The Linux kernel 4.4 is currently under development . Release Candidate 1 (RC1) has already been released, and if all goes according to plan, we'll have the final version ready to install on our distribution soon. This new version will include significant changes to the subsystem, and in this article, we'll cover the most important changes and features introduced in the Linux kernel. Of course, optimizations and bug fixes are also included.
Linux 4.4 is a kernel that has grown considerably, now boasting approximately 20,8 million lines of source code . It also includes additional documentation files and hundreds of new files, so it continues to expand. But regardless of the number of lines or its size, what truly matters are its features, robustness, and reliability. The most striking aspects of Linux 4.4 are:
- Support for AMD Stoney, the next APUs released by AMD.
- Numerous enhancements and additions that positively affect AMD GPUs like the Carrizo, Tonga and Fiji. Although there is not yet support for power management for discrete cards, there will be patches for this in the Linux 4.5 kernel.
- Raspberry Pi KMS Driver which has been included thanks to the work of Eric Anholt of Broadcom, although it does not yet handle 3D hardware acceleration, but it is already being worked on.
- The Nouveau controllers also bring improvements stability for NVIDIA GPUs, but nothing remarkable. There are also some other improvements for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 SoCs graphics, and Intel's graphics chips, especially for the Skylake and Broxton.
- Updates for 64-bit ARMs and EFI enhancements for these architectures. There are also improvements for some ARM-based SoCs platforms.
- Many changes in terms of networks. One of them is support for Realtek RTL8xxxU WiFi cards, support for Very High Throughput MESH in the Atheros ATH10K, VRF support on the IPv6 stack, support for eBPF non-root programs and other improvements in terms of maps and programs with eBPF , etc.