Linux Torvalds announced the availability of the latest Linux Kernel release candidate 5.9-rc4 for the upcoming Linux Kernel 5.9.
Linux Kernel 5.9 is currently in development and scheduled for the end-October 2020 release based on the testing status.
What’s added in the Linux 5.9-rc4
- Major networking Fixes
- Sound driver, nvme, gpu, iommu, mmc driver updates
- Driver updates and fixes for file systems – btrfs, afs, affs and xfs
- Performance improvements in various modules
- Intel CPU performance scaling driver intel_pstate updated
- soft-MAC and half-MAC wireless subsystem mac80211 see more improvements
- xen memory allocation helper update
Overall Linux kernel 5.9 is becoming a major release with thousands of lines of code being merged.
Some of the major highlights of Linux Kernel 5.9 are as follows.
On the Graphics and driver side – upcoming AMD Sienna Cichlid and Navy Flounder support. Supports being added for Intel Rocket Lake CPU with Gen12 graphics. Intel’s Xe discrete graphics card initial support.
Other driver support includes more open-source graphics and display drivers, more codes being added for USB4 support, the new driver for Corsair Commander Pro.
The storage and file-system tech also being improved in Linux Kernel 5.9. The Btrfs sees more performance improvements which are going to be the default file system for Fedora 33. F2FS, XFS, NFS sees more support and performance improvements.
The processor area of Linux Kernel 5.9 sees a handful of updates. The major changes in this subsystem include the removal of Unicore 32-bt RISC architecture, updates on RISC-V, and ARM/ARM64. Support added for Intel SERIALIZE instruction for future CPUs. OpenRISC improvements in TLB flushing, Intel Keem Bay support, and more.
As more features are being added across subsystems, Linux Kernel 5.9 is going to be another bugger release. Stay tuned for more updates.
