Neowin News Feed for: Kernel

Linus Torvalds declares massive AI-fueled code surges as the new normal for Linux

Paul Hill — Mon, 11 May 2026 05:28:02 +0000

Is AI productivity permanently changing the kernel? Linus Torvalds notes a massive jump in patch sizes that could redefine how the OS is built. Read more...

Linux 7.0 arrives as Linus Torvalds embraces a new era of AI-driven kernel development

Paul Hill — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:42:01 +0000

Linus Torvalds has officially unleashed Linux 7.0. From "corner case" AI fixes to major performance boosts, here is how the world's most famous open-source kernel is evolving for 2026. Read more...

Linux kernel allows AI-assisted code, as long as you follow these rules

Usama Jawad — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:14:01 +0000

Guidelines backed by Linus Torvalds reveal how AI tools and AI-generated code can contribute to the Linux kernel, but with notable limits. Read more...

Linus Torvalds confirms Linux 7.0 is on track for final release next week

Paul Hill — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:02:01 +0000

Linux 7.0 is almost here after a bumpy development cycle. Discover why this milestone release is larger than usual and what it means for your hardware support. Read more...

Linus Torvalds expresses concerns over unusually large Linux 7.0 RC6 patch count

Paul Hill — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:24:02 +0000

Is AI making Linux development more chaotic? Linus Torvalds notes a strange "bump" in late-stage patches for Linux 7.0 that might delay the stable release. Read more...

Microsoft is changing a Windows kernel policy that's been around for decades

Usama Jawad — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:00:01 +0000

Windows 11 will soon reject outdated drivers by default, but Microsoft is adding safeguards and overrides to avoid breaking critical systems. Read more...

Linux 7.0 development stabilizes as Linus Torvalds reports calmer fifth release candidate

Paul Hill — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 06:42:01 +0000

Linus Torvalds provides an update on the state of Linux 7.0 as the kernel moves closer to its final release date following a wave of driver and core updates. Read more...

Linux 7.0 remains pretty volatile, we could end up with a longer cycle again

Paul Hill — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:14:01 +0000

Linus Torvalds has said that the third release candidate of Linux 7.0 is even bigger than last week, and last week's was big. This could lead to a longer development cycle again. Read more...

Why the Linux 7.0 development cycle is off to a volatile start

Paul Hill — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:56:01 +0000

Torvalds warns of "random noise" as the latest kernel update shifts focus from drivers to high-risk core filesystem and networking changes. Read more...

New Linux 6.19-rc3 kernel candidate adds CPU idle detection for POWER11

Paul Hill — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 05:16:01 +0000

Development slows for the holidays as Torvalds delivers a small update packed with driver fixes and support for new hardware. Read more...

Frustrated ex-Microsoft engineer explains why Windows sucks

Usama Jawad — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:28:01 +0000

A former Windows engineer has shared his thoughts on why Windows "sucks" for many users, and how Microsoft could turn the tide. Read more...

Linus Torvalds releases Linux 6.17-rc7 with a mix of bug fixes

Paul Hill — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 07:02:01 +0000

Linux 6.17-rc7 is out, and it's looking good. The latest release candidate is full of small, random changes across various drivers and subsystems, from GPUs to memory management. Read more...

Linux 6.17-rc6 looks fantastic with a normal release on track

Paul Hill — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:50:01 +0000

Linus Torvalds just released the latest Linux 6.17 candidate, and the development cycle has been quiet. While this is a positive sign, he's issued a call to the community. Read more...

Linux 6.17-rc2 is one of the smallest releases lately

Paul Hill — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 06:26:01 +0000

Linus Torvalds has just released Linux 6.17-rc2. The founder was pleased this week as everything was without drama, but suspects a busier next week. Read more...

Travel, stragglers, and a healthy merge window for Linux 6.17-rc1

Paul Hill — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:02:01 +0000

Linus Torvalds has closed the Linux 6.17 merge window and pushed the first release candidate. Linux 6.17 should go stable around the end of September or early October. Read more...

Linux 6.16-rc7 arrives: A quiet week ends with a slew of tiny fixes

Paul Hill — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 06:16:01 +0000

Linus Torvalds has released the seventh release candidate of Linux 6.16. It's most likely going to be the last version before the stable release. Read more...

Linux Mint 21.3 Edge, with newer hardware support, released for download

Paul Hill — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 04:54:02 +0000

Linux Mint 21.3 Edge has been released. With this ISO, you get the newer Linux 6.5 kernel which has better support for newer hardware. You should only use it if the main version doesn't work. Read more...

Ubuntu Livepatch for HWE Linux kernels coming soon

Paul Hill — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 17:16:01 +0000

Ubuntu's HWE kernels will soon be covered by the Ubuntu Pro Livepatch service. This will mean that updates to these kernels will not require reboots to complete the installation, reducing downtime. Read more...

Google discloses CentOS Linux kernel vulnerabilities following failure to issue timely fixes

Usama Jawad — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 11:18:01 +0000

Google's Project Zero security team has publicly disclosed multiple flaws in certain Linux kernels and distros following Red Hat's inability to fix them within the 90-day deadline assigned by Google. Read more...

After Intel and AMD, Microsoft brings WSL2 custom kernel support to Arm

Sayan Sen — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 15:24:01 +0000

Microsoft released the latest version of WSL earlier today. This new release is bringing custom kernel support to WSL for ARM64 devices, a feature which previously worked only on Intel and AMD. Read more...

Ubuntu 23.04 will come with Linux 6.2 kernel, could be backported to LTS

Paul Hill — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 12:28:01 +0000

Ubuntu 23.04 will ship with Linux 6.2 instead of Linux 6.1. The newer kernel will likely be backported to Ubuntu 22.04 as part of a hardware enablement (HWE) update, increasing new hardware support. Read more...

Ubuntu 22.04.2 delayed by two weeks over Hardware Enablement kernel, due Feb. 23

Paul Hill — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 16:52:01 +0000

Canonical has delayed the release of Ubuntu 22.04.2 until February 23 over some delays it faced with the new Hardware Enablement kernel. The period will give developers more time to test the kernel. Read more...

Apple rushes macOS, iOS, and iPadOS updates to squash 'actively exploited' bugs

Alap Naik Desai — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 20:32:02 +0000

Apple has released small updates for its iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. macOS 12.5.1, iOS 15.6.1, and iPadOS 15.6.1 address security vulnerabilities that exist within the Kernel and WebKit. Read more...

Tidbits of Windows 11 23H2 Sun Valley 3 (Copper release) kernel compilation leak

Sayan Sen — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 22:40:01 +0000

Small bits of details regarding Microsoft's internal kernel compilation and development of Windows 11 23H2, the next major feature update codenamed Sun Valley 3 (SV3), have leaked. Read more...

Google Project Zero exposes high severity USB vulnerability in Chrome OS

Usama Jawad — Fri, 27 May 2022 07:48:01 +0000

Google's Project Zero team has publicly exposed a high severity flaw related to how Chrome OS handles USB authentication when a device is locked. It's unclear as to when a fix will be available. Read more...

NVIDIA has published GPU source code of its Linux kernel modules and made it open-source

Alap Naik Desai — Fri, 13 May 2022 06:56:01 +0000

NVIDIA has open-sourced its Linux GPU kernel drivers for products made and released after 2018. This means GPU functionalities like the clock and thermal management are now available for tweaking. Read more...

BTW, it's my birthday - Arch Linux becomes 20 years old today

Dean Howell — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:28:02 +0000

Arch Linux, the rolling Linux distribution that powers Valve's Steam Deck is now 20 years old. Announced on March 11th, 2002, and codenamed Homer, version 0.1 was released to minor fanfare. Read more...

Windows 11 booted on Google Pixel 6 using Kernel-based Virtual Machine in Android 13

Alap Naik Desai — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 23:22:01 +0000

An Android developer has managed to successfully boot Windows 11 on a Google Pixel 6 smartphone running Android 13 developer preview edition by using the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) feature. Read more...

Linux 5.16 is coming after a slight delay, offers improved support for Surface devices

Dean Howell — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 06:02:01 +0000

Looking forward at 5.16, also expect improved support for Apple's M1 chip, while gamers can expect the already available Nintendo Switch Pro controller driver to be merged into the mainline kernel. Read more...

Patch suggests Rust may be the next frontier for Linux kernel

Dean Howell — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 18:48:01 +0000

The move does not mean there is an effort to rewrite any existing kernel source in Rust, but if new kernel development trends in this direction, we could be looking at a wildly different codebase. Read more...

Google exposes 'high' severity flaw in Adreno GPUs following Qualcomm's botched fix

Usama Jawad — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 07:52:01 +0000

Following a botched fix by Qualcomm which caused a new kernel privilege escalation bug, Google Project Zero has publicly disclosed details of a high severity security flaw in the Adreno GPU driver. Read more...

Linux 5.10 set to become the next Long-Term Support kernel

Paul Hill — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 22:14:01 +0000

Greg Kroah-Hartman, a leading Linux kernel maintainer, has announced that Linux 5.10 will be the next Long-Term Support release. Due in December, it should get updates until December 2026. Read more...

Canonical announces Anbox Cloud allowing users to host Android apps in the cloud

Paul Hill — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 08:00:01 +0000

Canonical has announced Anbox Cloud, a new solution for enterprises that want to run Android apps from the cloud allowing easy, secure, and containerised access for its intended user base. Read more...

Google reveals "high severity" flaw in macOS kernel

Usama Jawad — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 08:12:01 +0000

Google's Project Zero has exposed a "high severity" flaw in macOS' kernel XNU - which apparently has issues in its implementation of copy-on-write behavior - after Apple failed to fix it in 90 days. Read more...

Linux Mint 19.1 betas released in anticipation for full release this month

Paul Hill — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 20:46:01 +0000

The Linux Mint project has pushed the betas for the upcoming Linux Mint 19.1 release. There are still bugs lingering so if you run into any, be sure to report them so they can be fixed. Read more...

F-word removed from Linux code comments in favour of 'hug'

Paul Hill — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 21:24:02 +0000

Several patches have been submitted to the Linux kernel which drop the F-word in favour of 'hug'. The change was made to make the project more inclusive in line with the Code of Conduct. Read more...

Greg Kroah-Hartman, not Torvalds, pushes Linux 4.19

Paul Hill — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 12:22:01 +0000

Greg Kroah-Hartman, the temporary head of the Linux project, has released version 4.19 of the Linux kernel. While the cycle hasn't seen the most commits ever, it did introduce the new code of conduct. Read more...

Old CPUs losing support in Linux, cutting size by 500,000 lines of code

Paul Hill — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 15:16:01 +0000

The Linux kernel, which is currently 20.3 million lines of code long, looks set to go on a bit of a diet by version 4.17. 500,000 lines of code will be shed thanks to architecture deprecation. Read more...

Microsoft fixes Windows 7 memory bug introduced by bungled Meltdown patch

Usama Jawad — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 07:30:01 +0000

Microsoft has released an emergency Windows update for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 systems to fix a serious memory bug that was introduced after a bungled Meltdown patch in January. Read more...

More details on the Snapdragon 670 emerge

Faheemmuddeen Patel — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 13:16:01 +0000

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 will be an octa-core chip in two+six configuration, with a 600 series GPU, according to a report. More details about the SoC may be announced at MWC in February. Read more...