The Linux Kernel Updates: A Comprehensive Overview
With the upcoming release of Linux 6.6 and the opening of the Linux 6.7 merge window, the Linux community is abuzz with anticipation for the new features and improvements that these updates will bring. Let’s delve into some of the key changes expected in this next kernel cycle.
Hardware Updates
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Intel Meteor Lake Graphics: The stability of Intel Meteor Lake graphics has been confirmed, with CPUs set to ship in December. This update enables support out-of-the-box, eliminating the need for the “i915.force_probe” option.
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Itanium IA-64 Support: Expected to be removed from the kernel.
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Boot-Time Disable for x86 32-bit User-Space Programs: Easier to implement.
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Intel Habana Labs Accelerator Driver: Fully integrated into the accel subsystem.
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Intel DG2-G12 Stepping Support: Added for improved performance.
Software Enhancements
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Intel IBRS Mitigation Handling: Updated to enhance performance.
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AMD GPU Support: New GPU support and GFX11.5 / RDNA3 refresh hardware.
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Btrfs File-System: Adding new functionality driven by Valve’s Steam Deck.
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Intel QAT Gen4 Hardware: More efficient utilization.
Removals and Updates
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Ponte Vecchio Support: Incomplete support being removed from i915.
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QLogic QLGE 10Gb Ethernet Driver: To be removed due to lack of maintenance.
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Bcachefs: Potential upstreaming.
Other Improvements
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Rust Bindings for Workqueues: Enhancing performance.
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AMD SVM Virtualization Indication: Added to /proc/cpuinfo.
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VirtIO VSOCK MSG_ZEROCOPY Support: For improved performance.
Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage and benchmarks of the Linux 6.7 kernel!
For more Linux news and updates, check out the latest articles on Phoronix.
