Linus Torvalds released the eighth release candidate for Linux 6.19, a quiet update that adds only minor driver tweaks and a handful of bug fixes but no new features. The changes include removing a duplicate ice driver, tightening up mlx5e and other networking subsystems to avoid race conditions or memory leaks, and improving the reliability of a self‑test on older hardware. Users with Wi‑Fi, AMDGPU GPUs or heavy networking workloads may notice fixes for kernel panics from rapid power toggles, more robust wptr reset logic, and reduced memory leakage under load; testing involves checking dmesg logs after booting the new kernel.

Linux 6.19‑rc8: Tiny Tweaks, Big Peace of Mind

Linus Torvalds just pushed the eighth release candidate for Linux Kernel 6.19. It’s a calm update with only small driver changes and a handful of bug fixes, with no big new features to wrestle with. If you’re running a system that depends on the latest kernel (especially GPU or networking drivers), this is the patch you want to test before the final release drops.

The “tiny” part of 6.19‑rc8

• Driver cleanup – A duplicated ice driver got removed, saving a few dozen lines and eliminating an unnecessary code path.
• Networking – Several small patches tighten up mlx5e, scsi/ufs, and other subsystems to avoid subtle race conditions or memory leaks.
• Self‑tests – One patch improves the reliability of a self‑test that can surface in older hardware builds.

The changes are so modest that most users will notice nothing at all.

Where you might spot something

• Wi‑Fi – A race condition in the mac80211 stack could cause a kernel panic when rapidly toggling power.
• GPU – The AMDGPU driver’s wptr reset logic is now more robust; if you’ve had odd frame‑drop issues, give this one a try.
• Memory leaks – A handful of fixes in the networking stack cut a few bytes that were leaking under heavy load.

How to test it yourself

1. Pull the latest rc8

   git clone https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git cd linux git checkout -b 6.19-rc8 origin/v6.19-rc8

2. Build and install – Use your usual kernel build script; the output will be a bzImage that you can boot from GRUB or a live USB.
3. Watch the logs

   dmesg | grep -iE 'error|panic'

   If nothing appears in the first few minutes, the system is behaving as expected.

If you run into something odd—say, an unexpected driver load failure—report it on the kernel mailing list. Linus’s own note says to keep testing “just in case somebody finds that “something odd”.”

Why bother with a release candidate?

You might think that skipping rc8 and waiting for 6.19 will be safer. In reality, rc8 is the most recent snapshot of what the final kernel will look like. It’s a good chance to catch regressions early, especially if you rely on cutting‑edge drivers or custom patches.

If you’re building a distribution, you can use this as the base for your own testing cycle. If you’re an end‑user, installing rc8 on a spare machine gives you peace of mind that the final release will not bring unforeseen surprises.

Linux kernel 6.19-rc8 released

Linux kernel version 6.19-rc8 is now available:

Full source: https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/t/linux-6.19-rc8.tar.gz
Patch: https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/p/v6.19-rc8/v6.18

You can view the summary of the changes at the following URL:
https://git.kernel.org/torvalds/ds/v6.19-rc8/v6.19-rc7