Linux Kernel 6.19-rc1 released
Linus Torvalds has announced the first release candidate for testing, which is an important step in the development of Linux Kernel 6.19.
However, some contributors may have been unprepared for this particular release cycle. It appears that some contributors were unable to submit their final patches before the merge deadline. This specific window was already unusual territory due to the yearly maintainers' summit; many kernel maintainers were traveling and unavailable throughout much of the week.
On the technical side, one interesting development is how various teams are expanding the automatic compiler cleanup system across different parts of the kernel's subsystems. The Virtual File System (VFS) layer serves as a good example here.
Then there's Rust: the groundwork was laid during what they called the "mainly preparation and infrastructure" phase, and now actual driver development is getting underway in earnest. Several drivers are already showing signs of life.
Despite these quirks, things look pretty standard overall. A quick glance at the RC1 patches shows about half dealing with updates to drivers across several areas: graphics (GPU), networking, multimedia, and sound cards. The other patch pile covers a lot too: architecture tweaks, better developer tools, improvements for Rust support within the kernel itself, documentation updates, plus changes in core parts like memory management and scheduling.
Linus himself directed you to his merge log for detailed information on the included changes. But is it really worth going through all that? You're best off checking out the Git repository directly; it holds the full story with every single patch commit.
As for who helped shape this release candidate, names like Arnd Bergmann (6 patches), Christian Brauner (17), and Borislav Petkov (8) popped up frequently. Andrew Morton landed 4, Ingo Molnar contributed 17, Jens Axboe added 6, Eric Biggers delivered 6, and Thomas Gleixner submitted 9.
The sheer volume of contributions from so many different people really highlights the open-source way: minds from all over converging to build something truly collective.
Linux kernel 6.19-rc1 released
Linux kernel version 6.19-rc1 is now available:
Full source: https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/t/linux-6.19-rc1.tar.gz
Patch: https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/p/v6.19-rc1/v6.18
You can view the summary of the changes at the following URL:
https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/ds/v6.19-rc1/v6.18
