Linux 6.0 brings many great features, but looking ahead to Linux 6.1, there are even more changes to be excited about for this kernel which will be released as stable towards the end of 2022.
The stable version of Linux 6.0 will hopefully be released this afternoon, unless Linus Torvalds decides to delay the release for another week. After publishing, the Linux 6.1 merge window will open.
Based on my tracking of the mailing lists and numerous “-next” Git repositories, below is an overview of several of the likely features expected for Linux 6.1. There are still chances for some items that Torvalds will have backlogs or other last minute issues, but below is an overview of the material currently queued in the “-next” branches for submission for Linux 6.1. Among the many changes to expect with Linux 6.1 are things like:
– The initial framework of the Rust programming language with this initial pull request having already been sent this weekend.
– MGLRU should be merged as a big win for performance, especially on memory-pressured systems.
– The ability to disable Spectre-BHB at runtime on Arm systems due to the “big impact” this security mitigation has had especially on Arm servers.
– Introducing the AMD Platform Management Framework (PMF) driver which is similar to Intel’s DPTF. For Linux 6.1, it’s also AMD PMF Cool and Quiet Framework integration.
– Linux will make it easier to detect potentially faulty processors by printing the processor socket/core at the time segmentation faults occur to see if segmentation faults commonly occur on the same processors/cores.
– AMD Zen 4 LbrExtV2 support in perf.
– Call depth tracking for less expensive Retbleed mitigations should be merged.
– Managed AMDGPU gang submission needed by RADV for Vulkan mesh shader support.
– More work related to AMD RDNA3 graphics.
– More preparations for Intel Meteor Lake graphics although other Intel MTL integrated graphics fixes are still pending.
– Intel Meteor Lake Thunderbolt support.
– Improved Intel GPU firmware handling.
– Removed legacy Radeon DRM driver and broken DP MST code.
– Auto-detect Logitech HID++ hi-res support rather than currently relying on a per-device whitelist / oddity table support for HID++ hi-res scrolling. The driver will also attempt to enable the use of HID++ for all Logitech devices.
– Many HID driver changes.
– Added PinePhone keyboard driver for PINE64 keyboard case.
– New Control-Flow Integrity implementation using Clang KCFI rather than old Clang CFI implementation.
– An atomic replacement for F2FS can be submitted.
– Support for Btrfs asynchronous buffered writes for significant throughput improvement.
– New racing car and flight controller HID drivers.
– Generic EFI compressed boot support.
– Intel Habana Labs AI driver updates.
– Aquacomputer High Flow Next support for this German water cooling pump.
– Expanded controller support in the XPad driver and getting working paddles on Xbox One Elite controllers.
– Linux x86/x86_64 kernel default configuration will now warn on boot of W+X mappings.
– Support for USB4 end-to-end flow control with Thunderbolt networking support.
– Removed short-lived ASUS EC Sensors driver.
– More improvements for ASUS ROG laptops for Linux.
Stay tuned for my coverage of the sweaters during the Linux 6.1 merge window, followed by the launch of my Linux 6.1 kernel benchmark at Phoronix.
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