Linux kernel founder Linus Torvalds today announced the release of the Linux 5.2 kernel, a major release that adds a few new features, updated drivers and many improvements.
The Linux 5.2 kernel series, which has seven test versions (RC), was introduced with new features and enhancements. However, before moving to the new kernel, you should know that this release is not a long-term support (LTS) branch. We recommend that you stick to your existing LTS kernel.
“I was somewhat pre-disposed towards making an rc8, simply because of my travels and being entirely off the internet for a few days last week,” said Linus Torvalds in a mailing list announcement. “So despite a fairly late core revert, I don’t see any real reason for another week of rc, and so we have a v5.2 with the normal release timing.”
What’s new in Linux kernel 5.2 ?
When we look at Linux kernel 5.2, we see an open source firmware called Sound Open Firmware. This software includes improvements such as DSP audio devices, a new binding API for linking system files, a new open-source GPU driver for ARM Financial devices, and case enhancements in the EXT4 file system, as well as performance improvements.
Security-wise, Linux kernel 5.2 comes with a new CPU bug infrastructure that protects devices against the Intel MDS (Microarchitectural Data Sampling) hardware vulnerabilities, along with a new architecture-independent boot option called “mitigations=” to make it easier to enable or disable mitigations for CPU flaws.
The new version has received dozens of new and updated drivers as well as dozens of bugs and security edits for better hardware support. As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, we recommend users to wait for Linux kernel 5.2.1 because the software is not ready for mass publishing. However, you can download the version through this link.
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