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Linux Kernel: AMD Patches, Mac Support, ECC RAM, and Fuzzing With Better 'Marketing Steroids'
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WCCF Tech ☛ Linux 7.3 Introduces Early Zen 6 Support, Native RGB Controls For Ryzen AI Halo, And Major Laptop Improvements
Linux 7.3 Brings AMD Zen 6 Preparations, Ryzen AI Halo RGB Control, and Improvements for ASUS, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and Other Devices
AMD is making some steady progress on its next-gen processors, particularly when it comes to Linux. As per the report from Phoronix, Linux 7.3 is now a major kernel release that brings the latest x86 platform driver changes for AMD's upcoming Zen 6 processors alongside a wide range of improvements for mobile devices such as laptops and gaming handhelds.
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XDA ☛ Linux takes one step closer to working perfectly on your Mac with a patch for USB4 and Thunderbolt ports
While Linux has been making headlines due to distros taking stances on AI code implementations and what's new in Linux 7.3, there has been something genuinely interesting bubbling away in the kernel. Slowly, but surely, we're seeing people getting Linux working on Apple devices.
It hasn't been a rapid process (we saw trackpads get added in June, for instance), but it has been progress, and a steady amount at that. Now, a new patch to the Linux kernel would add USB4 and Thunderbolt support for Apple Silicon M1, M2, and M3 devices, and while it's not quite perfect yet, it's a solid start.
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Linux Kernel Patch Expands USB4 Support for Apple Silicon SoCs
The Asahi Linux project development team has long been working on bringing Linux to Apple Silicon MacBooks and desktops, going so far as to show off games on the Arm-powered laptops. The latest patches to Asahi add proper support for USB4 and Thunderbolt on MacBooks with the M1, M2, and M3 SoCs, and that support is now making its way to the mainline Linux kernel, as per an upstream patch by prominent Asahi developer, Sven Peter.
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HowTo Geek ☛ Linux's creator says you should use ECC RAM—here's what that means
Linus Torvalds, who you might know for being the mastermind behind Linux, has spent years publicly frustrated that error-correcting memory isn't standard in consumer PCs. If you've never heard of ECC RAM, here's what it does, why the Linux creator cares so much, and why your next PC probably won't have it anyway.
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XDA ☛ Linus Torvalds used AI to fix a Linux bug, and now LLM critics on Linux face an uncomfortable choice [Ed: What he was used not AI, it's just a marketing label; What many call "AI" when it comes to bug-funding is fuzzers, just a brute force approach that results in many false positives]
The open-source community is undergoing a huge shift right now. AI coding and bug-fixing have gotten to the point where people maintaining software have to draw a line in the sand: are LLM contributions allowed? And if so, how much is too much?
We're seeing that very debate being held among Linux distros. We've only just heard that Debian has given AI code the green light; meanwhile, the Fedora community has been largely unreceptive of the idea. But one thing has held: the creator of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds, has allowed people to submit AI-generated code. And recently, he even used AI to fix a Linux bug. And while that holds, people who dislike AI code will likely need to find a compromise if they want to continue using Linux distros.