The Linux Kernel release schedule keeps moving! Linus Torvalds tagged and released the fifth release candidate (RC5) for the upcoming Linux Kernel version 6.18.
Linus confirmed the Linux 6.18-rc5 release felt small and calm, exactly the way he prefers releases at this stage.
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Linux Kernel 6.18 RC5 is Small and Boring
In the Linux Kernel 6.18 RC5 announcement mail, Linus Torvalds described the state of 6.18-rc5 using very reassuring words. He told the Linux Kernel Mailing List that things "remain calm and small". Furthermore, everything looks "pretty normal".
He emphasized his positive outlook. In fact, Linus specifically stated, "it all looks just the way I like it at this point: small and boring".
This stability is exactly what testers and developers want to see during this phase of the development cycle.
Where Did the Fixes Land?
The 6.18-rc5 diffstat contained fixes spread across several subsystems. However, most of the work concentrated on repairing issues in hardware support.
Drivers Dominate the Fixes
The bulk of the changes focused on improving drivers. This is very common for release candidates. These driver updates help ensure your hardware works correctly with the new kernel version.
For instance, developers sent patches for drm/amdgpu. They also fixed important issues related to scsi/ufs controllers (like those from Intel ADL). You also saw updates to networking drivers, including wifi: zd1211rw and Bluetooth: btrtl.
General Kernel Clean-up
The remaining changes were scattered around the kernel:
- Architectures: The release included miscellaneous "noise" across various architectures. Specifically, developers fixed issues in x86 and some RISC-V components.
- Filesystems: Filesystems received minor attention, too. Updates provided small fixes for
xfs,smb, andbtrfs. - Networking: The update also included some fixes for core networking.
- Tooling: Tooling changes were minor. These updates mostly involved a
perfheader file sync and some selftest fixes.
The Io_uring Detail: A Good Blip!
Developers noted only one small "blip" in the overall calm report: io_uring. This blip was not a new problem; rather, it was a step toward greater stability.
Developers removed a new ABI (Application Binary Interface) because it "wasn't quite ready for prime-time". Therefore, removing this new, unstable code helps maintain the high quality of the release candidate.
Try Linux 6.18-rc5
The Linux 6.18-rc5 release shows us that the development cycle is running smoothly. The small amount of activity confirms that major bugs are already fixed. Let us hope that this "small and boring" update is the best sign for stability as we head toward the final Linux 6.18 release!
If you're interested to try Linux Kernel 6.18 RC5, you can download it from the Kernel.org website or the Linus Torvalds's git tree.
