Linux Kernel 6.18-rc1 Released With Extensive Updates Following a Steady Merge Window
The Linux 6.18-rc1 has been released, marking the beginning of the release candidate phase for this version. The merge window concluded without issues, and the candidate is now available for developers and testers.
The Linux 6.18-rc1 has been released, marking the beginning of the release candidate phase for this version. The merge window concluded without issues, and the candidate is now available for developers and testers.
This release is medium-sized and shows no significant anomalies. Approximately half of the changes are driver-related, which supports a wider range of hardware.
Other updates include modifications to virtual file systems and filesystems, architectural updates, tooling improvements, and further integration of Rust for kernel modules.
Driver updates were significant, with Alex Williamson's contributions to VFIO for virtualization, Greg Kroah-Hartman's work on peripheral drivers, and Bjorn Helgaas's PCI fixes. Graphics improvements include DRM updates from Dave Airlie, which are crucial for modern displays and GPUs.
Architecture-specific updates include an x86 overhaul by Borislav Petkov and enhancements for Arm64 and RISC-V by Will Deacon and Paul Walmsley, respectively. Rafael Wysocki refined power management, focusing on ACPI and thermal controls.
The Linux 6.18-rc1 has been released, marking the beginning of the release candidate phase for this version.
Networking and I/O layers saw updates from Paolo Abeni and Jens Axboe, enhancing core networking stacks and asynchronous operations, respectively.
Al Viro and Christian Brauner made significant contributions to VFS, including updates to mounts and inode handling. Filesystem improvements include updates to ext4, Btrfs, and XFS for data integrity and speed.
Security enhancements were introduced by Kees Cook, including hardening efforts and seccomp refinements. Eric Biggers updated fscrypt and crypto libraries, adding SHA-256 support. BPF improvements by Alexei Starovoitov and updates to IRQ and timer cores by Thomas Gleixner were also notable.
The rc1's broader hardware support and developer tools, alongside Rust integration, indicate a maturing kernel. Although no major new features are present, the cumulative improvements from over 100 contributors strengthen Linux's position in various environments.
Testers are encouraged to evaluate this release candidate thoroughly. Full stability is anticipated by December, assuming no significant regressions occur.
Based on reporting by Cyber Security News.