The development of Linux 7.2 is proceeding without any significant issues so far. Linus Torvalds (photo) has released the second release candidate (rc2) and describes the update as “very normal.” This suggests it is highly likely that the final kernel will be released according to the usual schedule, without the need for an additional eighth release candidate.
According to Torvalds, rc2 is comparable in size to recent kernel releases and even slightly smaller than the second release candidate for Linux 7.1. About half of all changes involve drivers, while the remaining patches are mainly distributed across file systems, networking functionality, and other parts of the kernel. NeoWin speculates that this relatively modest size also follows Torvalds’ recent criticism of the use of AI in submitting kernel patches.
Header file split
According to NeoWin, the most notable change is an “internal cleanup.” The large header filemod_devicetable.hhas been split into several smaller header files, one for each subsystem. As a result, developers will need to recompile less source code after making changes, which should make future development cycles more efficient. The change is primarily noticeable in the development environment and has no direct impact on end users.
In addition to this structural change, Linux 7.2 rc2 includes various security and stability improvements. For example, patches have been included to make it more difficult to exploit the BPF JIT compiler on x86 systems. Among other things, the changes add extra protection against speculative execution attacks by enforcing anIndirectBranch Prediction Barrier (IBPB) for certain memory allocations.
Focus on stability and security
Furthermore, stability issues have been resolved in the new ARM Mali Panthor graphics driver, including bugs related to memory exhaustion and memory leaks. Various fixes have also been implemented in file systems and architecture-specific kernel code. As usual, this phase of the development cycle primarily consists of fixing bugs and refining previously submitted changes, rather than adding new functionality.
If the remaining release candidates proceed just as smoothly, Linux 7.2 is on track to be released after the usual seven release candidates. That would mean an additional rc8, which is sometimes needed to fix regressions or other issues, will likely not be necessary. As a result, the final release would be available a week earlier than it would be in a delayed development schedule.