Several commits have been made to the Linux kernel in recent days and weeks which switch links in the kernel’s documentation from HTTP to the more secure HTTPS protocol. According to commit logs made by Alexander Klimov, the switch to HTTPS should reduce the likelihood of man-in-the-middle attacks against kernel developers.
To ensure that links do not break when switched to the more secure protocol, tests were run to ensure pages loaded in the same manner. While it’s a welcome change which should boost the security of the whole Linux community, the move is a proactive one according to Phoronix which said that there has been no sign of any kernel developers being attacked recently via URLs.
These new security enhancements should become available to developers once Linux 5.9 has been released, the latest version of the kernel so far is version 5.8-rc6. Depending on how things go, Linux 5.8 should be released on one of the upcoming Sundays before Linux 5.9 enters the release candidate phase for a final round of testing.
Each new Linux kernel update usually brings new hardware support and new software features. New kernels are typically released every two months give or take a few weeks if more polish is needed.
Source: Phoronix
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