The guide explains how to replace the default LMDE 5 kernel with a XanMod build in order to gain lower latency and better hardware support. It walks you through backing up /boot, installing curl and gnupg2, importing XanMod’s GPG key, adding the signed‑by repository entry, updating APT and installing either the standard “linux‑xanmod” or the real‑time variant. After rebooting you select the new “XanMod” entry in GRUB and verify the running version with uname ‑r, optionally cleaning out old kernels with apt autoremove. If the new kernel causes problems, you can boot an older kernel from the GRUB menu and purge the XanMod package to revert safely.

How to Install XanMod Kernel on LMDE 5

If you’re tired of the stock LMDE kernel feeling sluggish on newer hardware, this guide will show you how to drop in a XanMod build and actually see a performance bump. You’ll get the exact commands you need, plus a few warnings so you don’t end up with an unbootable system.

Why try XanMod on Linux Mint Debian Edition?

I’ve run LMDE 5 on a laptop that shipped with a Skylake‑U CPU and a modest SSD. After a kernel update to 6.1 the Wi‑Fi driver started dropping packets, but the very latest XanMod (6.8) kept the connection rock solid. The kernel is built for low latency and includes a few patches that aren’t in the Debian archives yet – perfect if you want better gaming or just smoother desktop response.

Prepare your system

1. Back up /boot – The new kernels land alongside the old ones, but it’s cheap insurance.

   sudo cp -a /boot ~/boot-backup-$(date +%F)
   

2. Make sure you have curl and gpg – XanMod signs its packages; without verification you’re just trusting a random tarball.

   sudo apt install curl gnupg2 -y
   

Add the XanMod repository

XanMod provides an APT repo for Debian‑based distros, and LMDE follows the same layout.

# Import the signing key
curl -fsSL https://dl.xanmod.org/gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/xanmod-archive-keyring.gpg

# Add the repo entry (choose “edge” for newest, “stable” if you prefer less risk)
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/xanmod-archive-keyring.gpg] https://dl.xanmod.org/ stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/xanmod.list

Why the signed‑by option? It limits APT to trust only XanMod’s key for this source, keeping your system from accepting rogue packages that might slip in through a compromised mirror.

Install the kernel

Now pull the package list and pick the flavor you want. The “rt” (real‑time) build is great for audio work, while the plain “linux-xanmod” gives you the low‑latency tweaks without extra patches.

sudo apt update
# For the standard low‑latency kernel:
sudo apt install linux-xanmod -y
# Or, if you need real‑time:
# sudo apt install linux-xanmod-rt -y

During installation APT will automatically generate a new entry in /boot/grub/grub.cfg. If you have multiple kernels installed, the newest one gets the top spot by default.

Boot into XanMod

Reboot and watch the GRUB menu. If it hides itself, hold Shift (or Esc on UEFI) right after the BIOS splash to reveal it. Select the entry that mentions “XanMod” – you’ll see something like Linux 6.8.0-xanmod1.

After you log in, double‑check which kernel is running:

uname -r

You should see the XanMod version number. If everything looks good, consider cleaning up old kernels to free space:

sudo apt autoremove --purge

Rolling back if it misbehaves

I once installed the “rt” flavor on a desktop that used an older AMD GPU; the proprietary driver refused to load and I was stuck at a black screen. The fix? Reboot, hit Esc to get the GRUB menu, choose the previous Debian kernel, then uninstall the offending package:

sudo apt purge linux-xanmod-rt

Having an older kernel still in the boot menu saved me from reinstalling the whole OS.

TL;DR

1. Back up /boot.
2. Install curl and gnupg2.
3. Import XanMod’s GPG key and add its repo.
4. Run sudo apt update && sudo apt install linux-xanmod.
5. Reboot, pick the XanMod entry, verify with uname -r.

Give it a spin; you’ll likely notice snappier app launches and fewer hiccups on newer hardware. If it turns out to be more trouble than it’s worth, just roll back to your old kernel – LMDE makes that painless.