Linux Kernel 6.3 Released (zdnet.com) 16
An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet, written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols: The latest Linux kernel is out with a slew of new features -- and, for once, this release has been nice and easy. [...] Speaking of Rust, everyone's favorite memory-safe language, the new kernel comes with user-mode Linux support for Rust code. Miguel Ojeda, the Linux kernel developer, who's led the efforts to bring Rust to Linux, said the additions mean we're, "getting closer to a point where the first Rust modules can be upstreamed."
Other features in the Linux 6.3 kernel include support and enablement for upcoming and yet-to-be-released Intel and AMD CPUs and graphics hardware. While these updates will primarily benefit future hardware, several changes in this release directly impact today's users' day-to-day experience. The kernel now supports AMD's automatic Indirect Branch Restricted Speculation (IBRS) feature for Spectre mitigation, providing a less performance-intensive alternative to the retpoline speculative execution.
Linux 6.3 also includes new power management drivers for ARM and RISC-V architectures. RISC-V has gained support for accelerated string functions via the Zbb bit manipulation extension, while ARM received support for scalable matrix extension 2 instructions. For filesystems, Linux 6.3 brings AES-SHA2-based encryption support for NFS, optimizations for EXT4 direct I/O performance, low-latency decompression for EROFS, and a faster Brtfs file-system driver. Bottom line: many file operations will be a bit more secure and faster.
For gamers, the new kernel provides a native Steam Deck controller interface in HID. It also includes compatibility for the Logitech G923 Xbox edition racing wheel and improvements to the 8BitDo Pro 2 wired game controllers. Who says you can't game on Linux? Single-board computers, such as BannaPi R3, BPI-M2 Pro, and Orange Pi R1 Plus, also benefit from updated drivers in this release. There's also support for more Wi-Fi adapters and chipsets. These include: Realtek RTL8188EU Wi-Fi adapter support; Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 wireless chipset support; and Ethernet support for NVIDIA BlueField 3 DPU. For users dealing with complex networks that have both old-school and modern networks, the new kernel can also handle multi-path TCP handling mixed flows with IPv4 and IPv6. Linux 6.3 is available from kernel.org. You can learn how to compile the Linux kernel yourself here.
Other features in the Linux 6.3 kernel include support and enablement for upcoming and yet-to-be-released Intel and AMD CPUs and graphics hardware. While these updates will primarily benefit future hardware, several changes in this release directly impact today's users' day-to-day experience. The kernel now supports AMD's automatic Indirect Branch Restricted Speculation (IBRS) feature for Spectre mitigation, providing a less performance-intensive alternative to the retpoline speculative execution.
Linux 6.3 also includes new power management drivers for ARM and RISC-V architectures. RISC-V has gained support for accelerated string functions via the Zbb bit manipulation extension, while ARM received support for scalable matrix extension 2 instructions. For filesystems, Linux 6.3 brings AES-SHA2-based encryption support for NFS, optimizations for EXT4 direct I/O performance, low-latency decompression for EROFS, and a faster Brtfs file-system driver. Bottom line: many file operations will be a bit more secure and faster.
For gamers, the new kernel provides a native Steam Deck controller interface in HID. It also includes compatibility for the Logitech G923 Xbox edition racing wheel and improvements to the 8BitDo Pro 2 wired game controllers. Who says you can't game on Linux? Single-board computers, such as BannaPi R3, BPI-M2 Pro, and Orange Pi R1 Plus, also benefit from updated drivers in this release. There's also support for more Wi-Fi adapters and chipsets. These include: Realtek RTL8188EU Wi-Fi adapter support; Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 wireless chipset support; and Ethernet support for NVIDIA BlueField 3 DPU. For users dealing with complex networks that have both old-school and modern networks, the new kernel can also handle multi-path TCP handling mixed flows with IPv4 and IPv6. Linux 6.3 is available from kernel.org. You can learn how to compile the Linux kernel yourself here.
Oh my nvidia (Score:3)
And once more, the current nvidia driver does not build on a new kernel release. Last time was in 2019/2020 with kernels 5.5, 5.6, 5.7. I guess it's my fault since I made the mistake to buy nvidia.
Re:Oh my nvidia (Score:5, Interesting)
Serious question why are you even jumping at the latest kernel in 2023 (on the type of system/use case one installs an nvidia card in)?
I mean why not run stable at the latest patch level or one of the LTS kernels. Its not like back in the day where updates usually were vast improvements in hardware support or radical new FS features etc at least not for the desktop PC/home user.
I am sure I'll be happy to benefit form BTRFS speedups eventually but its not worth breaking stuff over. Different story in the enterprise, and sure if you are playing with esoteric hardware like those SBCs mentioned in the summary it really can be like like the linux 2.X.N era (for PC compatibles) where a new kernel takes features from hardly works to great support.
However today as far as desktop PCs go, you are usually looking at as many regressions and "problems" like your third-party video driver no longer builds.
Re: (Score:2)
why are you even jumping at the latest kernel in 2023 (on the type of system/use case one installs an nvidia card in)?
I got the habit *due to* the third party video drivers. I like to have early warning if they are going to break. On my home machine (a gentoo) I get latest and greatest user software while building them on stable system libraries (the flexible mix that gentoo allows). I do bug reporting for the distro and occasionally for KDE.
I don't experience stability problems. Once some years ago an ext4 filesystem lost most of its files and I still can't understand why. Of course I lost nothing since I have Daily Relig
Re: (Score:2)
On the bright side, if I recall, nVidia is on a trajectory to not use a proprietary kernel driver anymore, at least for RTX20 generation and newer.
Of course, they are doing so by successfully splitting their proprietary code between userspace and a processor on the GPU itself, allowing the kernel layer to do less.
All that said, I haven't bothered to compile a vanilla kernel for 'production' use in many years. Letting the distribution handle kernel updates is fine by me for 90% of my usage.
The other 10% is
Re: (Score:2)
The nvidia open kernel is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it's still "extremely experimental" / "no bugs report accepted" categories. My desktop GPU does CUDA so a desktop GPU is relevant to my work (nouveau does not support it). I have used gentoo for the past 20 years, and it only offers pre-compiled kernel since 2021, so I got used build the kernels I need. Managing a source system takes a bit of time (but much less than it used to, it all works too well now), basically it's a hobby. I tried to use
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Thanks. I checked through the patch, tried to apply, then figured the more recent version of the nvidia drivers had similar changes already (with nv_ prefixes on some functions), so patch is unnecessary when using version 530.41.03. My apologies to NVidia, it actually worked with their current driver version.
Re: (Score:2)
I guess it's my fault since I made the mistake to buy nvidia.
Yes it is :) I made that mistake years ago and when I had to replace the Nvidia board with another since that fell out of support by Nvidia (no more support). I replaced it with another Brand that served me well for may years. Until Nvidia opens up their source, I learned to never buy anything with Nvidia.
Re: (Score:2)
And once more, the current nvidia driver does not build on a new kernel release. Last time was in 2019/2020 with kernels 5.5, 5.6, 5.7. I guess it's my fault since I made the mistake to buy nvidia.
Where Microsoft is light years ahead of Linux is design of kernel interfaces for drivers. With Linux everything in the kernel is based on source code rather than interfaces and the code is constantly changing. It is effectively impossible to create a product and distribute a Linux driver with it. Either drivers get mainlined into kernel or you are stuck with an infinite number of kernel modules for an endless variety of very specific kernel versions which becomes effectively impossible to manage.
"everyone's favorite memory-safe language" (Score:2, Insightful)
If this is said without irony, the writer lives in a tiny bubble.
And if not careful, linux will end up in one too.
Running it now (Score:2)
Seems to be working as expected.
Anything improving I/O makes me happy both from a server and desktop perspective.
Would Appreciate a Low-Latency Switch (Score:2)
The problem with this is: it makes updating machines precarious, leading to non-updated machines. It also bifurcates and necessitates separate distribution.
Could not the mighty Linux kernel check for the existence of something in the
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Wasn't it famous author of pulseaudio, lennart poettering, who shared with us his wisdom that high latency is a good thing for audio? Why have low latency audio in the kernel if pulseaudio is going to take the music and sit on it? Seems like a complete waste of effort.
Anyway, no, the linux kernel is not supposed to look in on /etc. Startup scripts can look there and poke the kernel with a stick through sysctl or /proc or something. Another popular trick is parameters on the boot-up command line. poettering
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yep, that cretin.
Why the blatant lie? (Score:2)
Rust is not "everyone's favorite" at all. The claim makes it amply clear that the ones pushing it have no honor, though.