It is not something that has taken us by surprise. Although there have been cases where a seventh RC It was not perfect and the following week there was a stable version, it was not like that this time and Linus Torvalds He launched last night Linux 5.12-rc8. And it is that, last week, the seventh RC had fattened more than desirable, so the Finnish developer has used the joker of the extra development week to improve things.
Torvalds is not someone to get nervous easily, in fact I haven't read him worrying in years. Your email this week begins by saying that everything has been quite calm, but not enough, which is why it has decided to launch this eighth RC. The intention is to smooth the rough edges so that Linux 5.12 arrives in better shape.
Linux 5.12 will arrive, now, on April 25
Okay, the past week has been _really_ quiet, but it wasn't the kind of total calm that I would have interpreted as "no need for a rc8." So here we are, with an extra rc to make sure things settle down. It's not _so_ weird: it's the fifth time in the 5.x series that we've finished with an rc8, but I have to admit I prefer it when a version doesn't end up needing that extra week.
He also goes on to mention something more concerning. Although he says that he does not think it is necessary this time, he reminds us that there has been pitches that have required a rc9 in the past. He mentions it to defuse the issue, to take a look back at the 5.x series, and to remember that there have been three rc8s and strange cases with an rc9 years ago, but it's something that I don't remember and it leaves me wondering: will there be rc9 ?
Well, let's trust the father of Linux and say that Linux 5.12 will be available from April 25.