Linux Kernel 7.2 has officially been released with a wide range of improvements covering processor performance, graphics, storage, networking, and virtual machines.
The kernel is the core part of Linux that allows the operating system and software to communicate with a computer’s hardware. Kernel.org lists version 7.2 as the latest mainline release as of August 16.
Better Performance and Graphics
Linux 7.2 introduces cache-aware load balancing, which tries to distribute work between processor cores more efficiently by considering where frequently used data is already stored. This can reduce unnecessary delays when moving tasks between CPU cores.
GPU scheduling has also been improved with a new “Fair(er)” scheduler. A GPU scheduler decides which graphics tasks get processed first, so the change is designed to share graphics resources more fairly between different programs.
AMD graphics users get early support for HDMI 2.1 FRL, a faster HDMI connection technology used for high-resolution and high-refresh-rate displays. Intel’s Xe graphics driver also receives early support for the company’s CRI platform.
Storage and Memory Improvements
Linux 7.2 enables large folios by default for Btrfs. In simple terms, this lets the system handle larger groups of memory at once, which can improve efficiency when reading and writing files.
The operating system’s swap system has also been improved. Swap allows Linux to temporarily use storage when physical RAM becomes heavily used.
Linux 7.2 also improves the newer NTFS driver used for Windows-formatted drives and adds support for compressed files over SMB, a technology commonly used for sharing files between computers on a network.
The NFS network file system now uses a larger default 4MB block size on systems with at least 16GB of RAM, potentially making large network file transfers more efficient.
More CPU and Hardware Support
The update adds support for Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake R processors and new ARM64 processor capabilities.
Rust, a programming language increasingly used in parts of the Linux kernel because of its memory-safety features, can now also be used on IBM’s S/390 mainframe architecture. Linux 7.2 additionally expands Rust support with a “zerocopy” library designed to manipulate data without unnecessary copying.
Networking and Security Upgrades
Networking improvements include better Thunderbolt networking, IPv6 support for MultiPath TCP, and upgrades for PPPoE connections.
Linux 7.2 also implements TCP Authentication Option support, which can help verify network connections.
For virtual machines, the KVM system gains new AMD and Intel security and control features. Support has also been added for Intel Trusted Domain Extensions (TDX), which is designed to better protect sensitive data inside virtual machines.
Overall, Linux 7.2 is largely a behind-the-scenes upgrade, but its changes should improve hardware compatibility, performance, networking and security across a wide range of Linux systems.
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