This week in Linux and open source news, Linus Torvalds released Linux kernel 7.0 release candidate 5 (RC5), noting that while earlier release candidates were larger and concerning, RC5 shows signs of stabilization with fewer and smaller patches. The upcoming Linux 7.0 promises improved hardware support and fewer bugs. Canonical and Ubuntu are making significant moves by adopting Rust-based core utilities, including replacing traditional C-based tools with Rust equivalents for better security and reliability. Notably, Ubuntu plans to switch to NTPD-RS, a Rust-based time synchronization tool, and recently released the Ubuntu 26.04 LTS beta featuring Linux kernel 7.0, GNOME 50, and other updated software.
Ubuntu is also streamlining its secure boot process by simplifying the GRUB bootloader, removing support for advanced features like Btrfs, ZFS, LVM, RAID, and encrypted boot to reduce attack surfaces and enhance security. This shift prioritizes enterprise-grade security over customization, potentially impacting users relying on advanced boot configurations. Meanwhile, Electron apps such as Discord and Visual Studio Code are improving native Wayland support, reducing reliance on XWayland and enhancing performance on Wayland desktops. Additionally, Linux 7.0 RC6 includes important ext4 filesystem bug fixes addressing crashes, memory issues, and data corruption risks, improving stability for the default Linux filesystem.
AMD and Intel continue advancing AI and GPU support on Linux. AMD’s upcoming Linux 7.1 driver adds per-process memory usage monitoring for its Ryzen AI hardware, aiding developers in debugging and optimizing AI workloads. AMD also released GIA version 0.17, a local AI assistant running entirely on Linux machines without cloud data sharing. Intel introduced the Arc Pro 570 and 565 professional GPUs targeting AI content creation with large VRAM capacities. Intel’s Vulkan driver received optimizations improving DirectX 12 gaming performance on Linux via Proton. Furthermore, Intel’s new GPU driver update for Linux 7.1 enhances GPU memory handling up to seven times faster using transparent huge pages, benefiting compute-heavy tasks.
Several other notable updates include Fedora 45’s plan to default to IPv6 networking to future-proof Linux networking, and the revival of legacy applications like XMMS media player using AI-assisted modernization to port them to modern libraries such as GTK4 and Pipewire. KDE Plasma 6.7 introduced a long-requested built-in microphone test tool and began transitioning its compositor KWin from OpenGL to Vulkan for better graphics performance. The Linux DRBD storage driver is undergoing a major modernization after 15 years of external development, improving real-time data mirroring for servers. Additionally, the fish shell 4.6 added support for systemd environment variables to customize prompts and welcome messages.
Finally, the open source community is grappling with AI-generated code contributions. Gedit 50 took a firm stance banning contributions generated by large language models (LLMs), emphasizing the importance of human-written, reviewable code. GNOME launched a paid fellowship program to fund contributors working on various aspects of the project, including infrastructure and accessibility. Other improvements include faster compile times with LLVM’s enhanced linking process, memory management optimizations in Linux, and FreeCAD 1.1’s major design and usability upgrades. Canonical also joined the Rust Foundation as a gold member, signaling a strong commitment to Rust in Ubuntu’s future development.
