Linus Torvalds has announced the third release candidate for Linux Kernel version 6.18. The development process is running smoothly with a relatively short and flat diffstat, indicating minimal changes to the kernel but notable improvements in SMBdirect fixes, XFS fixes, and other areas. The release includes contributions from numerous developers who have worked on bug fixes for hardware drivers and improved performance, security, and stability of existing features. With 1557 patches included in this release candidate, it is one of the largest kernel releases in recent history, and these changes will be reviewed and refined further before being included in the final Linux Kernel 6.18.

Linux kernel 6.18-rc3 released

Linus Torvalds has announced the third release candidate for Linux Kernel version 6.18, which marks an important move towards the final release.

According to Linus, things are running fairly smoothly and normally. The number of pull requests is slightly lower than usual, but this might be attributed to timing fluctuations rather than any underlying issues. The diffstat, which measures the changes made to the kernel, is relatively short and flat, with one notable change related to SMBdirect fixes on both client and server sides.

The high-level statistics also look normal, with around half of the patches being drivers (including device tree bindings) and the rest spread out across various areas. Some notable changes include SMB fixes, XFS fixes, and other miscellaneous patches that can be seen in the shortlog.

Numerous developers have contributed to the kernel by fixing bugs related to hardware drivers like SPI, USB, and SATA. There has also been a focus on improving the performance and stability of existing features, enhancing security and robustness, and adding new functionality or support for specific platforms.

Notable contributors include Alice Ryhl, who worked on rust_binder improvements, and Alok Tiwari, who resolved various issues in drivers and other areas. Jens Axboe also improved CPU accounting for io_uring.

The release candidate includes a total of 1557 patches, making it one of the largest kernel releases in recent history. The extensive list of contributors and patches is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the open-source community.

As the kernel development process continues, these changes will be reviewed, tested, and refined further before being included in the final release of Linux Kernel 6.18.

Linux kernel 6.18-rc3 released

Linux kernel version 6.18-rc3 is now available:

Full source: https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/t/linux-6.18-rc3.tar.gz
Patch: https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/p/v6.18-rc3/v6.17

You can view the summary of the changes at the following URL:
https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/ds/v6.18-rc3/v6.18-rc2