news
Linux 7.0-rc5
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LWN ☛ Linux 7.0-rc5 [LWN.net]
It looks like things are starting to calm down - rc5 is smaller than the previous rc's this merge window, although it still tracks a bit larger than rc5s historically do. I'll still take it as a good sign overall.
The diffstat looks fairly normal - half drivers (gpu and networking, but unusually some serial updates too). But on the whole it's all pretty small - most of the commits are small few-liners.
Outside of drivers, it's the usual mixed bag - core networking, some filesystem updates, bpf, selftests and some architecture fixes.
So while the rc's have trended bigger than usual this release, on the whole it all continues to look fairly innocuous. Please keep testing,
Linus -
LWN ☛ Kernel prepatch 7.0-rc5 [LWN.net]
Linus has released 7.0-rc5 for testing. ""It looks like things are starting to calm down - rc5 is smaller than the previous rc's this merge window, although it still tracks a bit larger than rc5s historically do.""
Neowin:
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Linux 7.0 development stabilizes as Linus Torvalds reports calmer fifth release candidate
Linus Torvalds provides an update on the state of GNU/Linux 7.0 as the kernel moves closer to its final release date following a wave of driver and core updates.
Also here:
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Phew: Linus Torvalds says Linux 7.0 is finally looking normal again
Well, that was a close one. Previously, we reported on how some Linux 7.0 release candidates were seeing a larger number of changes and additions than usual. Usually, more stuff getting added to an OS is better, but because the release candidate is all about testing and making sure things aren't breaking, a high number of changes means that things are, unfortunately, breaking.
Fortunately, the initial spike in fixes, while still high, has declined significantly for release candidate 5. Things are looking pretty great for a stable Linux 7.0 release, and that's always a good sign.
Techzine:
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Linux 7.0 approaches stable phase after a turbulent start
The development of Linux 7.0 appears to be entering calmer waters after a turbulent start. While the first weeks of the cycle were marked by a heavy workload and a remarkably large number of changes, the fifth release candidate indicates a decreasing intensity.
According to Linux creator Linus Torvalds (photo), the situation is now more manageable. He does note, however, that the volume of updates remains above the usual level for this phase. At the start of the process, there was an unusually busy period. This raised doubts about meeting the planned release date. That threat now appears less imminent, reports Neowin.
Torvalds notes that development this week is proceeding at a calmer pace than before, although the total number of changes is still higher than usual. He views this contrast—less chaos but still a lot of work—as a sign that the stabilization phase has truly begun.