- Linus Torvalds announced the sixth release candidate for Linux kernel 6.1, which is expected to be released on December 4th.
- The release candidate comes with support for Microsoft Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 support alongside a new ACPI ID for an AMD platform.
- There are more than 300 small bug fixes in kernel 6.1-rc6, and it is larger than Linus Torvalds prefers.
The development of Linux kernel 6.1 is approaching its end. The final release is expected to be available in early December if Linus Torvalds decides on an additional release candidate. If that happens, the final release will land on 11th December. You might want to see our extensive Linux kernel 6.1 coverage.
Larger than expected
Linus Torvalds states that this release candidate is larger than he would prefer, with more than 300 small bug fixes in a week. 6th release candidate merges Microsoft Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 support. Additionally, a new ACPI ID for a non-released AMD platform has been included in this release. Linus Torvalds, developer of the Linux kernel said,
« So here we are at rc6 and the story hasn’t changed: this rc is still a bit larger than I would have preferred, but at the same time there’s nothing that looks scary or particularly odd in here.
It’s predominantly driver changes all over, with networking and gpu drivers (not surprisingly) leading the pack, but it’s really a fairly mixed bag.
Outside of drivers you have the usual smattering of core kernel code – architecture updates, some filesystem work, and some core kernel and networking.
It’s easy enough to scan through the appended shortlog and get a feeling for what’s going on. Absolutely nothing that makes me worried, apart just from the fact that there’s still a fair number of them. I’m still waffling about whether there will be an rc8 or not, leaning a bit towards it happening. We’ll see – it will make the 6.2 merge window leak into the holidays, but maybe that’s fine and just makes people make sure they have everything lined up and ready before the merge window opens, the way things should work.
So we’ll see. Nothing worrisome, just 300+ small fixes in the last week. Please go test. »
Linux kernel 6.1-rc6 can be downloaded through the official website for testing and development purposes. Beware of installing this release candidate to a mission-critical system; since it is not a final release, you might face some bugs and instabilities.
Click here to download Linux kernel 6.1-rc6
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.