The busy two-week period known as the merge window has officially ended. On 28 June 2026, Linus Torvalds announced the first release candidate (RC1) for the upcoming Linux Kernel 7.2 version to the public. This release marks a huge moment for the project because the source code now reaches a massive new size.
Table of Contents
Linux Kernel 7.2 Surpasses 43 Million Total Lines
First, let's look at the sheer scale of this project. The Linux kernel source tree now contains more than 43 million lines. Specifically, a raw wc -l count of the Linux 7.2-rc1 source tree reports 43,179,595 total lines, while language-aware tools such as tokei and scc measure approximately 42.58 million lines. For comparison, Linux 7.1 contained 42,606,918 total lines (wc -l) or about 42.02 million language-aware lines (tokei/scc).
Even though developers recently removed support for Intel's i486 processors and continued eliminating obsolete drivers and legacy x86 code, the kernel continues to grow steadily. According to tokei tool, the Linux 7.2-rc1 tree contains approximately 32.36 million lines of source code, 4.89 million lines of comments, and 5.33 million blank lines.
AMD Drivers Lead the Way
You might wonder why the kernel is so big. Surprisingly, one single driver accounts for a huge part of the code. The AMDGPU and AMDKFD code remains the largest driver in the entire system. It now has more than 6.3 million lines.
Linus Torvalds pointed out that a third of this new update consists only of AMD GPU register definitions. Furthermore, even if we set aside those AMD files, drivers still make up more than half of the total update.
The rest of the patch includes the usual mix of architecture updates, better tools, new documentation, and core kernel fixes.
Linux Kernel 7.2 Code Statistics
- Total Lines: 43,179,595 (raw
wc -lcount) or approximately 42.58 million language-aware lines (tokei/scc). - Source Code: Approximately 32.4 million lines of code, plus 4.9 million comment lines and 5.3 million blank lines (
tokei). - Largest Driver: The combined AMDGPU and AMDKFD graphics subsystem contains approximately 6.35 million lines.
- Growth: Linux 7.2-rc1 adds about 563,000 language-aware lines (around 1.3%) compared to Linux 7.1.
- Cleanup: Developers continued removing legacy Intel i486 support along with several obsolete drivers and legacy x86 components while expanding support for modern hardware.
What Happens Next?
Now that the first release candidate (RC1) is out, the development cycle moves into a testing phase.
In the Linux 7.2-rc1 announcement mail, Linus Torvalds mentioned that everything looks "reasonably normal" for this release.
Because the initial work is done, Linus plans to take most of the next week off. However, he will still read his emails and keep an eye on any major bugs that might appear.
Linux 7.2 is off to a strong start. We expect several more test versions over the coming weeks before the final stable version is ready for everyone to use.
Test Linux Kernel 7.2 RC1
You can download Linux 7.2-rc1 from the Official Linux Kernel Archives or browse the source code in Linus Torvalds' Git tree.
Keep in mind that this is a pre-release (release candidate) version. It is mainly intended for kernel developers, testers, and Linux enthusiasts who are comfortable compiling the kernel from source.
Like any release candidate, Linux 7.2-rc1 may contain bugs, regressions, or incomplete features.
If you rely on your computer for work or other important tasks, it's usually best to stay with the latest stable Linux kernel and wait until Linux 7.2 reaches its final release.
Expected Linux Kernel 7.2 Final Release Date
The Linux kernel follows a very predictable pattern:
- The merge window closes with rc1.
- A new release candidate appears every Sunday.
- Most cycles finish after 7 or 8 RCs, although Linus Torvalds occasionally extends the cycle if important bugs or regressions need more testing.
Linux 7.2-rc1 was released on 28 June 2026. If the development cycle follows the kernel's usual weekly release cadence, the final stable Linux 7.2 release is expected in late August 2026, likely around 23 August 2026, unless additional release candidates are needed to address regressions.
Here's the usual schedule:
| Milestone | Expected Date |
|---|---|
| 7.2-rc1 | 28 June 2026 ✅ |
| 7.2-rc2 | 5 July 2026 |
| 7.2-rc3 | 12 July 2026 |
| 7.2-rc4 | 19 July 2026 |
| 7.2-rc5 | 26 July 2026 |
| 7.2-rc6 | 2 August 2026 |
| 7.2-rc7 | 9 August 2026 |
| 7.2-rc8 (if needed) | 16 August 2026 |
| Additional RCs (if regressions are found) | Weekly as needed |
| Linux 7.2 Stable | Likely 23 or 30 August 2026 |
So, if the Linux 7.2 development cycle follows the common eight release-candidate schedule, the final stable release is expected on 23 August 2026.
However, if Linus Torvalds determines that more testing is needed, he may release a ninth release candidate (or even additional RCs). In that case, the final stable release would slip to 30 August 2026 or later.
