Linux Unveils Real-Time Computing And Hardware Boosts

The latest long-term support release features enhanced real-time computing, expanded hardware compatibility, networking improvements and advanced file system features.

Linux Kernel 6.12 is now officially released as a long-term support (LTS) version, guaranteed to be updated and supported until 2026. An important milestone for enthusiasts and enterprise users.

A standout feature in Linux 6.12 is the integration of the PREEMPT_RT real-time patch set, a decade-long development effort to optimize task response times and enhance overall system performance. This makes this core more suitable for enterprise-level real-time applications, with compatibility extended to ARM64, RISC-V and X86/X86_64 architectures.

The core brings significant upgrades to the hardware platform:

• AMD: Added RDNA 4 GPU support, OverDrive overclocking for SMU 14.x, and enhancements to the Instinct accelerator.
• Intel: Includes support for Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors, improvements to hybrid P/E core configurations, and early support for Panther Lake and Diamond Rapids Xeon processors.
• NVIDIA: Implemented virtual command queue support for SMMUv3.

Linux 6.12 enhances networking via Device Memory TCP (DMTCP) for zero-copy TCP payload reception, IPv6 IOAM6 with tunsrc encap mode support, and PTP timestamps with MONOTONIC_RAW for precise synchronization.

The new driver includes support for Microchip PIC64GX, NXP i.MX8ULP, Rockchip RK3568 CAN-FD controller, Realtek automotive PCIe devices and more. The update also covers external hardware monitors and other key peripherals.

This release introduces file support mount support for the EROFS file system, LoongArch KVM guest PMU support, enhanced Android guest functionality, memory protection with ARM permission overrides, and integration with the latest Rust updates. Comprehensive file updates and bug fixes further improve stability.

Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, confirmed the release of the stable version and said: “There weren’t any weird surprises last week, so we will stick to the regular release schedule. The merge window opens tomorrow. Since there are already more than two dozen pulls With requests queuing, the release emphasizes active community participation.