Linux 6.6

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Oct 30, 2023,
updated Nov 09, 2023

So this last week has been pretty calm, and I have absolutely no
excuses to delay the v6.6 release any more, so here it is.


There's a random smattering of fixes all over, and apart from some
bigger fixes to the r8152 driver, it's all fairly small.  Below is the
shortlog for last week for anybody who really wants to get a flavor of
the details. It's short enough to scroll through.


This obviously means that the merge window for 6.7 opens tomorrow, and
I appreciate how many early pull requests I have lined up, with 40+
ready to go. That will make it a bit easier for me to deal with it,
since I'll be on the road for the first week of the merge window.


                Linus

Read on

The Register:

• Linus Torvalds releases Linux 6.6 after running out of excuses for further work

  After a typically calm development process, Linus Torvalds has given the world a new cut of the Linux kernel – version 6.6 to be precise.

  The penguin emperor last week worried that release candidate 7 was "certainly on the bigger side of our rc7 releases in the 6.x series" and "bigger than I'd have liked it to be" – but also free of "issues that would be showstoppers."

  Torvalds suggested a "quiet and normal" week of kernel coding would see him release a full version on Sunday US time.

It's FOSS News:

• Linux Kernel 6.6 Arrives With Numerous Refinements

  It is time for another Linux kernel release!

  The Linux kernel 6.6 release is a big one with plenty of improvements across the board for various laptops, networking hardware, processors and what not.

CNX Software:

• Linux 6.6 release – Highlights, Arm, RISC-V and MIPS architectures

  About two months ago, Linux 6.5 was released with initial USB4 v2 support with up to 80Gbps bandwidth, further updates to Rust support, simultaneous multi-threading (SMT) for the Loongarch architecture along with the ability to build the Loongarch kernel with the Clang compiler, the addition arm64’s permission-indirection extension (PIE) for future security features, support for NVIDIA IGX Orin and Jetson Orin Nano boards, and many other changes.

OMG Ubuntu:

• Linux 6.6 Kernel Released with Major New Features

  Linux kernel 6.6 is a big update that delivers an array of improvements, including a new CPU scheduler that promises to improve performance and reduce latency, a new memory-friendly eventfs subsystem, and improved drivers for a slew of gaming hardware.

  And as with most kernel updates, developers are laying the groundwork for the future with ‘initial support’ for upcoming hardware, including new CPUs and GPUs from Intel.

LWN:

• The 6.6 kernel has been released

  Headline features in 6.6 include the earliest eligible virtual deadline first (EEVDF) CPU scheduler, a number of enhancements (quota support, user extended attributes, direct I/O) to the tmpfs filesystem, the fchmodat2() system call, initial support for building a kernel without buffer-head support, the kmalloc() randomness patches, user-space shadow stacks for Intel CPUs, and quite a bit more. See the LWN merge window summaries (part 1, part 2) and the KernelNewbies 6.6 page for more information.

Bootlin:

• Linux 6.6 released, Bootlin contributions

  Linux 6.6 was released yesterday, so this is the time for our usual blog post about our contributions to this release. Before that, to get an overall idea of what went into Linux 6.6, we recommend reading the articles from LWN.net covering the Linux 6.6 merge window: part 1 and part 2.

SDxCentral:

• Linux 6.6 brings new scheduler, file sharing and security

  The new Linux 6.6 kernel is now available, integrating an array of updated capabilities that will impact workstation, server and cloud deployments.

  The Linux kernel is the core foundational element of a larger Linux operating system. There are multiple vendors that provide commercially supported Linux distributions, including Red Hat, SUSE, and Canonical. The Linux kernel is developed in a collaborative process with new releases every six to ten weeks.

  Among the improvements that are part of Linux 6.6 are new deployment options for the widely used server message block (SMB) networking protocol, security improvements and updated support for the latest Intel and AMD silicon.

Arindam:

• Linux Kernel 6.6 Released. This is What’s New.

  Release highlights of GNU/Linux Kernel 6.6 bring the latest CPU, GPU support, and improvements to file systems and networking.

Boasting company commits:

• Kernel 6.6: Long-awaited features and enhanced hardware support

  Linux Kernel 6.6 has arrived, bringing a significant amount of new features and performance enhancements. Collabora has actively contributed many patches, including work on MediaTek and Rockchip.

Poor coverage:

• A new version of the Linux core is out

  And speaking of open source, Linus Torvalds, the mastermind behind the Linux kernel, has unveiled version 6.6, and it’s packed with features. Notably, the release includes the KSMBD in-kernel server for the SMB networking protocol, enhancing file sharing and inter-process communication. Intel’s Shadow Stack tech, which guards against return-oriented programming attacks, has been integrated, benefiting both Intel and AMD CPUs. Speaking of AMD, the kernel now supports its Dynamic Boost Control tech, optimizing Ryzen CPU performance. This is particularly beneficial for some Linux-shipped Lenovo laptops.

  However, an intriguing change is the removal of references to the NSA in relation to the Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) module. Previously dubbed “NSA SELinux,” it’s now simply “SELinux,” likely a nod to the agency’s controversial privacy practices exposed by Edward Snowden.

  The kernel’s development has been smooth this year, with five releases in 2023. However, Torvalds hinted that Linux 6.7 might face delays due to his travel plans and the upcoming holiday season, potentially pushing its release to early 2024.

It says "the Linux core".. you mean, LINUX? Kernel?

Also today:

• Linux 6.6 Released as the Latest Kernel Series

  Linux Torvalds announced the release of Kernel 6.6 this Monday. It’s the latest mainline kernel so far, that features EEVDF scheduler, and per-policy CPUFreq performance boost control.

ZDNet:

• Heavy metal GNU/Linux 6.6 has arrived

  The new version of Linux is here. The odds are that it will become the next long-term support version of Linux, so it deserves your attention.

Very late coverage:

• Linux Kernel 6.6 is Here: Find Out What’s New

  The latest release of Linux Kernel, version 6.6, has just landed, and it’s packed with a bunch of awesome updates. Whether you are a Linux enthusiast or enjoy a smoother, more efficient computing experience, this release has something for everyone.

LWN stats:

• Some 6.6 development statistics

  The 6.6 kernel was released, right on schedule, on October 29. This development cycle saw the addition of 14,069 non-merge changesets from 1,978 developers — fairly typical numbers for recent releases. The time has come for LWN's traditional look at where the changes in this release came from, along with a look at the longer development "supercycle" that (probably) ends with 6.6.