While blending big and small CPU cores in mobile processors are pretty common, Intel‘s new Alder Lake CPUs are the first ones bringing this technology to the desktop level. The big processor cores are made for heavy tasks such as rendering or gaming while small cores are for internet browsing or watching videos. Assigning a big core for browsing causes inefficiency, and assigning a small core for rendering will cause a heavy performance loss.
Assigning the tasks to the right cores
The desktop-level operating systems never had to decide on specific cores for assigning tasks until Alder Lake CPUs
Since the hybrid CPUs are just recently introduced to the desktop level, most of the systems that are stuck behind for reasons are having issues assigning the cores for the tasks. The Linux distributions with LTS kernel are also affected by this issue; Linux kernel 5.15 LTS to be precise. However, the most recent maintenance release of the LTS version, 5.15.35, fixes this problem.
Canonical, the developing team for Ubuntu Linux operating system has submitted a patch for Linux kernel 5.15 LTS to fix the big core (P-Core) and small core (E-Core) assignation problems. The patch is now included in the latest release of the Linux kernel.
Performance gain reaches 100%
According to some benchmarks around, the performance gain is at least 5% and can go up to a whopping 100%; depending on the types of the tasks. On the other hand, we should see a significant efficiency uplift as well since the P-Cores will not be assigned for small tasks anymore.
The Ubuntu 22.04 LTS users with Linux kernel 5.15 will be able to get this free efficiency/performance patch soon.
FAQ
What is the most recent Linux kernel?
Currently, the most recent Linux kernel version is 6.1. The 6.2 version is expected to be released in the middle of February 2023.
How do you check the installed Linux kernel version?
You can check the Linux kernel version of your system with three different methods. You can simply use uname -r command to quickly check the Linux kernel version. You can also use cat /proc/version to check the version from a file. Installing the neofetch application is also an option to check the kernel version and it provides additional information about the other packages installed as well.
Can the Linux kernel be customized?
Yes, the Linux kernel can be customized. You can customize the Linux kernel by enabling or disabling specific options, and even adding new functionalities. But it’s a complicated process; you can check online guides about customizing the Linux kernel.
Is it legal to edit the Linux kernel?
Yes, it is legal to edit the Linux kernel since it is under General Public License.
Is the Linux kernel open source?
Yes, the Linux kernel is an open-source project.
Who developed the Linux kernel?
Linus Torvalds has developed and still developing the Linux kernel.
Does Linus Torvalds still work on Linux?
Yes, Linus Torvalds still works on developing the Linux kernel.
What is the Linux kernel written in?
Linux kernel code is written in the standard C programming language.