Linus Torvalds He launched on Sunday afternoon yesterday Linux 6.9-rc1. It is the first Release Candidate of a kernel version expected in May, and will arrive with important improvements. For example, support for larger console fonts that will look better on current 4K monitors, more improvements to the Bcachefs file system, support for the Snakebyte game controller, and more improvements to support for AMD and Intel laptops.
As for how Torvalds sees things, simply normal. The merger window has been pretty normal, with apparently most of the changes coming to AMD GPU headers. Apparently and really, since about 40% of all this RC1 are auto-generated AMD GPU definitions. Torvalds wishes this were unusual, but it is a pattern. Still, it is the usual noise that does not define how things are.
Linux 6.9 is coming in May
The Finnish developer begins his circular by saying:
«So two weeks have passed, the merge window has ended, and v6.9-rc1 is tagged and shipped.
This fusion window appears to be quite normal. If you look at the diffs, you might think that most of all the changes are again to the AMD GPU header files, and you wouldn't be entirely wrong. About 40% of the entire 6.9rc1 patch is in fact just auto-generated AMD GPU definitions. I wish it were unusual, but it's a pattern.
In any case, although there are many real changes in terms of the number of lines, basically it is noise and does not make sense as a whole.«.
Linux 6.9 will arrive in may, initially from the 12th to the 19th. A disaster would have to occur for it to be delayed until the following month. But for Ubuntu users, this time it doesn't matter a few weeks more or less, since Ubuntu 24.04 Noble Numbat will arrive with Linux 6.8 and 24.10 will arrive with 6.10 or 6.11.
Therefore, and as we always say, Ubuntu users who want to install Linux 6.9 when it officially arrives They will have to do it unofficially. That is, they can do the manual installation or install it using tools such as Mainline Kernels, but all on the part of the user. Canonical releases its operating systems with a kernel and maintains it until further notice. Ubuntu 24.04 will receive specific updates, and probably the second will add a more updated version of the kernel as part of hardware activation (HWE).