The development of the next version of the Linux kernel was being quiet ... until last week, coinciding with the release of Linux 5.4-rc5. This week, Linus Torvalds would have liked to say that everything was back to normal, but it was not. What has gone as usual is that, despite the different trips that he has had to do, Linux 5.4-rc6 has arrived on Sunday and at the expected time.
Of all the changes made and the culprit that this week has not been calm have been the networks; half of the patch has to do with networks, either in the drivers, in the core of the networks or in their documentation. In any case and as usual, Torvalds seems calm and explains that it is normal considering that rc5 did not include changes of this type.
Linux 5.4 is coming in two weeks ... or three
But it does mean that we are not seeing the slowdown that I tend to wait for this moment (well, maybe "wish" is closer than "wait"). I guess it's more the norm than the exception that rc6 is bigger than dI would like in a perfect world ...; ^)
Most commonly, Torvalds releases 7 Release Candidates before the stable release, but there are also cases where it releases a XNUMXth RC. That could happen this time, that although it says there is nothing to worry about, it could be «one of those releases where we have a rc8«. Thus, in the best of cases we will have a stable version on November 17, on the 24th if they finally release the eighth Release Candidate.
Linux 5.4 will be an update with fewer highlights than v5.2 and v5.3 of the Linux kernel, but it will be a moderately important launch for being the first to include the controversial security module Lockdown.