The Ubuntu LTS ("stable" "server" "hardened" "enterprise" distro) 
bootable DVD actually works in the consumer HP laptop my wife
may have to use.

The kernel Ubuntu LTS uses is:

4.2.0-35.40~14.04.1

whereas SL 7 is using a 3.x Linux kernel.  All of the HP supplied 
hardware seems to work under Ubuntu LTS current production,
including the graphics/video card/display, sound card, LAN, pointing 
device, DVD driver/burner, and USB (including "automounting").  Is the 
issue with SL 7 on this platform the
use of a 3.x kernel rather than a 4.x kernel?   I would prefer to stay 
with yum over apt-get, but if the hardware is not supported, one faces
a quandary.

In this regard, is anyone using Ubuntu LTS in a production environment?  
Is it fact both stable and (reasonably) hardened (e.g., not a 
consume/enthusiast product such as
MS Win or RH Fedora)?

Yasha Karant