Linux Kernel 6.13 Officially Released, This Is What’s New
Highlights of Linux 6.13 include lazy preemption support to simplify kernel’s preemption logic, support for running Linux in protected virtual machines (a.k.a. realm) under the Arm CCA (Confidential Compute Architecture), user-space shadow stack support for AArch64 (ARM64) via Guarded Control Stack (GCS), support for 6-node sub-NUMA clustering on Intel, and split-lock detection support for AMD CPUs.
Linux kernel 6.13 makes the amd-pstate cpufreq driver the default on some newer AMD Epyc processors, adds support for thermal thresholds that can be added and removed from user space via netlink along with a related library update, and implements a new feature in the character device uAPI to notify the user-space about changes triggered by in-kernel users.
Update
Original and LWN:
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Linux 6.13
So nothing horrible or unexpected happened last week, so I've tagged and pushed out the final 6.13 release.
It's mostly some final driver fixes (gpu and networking dominating - normal), with some doc updates too. And various little stuff all over. The shortlog is appended for people who want to see the details (and, as always, it's just the shortlog for the last week, the full 6.13 log is obviously much too big).
With this, the merge window for 6.14 will obviously open tomorrow. I already have two dozen pull requests pending - thank you, you know who you are.
Linus
PS. And as per the rc7 release announcement last week, I have selected guitar pedal winners.
Yes, "pedals" plural. I said I'd only pick one, but I lied. I picked five, because I ended up panic-buying more kits when the pedal raffle emails started coming in. Of course, then my random selection of pre-built kits didn't match the winners all that well, but hey - that's how random selections work. And this was all an excuse to build more kits, so I'm a winner too.
Bartosz Golaszewski, Jeff Xie, Bence Csókás, Mathieu Desnoyers, John Hubbard: you are bcc'd because I will need a physical address to send it to. I think I may have Bence's already. And - because that apparently sometimes happens with these things - if somebody approaches you on some social media to ask for anything else in order to send you the guitar pedals, it's a scam. So don't send them any information or money. All I use is email, and all I need is an address, I'll pay for shipping.
And I should have thought through the timing a bit more: I'll be busy with the merge window and some minor travel too the upcoming two weeks, so while I have pre-built a couple of the pedals already, it will probably not be until next week before I will get to the post office and send them off. Much less the ones I have yet to receive and build. -
The 6.13 kernel has been released
Significant features in this release include the lazy preemption model for CPU scheduling, Arm64 Guarded Control Stack support, the PIDFD_GET_INFO() operation, multi-grain file timestamps, beginning atomic write support for the ext4 and XFS filesystems, the setxattrat(), getxattrat(), listxattrat(), and removexattrat() system calls, private stacks for BPF programs, a new mechanism for adding guard pages to a memory mapping, the removal of the reiserfs filesystem, and more. See the LWN merge-window summaries (part 1, part 2) and the KernelNewbies 6.13 page for more information.
3 more:
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Cyber Security News ☛ Linux Kernel 6.13 Released – What’s New!
Linus Torvalds announced the final release of Linux Kernel 6.13, marking the end of its development cycle. As expected, the past week saw the completion of minor changes, primarily driver fixes related to GPU and networking, alongside documentation updates and other adjustments.
Torvalds mentioned that no significant issues occurred during the final stages, enabling him to tag and push the release seamlessly.
Major updates include optimizations for AMD and NVIDIA GPUs, networking enhancements, memory management fixes, and improved ACPI handling.
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It's FOSS ☛ Linux Kernel 6.13 Released: Here's What's New!
As usual, a new Linux kernel release has arrived on schedule, bringing numerous improvements. Released just two months after the previous version, it continues the fast-paced development cycle we've come to expect.
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OMG Ubuntu ☛ Linux Kernel 6.13 Released with Big Changes
The first new kernel release of the year has arrived — yes, Linux 6.13 has gone stable.
Linux kernel 6.13 adds, as ever, a vast array of improvements, from an updated Raspberry Pi graphics driver promising speed gains, to lazy preemption logic, expanded Rust support and new drivers for a host of hardware, peripherals and digital doohickeys.
Plus, as with all new kernel releases there’s ongoing work to support new and upcoming CPUs and GPUs from industry titans Intel and AMD.
Linus Torvalds quietly confirmed the Linux 6.13 release in an email to the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML), noting that as “nothing horrible or unexpected happened last week, so I’ve tagged and pushed out the final 6.13 release.”
Ubuntu Handbook:
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Linux Kernel 6.13 is out! NVMe 2.1, CPUFreq within VMs & Better Alienware Support
Linux Kernel 6.13 is released! Linus Torvalds announced it in lkml.org on Sunday: So nothing horrible or unexpected happened last week, so I’ve tagged and pushed out the final 6.13 release. It’s mostly some final driver fixes (gpu and networking dominating – normal), with some doc updates too. And various little stuff all over.
CNX:
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Linux 6.13 Release – Main changes, Arm, RISC-V, and MIPS architectures
Linus Torvalds has just announced the release of GNU/Linux 6.13 on the GNU/Linux Kernel Mailing List: So nothing horrible or unexpected happened last week, so I’ve tagged and pushed out the final 6.13 release. It’s mostly some final driver fixes (gpu and networking dominating – normal), with some doc updates too. And various little stuff all over.
Damon M. Garn:
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Linux Kernel 6.13 Stands Ready With Security, Performance, Driver Updates
It’s time for another new Linux kernel! It’s been a couple of months since the release of Linux kernel 6.12, but the wait for the new 6.13 kernel is now over. Linus Torvalds released the latest version to the Linux community on Jan. 19, 2025.
The new release implements additional features and hardware support to provide more flexibility, security, and performance, especially for sysadmins and developers working with enterprise-grade systems. Changes include updated drivers, virtualization improvements, additional architecture support, and more.
Linux Magazine:
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Linux Kernel 6.13 Offers Improvements for AMD/Apple Users
The latest GNU/Linux kernel is now available, and it includes plenty of improvements, especially for those who use AMD or Apple-based systems.
More in Bootlin:
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Linux 6.13 released, Bootlin contributions inside
Linux 6.13 has been released last Sunday and a few lucky kernel developers won some guitar pedals assembled by Linus Torvalds himself! As usual, we recommend looking at the excellent coverage from LWN.net of the 6.13 merge window to get a high-level overview of the main changes and new features: part 1 and part 2.
Steven Vaughan-Nichols:
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Linux kernel 6.13 isn't a major release but's it still important - here's why
On Jan. 19, Linus Torvalds officially released the Linux 6.13 kernel. I can't call the 6.13 kernel a major release, but it's still a step forward in performance, security, and hardware support. That's not a small deal.
One of Linux 6.13's standout features is the introduction of lazy preemption support. This new model simplifies the kernel's preemption logic and configuration options, potentially improving overall system responsiveness.
Also here:
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Linux Kernel With Performance Enhancements
Graphics, networking, and filesystem optimizations boost efficiency, while new drivers expand support for cutting-edge hardware.
Linus Torvalds has announced the release of Linux Kernel 6.13, packed with updates that refine performance, bolster hardware compatibility, and introduce advanced features for developers and users alike.
Key updates include support for running Linux in protected virtual machines (realms) under Arm’s Confidential Compute Architecture (CCA). Additionally, the kernel introduces lazy preemption, simplifying preemption logic across x86, RISC-V, and LoongArch architectures for better efficiency.
Berry Zwets:
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Linux Kernel 6.13 released: this is new
Linux Kernel 6.13 supports new processors, improved file systems and optimized performance.
The latest update, Linux Kernel 6.13, appears after two months of development and offers numerous new features for system optimization. With this version, hardware support is extended thanks to updated drivers. Among the supported devices are the Vexia EDU ATLA 10 and Surface Pro 9 5G tablets, the Adreno A663 GPU chipset, Allwinner H616, AMD ACP 6.3, Qualcomm SM8750, RealTek RT721 audio chips, NT36672A touchscreens, AMD I3C controllers and the NVIDIA Mellanox “MLX5” networking device. In addition, this update introduces a new virtual-cpufreq driver for guest kernels, providing improved performance for workloads and virtual machines.
Linux Kernel 6.13 brings some important updates to file systems. For example, the Btrfs system now supports transparent compression using the LZ4 algorithm. This results in significant space savings and improved I/O performance for users of these file systems.
Ryan Daws:
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Linux kernel 6.13: Filesystem upgrades, Rust boost, and more
The release of Linux kernel 6.13 has arrived, bringing with it a trove of updates to keep the OS at the forefront of performance, security, and hardware compatibility. From enhanced drivers and updated architecture support to new filesystem features and better virtualisation integrations, the new kernel version is another reminder of what makes Linux indispensable.
Linux creator Linus Torvalds confirmed the stable release of 6.13 in via the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML). The update appears to have proceeded without notable hiccups: “Nothing horrible or unexpected happened last week,” wrote Torvalds, “so I’ve tagged and pushed out the final 6.13 release.”
Liam Proven:
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Better power management, security, and scheduling in Linux kernel 6.13
Linux kernel 6.13 is here, but don't get too excited. It's not a biggie and, given the timing, probably won't appear in many familiar distros.
Head penguin herder Linus Torvalds announced Linux version 6.13 this week, and he's also chosen five lucky winners of guitar pedals. The KernelNewbies site has a full rundown of what's new, which, if we were a newbie, we feel would look pretty intimidating.
GoL:
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Linux kernel 6.13 is out now
One missed earlier this week while I was running around Wales, Linus Torvalds announced the release of Linux kernel 6.13.
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MediaTek improvements in Linux 6.13
Collabora's deep involvement with the MediaTek community continued to shine this week with the release of GNU/Linux 6.13, which saw multiple improvements land for MediaTek SoCs.