Linus Torvalds (photo) has released Linux 7.3-rc1. This closes the merge window for the next version of the Linux kernel. The first release candidate is relatively large, though Torvalds sees it primarily as a continuation of a trend that has been evident for some time.
According to Torvalds, Linux 7.3-rc1 ranks among the larger first release candidates in terms of the number of commits. However, no single change clearly stands out in terms of content. The size of the actual patch is also substantial, but there is a specific reason for that.
AMD code makes up a third of the patch
About one-third of the rc1 patch consists of code and register headers for AMD GPUs. This time, it includes, among other things, the DCN6 register headers and associated code for a new generation of hardware. Such headers contain large numbers of hardware definitions and can therefore take up a significant portion of a kernel patch.
According to Torvalds, if this AMD contribution is set aside, Linux 7.3-rc1 looks fairly standard. The merge process itself, despite the large number of commits, did not differ significantly from previous kernel versions.
The kernel now totals 40.98 million lines, compared to 40.42 million in Linux 7.2, Neowin reports, citing figures from Phoronix. Of the total, nearly 30.94 million consist of actual code; the rest consists of comments and blank lines. The directory containing AMD’s graphics kernel code now accounts for 6.52 million lines on its own, roughly 16 percent of the total.
Incidentally, those 6.52 million lines should not be confused with AMD’s contribution to Linux 7.3-rc1. The first figure refers to all the code currently in the relevant AMD directory of the kernel. According to Torvalds, the DCN6 code and headers that have now been added account for about one-third of the new rc1 patch.
System upgrade caused a complication
Torvalds himself created additional work during the merge window by performing a system upgrade in the middle of the process. A problem that resulted from this then had to be tracked down. He attributes this complication entirely to his own decision.
With rc1, the testing and stabilization phase now begins. Torvalds hopes for a smooth continuation, though he notes with some skepticism that Linux 7.3 will likely not be a minor release.