- The usual release cycle of Linux kernel 5.19 had been ongoing; however, this week the developers had some issues because of embargoed details for Retbleed vulnerability.
- Retbleed vulnerability is a Spectre variant that affects Intel and AMD CPUs; the initial mitigations for the issue have been implemented in 5.19.
- The development of Linux kernel 5.19 will require an extra week due to the problems that developers faced this week.
The development of Linux kernel 5.19 is currently ongoing with some unexpected issues. The Retbleed vulnerability that affects Linux systems with AMD and Intel CPUs had caused changes in the development; making the week tougher for Linux kernel developers. Still, they managed to include the initial mitigations for the Retbleed vulnerability.
“Bigger than usual”
Linus Torvalds describes the development of 5.19 rc7 as “bigger than usual”; but the details do not show up in the diffstat and the shortlog. The development of rc7 was a bit messy since some embargoed issues negatively affects the patch reviewing and testing processes. The reviewing and testing processes for Retbleed were difficult to complete until the embargo lifted. However, Linux kernel 5.19 rc7 now includes the mitigation for the Retbleed issue even though it affects CPU performance.
Linux kernel 5.19 rc7 delivers some fixes for the issues around Alder Lake P graphics firmware as well; the GuC micro-controller had version-based firmware requirements and it was causing issues in accelerated graphics support. Additionally, Intel In-Field Scan driver is now marked as broken; waiting for the fixes in the sysfs interface.
The issues that were covered this week made developers require an extra week for Linux kernel 5.19. Instead of a final release, next week Linus Torvalds will deliver release candidate 8. Linus Torvalds, developer of Linux kernel said;
« Another week, another RC. We obviously had that whole “Retbleed” thing, and it does show up in both the diffstat and the shortlog, and rc7 is definitely bigger than usual.
And also as usual, when we’ve had one of those embargoed hardware issues pending, the patches didn’t get the open development, and then as a result missed all the usual sanity checking by all the automation build and test infrastructure we have. So no surprise – there’s been various small fixup patches afterward too for some corner cases.
That said, last week there were two other development trees that independently also asked for an extension, so 5.19 will be one of those releases that have an additional rc8 next weekend before the final release. We had some last-minute btrfs reverts, and there’s also a pending issue with an intel GPU firmware.
When it rains it pours.
Not that things really look all that bad. I think we’ve got the Retbleed fallout all handled (knock wood), and the btrfs reverts are in place. And the Intel GPU firmware issue seems to have a patch pending too (or we’ll just revert). So it’s not like we have any huge issues, but an extra week is most definitely called for. »
You can follow the link below to download Linux kernel 5.19 rc7 for testing purposes:
Click here to download Linux kernel 5.19 rc7
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.