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Linus Torvalds Announces First Linux Kernel 7.0 Release Candidate
Today marks two weeks since the release of Linux kernel 6.19 and the opening of the merge window for Linux kernel 7.0, which means that it is time to test drive the Release Candidate (RC) versions during the next couple of months, the first one being available for download right now from Linus Torvalds’s Git tree.
Like every other major kernel branch before it, Linux 7.0 is a big release in terms of version change, not features. However, one important change is that Rust support is now finally stable, no longer under an “experimental” umbrella, and, as expected, there are even a number of Rust updates this cycle.
Update (by Roy)
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Linux 7.0-rc1
You all know the drill by now: two weeks have passed, and the kernel merge window is closed.
We have a new major number purely because I'm easily confused and not good with big numbers.
We haven't done releases based on features (or on "stable vs unstable") for a long long time now. So that new major number does *not* mean that we have some big new exciting feature, or that we're somehow leaving old interfaces behind. It's the usual "solid progress" marker, nothing more.
With our normal release schedule of 5-6 releases per year and my antipathy to big version numbers, you should basically expect us to bump the major number roughly every 3.5 years.
And yeah, I don't have a solid plan for when the major number itself gets big. But doing the math - by that time, I expect that we'll have somebody more competent in charge who isn't afraid of numbers past the teens. So I'm not going to worry about it.
Anyway - despit eany lingering ".0 release" worries that people might have due to experiences with other projects, this was one of those fairly smooth merge window for me. I define those as the merge windows where I don't have to bisect boot failures on any of my machines. Admittedly this time around that was because I caught one failure case early before I *actually* booted into it, but hey, that still technically counts as "smooth" to me.
But your milage may vary. Which is why you should now all drop everything, run to your computers, and test-build and test-boot a shiny new kernel. The fact that it all works for *me* is good, but let's make sure it works for others too, ok?
Just kidding. A leisurely stroll after you've finished chewing is fine.
And as always with rc1 releases, there's way too many changes to list individually. So below you'll find just my mergelog that gives a very rough idea of what I pulled and from whom.
The *really* high-level view is the usual: two thirds drivers, with the final third being the usual random collection of architecture updates, filesystems, tooling and random core kernel code.
For a more detailed view, please refer to the git tree (or the good people who track and document new kernel features online, allowing me to be my lazy self).
Linus
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Kernel prepatch 7.0-rc1 [LWN.net]
Linus has released 7.0-rc1 and closed the merge window for this development cycle. ""You all know the drill by now: two weeks have passed, and the kernel merge window is closed.""
3 more pieces:
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Tom's Hardware ☛ Linux 7.0 launches with enablement for defective chip maker Intel Nova Lake, AMD Zen 6 — major kernel update expected in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora 44 first
A major kernel update, GNU/Linux 7.0, has been officially released. Although it'll take some time to show up in various GNU/Linux distros, the kernel comes with preliminary support for AMD's upcoming Zen 6 and Intel's Nova Lake.
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PC World ☛ The big new Linux release isn’t a big deal
The next major iteration of Linux, Linux 7.0, is now available for you to try…and once again it’s not as significant as its name implies.
That’s not unusual. Linus Torvalds, the lead developer of the Linux kernel, acknowledged in announcing the new Linux 7.0-rc1 release candidate that it got it got this version because he is “easily confused and not good with big numbers.”
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XDA ☛ Linux 7.0 is ready for you to test as it hits Release Candidate status
One thing I've always found exciting about Linux as a whole is how quickly things can update. It's one of the reasons why I moved from Windows after not being excited over its updates for years. Now, I'm on an operating system where we get a version update every few months. Life is good.
Well, we've just come off of version 6.19, and Linus is already gunning to get version 7.0 out the door by releasing its Release Candidate. And while you shouldn't get too excited over the upgrade to version 7, it's still a really cool update that's worth a peek.
Late coverage: (but wrong on facts!!)
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Linux 7.0 is finally here — packing more AMD and Intel hardware support and a bulging changelog, here's what you need to know
Linux kernel version 7.0 has officially been released, adding support for the latest AMD Zen 6 processors and Intel Nova Lake and Diamond Rapids chips.
The system can now automatically optimize performance on newer Intel CPUs, allowing applications to run more efficiently without manual tuning.
Intel Xeon processors also gain new accelerators that handle specialized tasks, reducing the load on the main CPU cores.
Also here:
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Kernel 7.0 Now in Testing
Linus Torvalds has announced the first Release Candidate (RC) for the 7.x kernel is available for those who want to test it.
Neowin:
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Why the Linux 7.0 development cycle is off to a volatile start
Torvalds warns of "random noise" as the latest kernel update shifts focus from drivers to high-risk core filesystem and networking changes.