Finnish-American software developer, creator, and main developer of the Linux kernel Linus Torvalds announced the release of the new Linux kernel 5.15 LTS update on Halloween! The new update brings significant changes such as a new NTFS drive and Intel’s Alchemist discrete graphics support but also focuses on ARM-based system improvements and optimizations as well.
Linux kernel 5.15 LTS
Since the new release would bring significant changes as mentioned before, a delay for the update was rumored. But Linus Torvalds announced that there isn’t going to be any delays and update would arrive as scheduled. As for the changes with the update, Linus Torvalds, Developer of Linux Kernel said,
“Anyway, the last week of 5.15 was mainly networking and gpu fixes, with some random sprinkling of other things (a few btrfs reverts, some kvm updates, minor other fixes here and there – a few architecture fixes, couple of tracing, small driver fixes etc). Full shortlog appended.
This release may have started out with some -Werror pain, but it calmed down fairly quickly and on the whole 5.15 was fair small and calm. Let’s hope for more of the same – without Werror issues this time – for the upcoming merge window.”
The update consists of improvements such as;
- Intel Alder Lake support has been enhanced. Improvement is done by adding support for the Intel TCC drivers.
- Apple M1 support has been enhanced. IOMMU driver of the Apple M1 chip was merged with Linux Kernel 5.15 to enhance Linux functionality.
- AMD GPU/CPU enhancements. Temperature monitoring, a new audio driver for Van Gogh APU, and RDNA2 graphics cards support have been added by the AMDGPU kernel driver.
- NTFS3 driver support has been added.
Besides these main enhancements and added supports, Linux Kernel 5.15 also brings optimizations and improvements such as EXT4 filesystems, Btrf optimizations, and FUSE support for mounting active devices.
FAQ
What is the most recent Linux kernel?
The latest version of Linux Kernel is 6.2 and it was released on February 20, 2023. Also, the latest LTS (Long-Term Support) version of Linux Kernel is 6.1 and it was released on December 11, 2022.
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.