For all of y'all that like bleeding-edge kernels, or need better support for the latest hardware, I'm sharing a first beta of a community-built Proxmox-style kernel based on Linux 7.1.0.
If you're the type who wants to try newer drivers, newer kernel features, and hardware enablement ahead of the official Proxmox kernel line, this may be worth a look — but only on test systems. -- Unless you are real daring 
This is not an official Proxmox release. It is an unofficial/community build intended for testing and feedback only. And maybe a preview of what's to come.
Version: 7.1.0-1~beta1+1
Kernel image: 7.1.0-1-pve
Base: Ubuntu stonking / 26.10 beta (Ubuntu-7.1.0-5.5)
ZFS userland: 2.4.3-pve1 (separate download)
Architecture: amd64
Who is this for?
- People who want a newer kernel than the current stable Proxmox 7.0 line
- Users with newer hardware that may benefit from more recent kernel drivers?
- Anyone interested in testing Linux 7.1 on Proxmox before Proxmox makes one officially
- A good learning expeirence in how to make a kernel -- If you compile it yourself.
Downloads
- Kernel packages: jaminmc/pve-kernel releases
- ZFS packages: jaminmc/zfsonlinux releases
There is no apt repository for these packages. You download the .deb files and install them locally.
Important warnings
- Testing only — not for production
- Based on Ubuntu's beta 7.1 kernel sources, which is based on the final Kernel 7.1 release.
- Proxmox-specific patches have been rebased for 7.1, but are not QA'd like official Proxmox kernels
- No Secure Boot support — this is a custom/community kernel and is not signed for Secure Boot. Disable Secure Boot in firmware/BIOS before trying to boot it.
- Installs alongside your existing kernel (for example 7.0.x-pve) and is default at boot, unless you pin your current kernel.
- If you use ZFS, you must install the matching ZFS userland packages from the ZFS repo above. The old ones may still work, but it is better for them to all match.
- apt does not auto-discover .deb files in a folder — you must list every required package on the command line
What this includes
- Linux 7.1.0
- Refreshed Proxmox patch series (bridge MAC behavior, PCI ACS/passthrough helpers, KVM tweaks, wireless regdb certs, etc.)
- Rebased KVM MBEC/GMET support for nested virtualization
- Updated firmware package: pve-firmware 3.19-0b1
- ZFS kernel modules built into the kernel package; ZFS userland installed separately
Some 7.0-era backports were dropped because they are already in the 7.1 kernel. Patch coverage is not the same as the current stable proxmox-kernel-7.0 line. Hence why it is not recommended on a production machine.
Installation
See releases on Github.
Feedback welcome
If you try this, I'd appreciate reports on:
- Boot success/failure on your hardware
- KVM / nested virtualization
- ZFS pool health and basic operations
- PCI passthrough
- Networking / bridges / VLANs
- Any regressions compared with your current 7.0.x-pve kernel
I have tested all of these on my Ryzen 7 9700X + RX 6900 XT with PCI passthrough to macOS Tahoe, Windows 11, Fedora. Running with zfs on NVME boot drive. I also have many LXC's, and have Podman running in containers with no issuses with this kernel. I also have vendor_reset DKMS for the AMD passthrough from when I had a VEGA64 in there. I will have to test to see if the 6900 XT works well without it.
Please report issues on GitHub:
- Kernel: pve-kernel issues
- ZFS: zfsonlinux issues
Thanks to anyone willing to test this early. Again: please use this only on non-production systems.