LTS kernel without issues and try every new release of the current kernel if it fixes the wake-up issue (until now it hasn't).
I had no issues with the current kernel until version 5.5, so an upgrade of LTS to 5.4 should hopefully work on my old hardware.

I haven't got any issues so far with the current and the lts kernel. But I think moving the kernel to an 5.4 lts version would be very great!

What I found curious about the recent breakage is that my old 750ti gpu was broken on nvidia current, even though it mostly worked on previous kernels. I presumed the problem for me was a gpu driver - lts kernel mismatch, but I don't know for sure.

pappkamerad There were initially quite a few posts here and on Reddit by users adressing their issues with freezing and lagging on intel at around 5.3. I for one use 4.9 whenever I need to do non-trivial stuff (even though it ruins my wifi), because performance is otherwise horrendous. If LTS is upgraded to 5.4 before this issue is fixed, I seriously don't know what to do except changing OS for the first time in some years.

I'm using HP Elitebook 2570p (in docking station most of the time) with Manjaro Gnome (switched to Budgie & having issues because of it...).
I begon to use Solus Budgie on it in...2018? I don't remember exactly. In march 2020 i begin to have issues with Current kernel & switched to LTS on which I'm having issues too. Not disqualifying issues but noticeable.
I covered them here:
https://discuss.getsol.us/d/4079-budgie-applets-on-panel-buggy/9 & here

https://discuss.getsol.us/d/3888-latest-kernel-update-borked-wifi/18
In my case...
- 5.5.7-150.current kernel had serious issues - some strange display shows when shuting down; Solus was significantly slower
- 5.4.12-144.current was fine - responsive, reliable, just working great
- 4.9.215-155.lts had issues identifying my docking station & external display
I was dreaming to be able to work with older one... I know. It ain't smart to use old kernel. But when you are having issues with new...?
If this could be a bit of solution - give people ability to download older kernel to stay on it ,,till update" or something like that, if the ,,middle" kernel Isn't an option for you.

I will be installing Solus on my new desktop PC. I hope to not experience any problems.

I was on lts for years before even realizing it. Now on current, but kept lts installed just in case.

Mine can't boot when updated the kernel on Budgie desktop, but in plasma it can.

Hardware: HP Pavilion AMD Ryzen3 with Radeon/Raven graphics.

I picked LTS when I set up a laptop for a family member - it's an older Thinkpad (T430) and it booted fine on current but I was a bit nervous about kernel updates breaking something. my desktop is even older but I know how to fix it if anything goes wrong

currently using Linux 5.6.18-155.current with celeron n3150 and there is no visible problem so far. But I tried 5.3 or sth like that before and laptop was freezing out of sudden. The most stable version for me was 4.14 on manjaro.

mojave21 the same for me. My laptop is a n3150 intel celeron and after fresh installing the system it was working flawlessly (4.9?), but after the kernel update (5.4) it freezes randomly. I installed the lts kernel and its working as it should.

In my case 5.4/5.6 are somehow more stable than previous kernels. No issues on older laptops: Thinkpad T450 and MBP 2011 and Lenovo Y715 (at least I haven't noticed). My workstation (Ryzen/Navi) sometimes glitches just after boot/shutdown (can be just Plasma issue). I've used lts maybe once but it didn't boot (shitty hybrid graphics on MBP) I think decision really depends on how many users run lts because they must, not because they want. I personally don't care about lts as long as I don't have to use it as fallback. In that case only 5.4 could work.

A couple versions ago the current broke my wifi, but that's it . Now all is fine.

I'd vote for 5.6 of that's an option. I'm running it on what is essentially a 12-15 year old netbook and have had no issues with any of the distros I've tried. Solus Budgie actually runs the best on my particular hardware.

I also vote for 5.6 due to proper temperature and voltage/current reporting for Zen/Zen+/Zen2 processors.

I think in the long run 5.4 is a safer bet for LTS

Whatever is your choise tkere always be kernel-hoping inside a distibution
or on distributions. The hardware combinations that is active on the market
is huge and mixed. New cpus and their chips are installed alongside with
older other hardware such as wifi adapters ,sata or nvme chips the list is
endless. That mess is not a new issue. I remember Debian had the same
at version 8 or 7 i'm not sure, where the 3.16 kernel could not support the users'
hardware who upgraded from one version to another and had used older
hardware. I bought my laptop late in 2018 when almost every distribution had
the 4.19 kernel as default, which can't run on my hardware.
HP G7 755 AMD A-9220 Radeon R4 (Stoney Ridge)
intel wifi 3168NGW (Stone Peak) rev.10
Realtek ethernet RTL8111/8168/8411
That time Solus iso shiped 4.20 kernel as default and it was the only
kernel that run on my laptop. If i had tried Solus 2 montns later with kernel 5.22 i
wouldn't had known how budgie looks like because this kernel can't boot.
In almost every week there are kernel updates to higher versions.
Is that urgently necessary?
I voted for 'I installed Solus when it was still the default kernel and haven't
switched.' If i had the option to make two choices i would had chosen the
'i want a more stable kernel experience.' as well.
On other distributions that i use i have compiled my own kernel which i can't
do on Solus.