The Linux Kernel 6.14-rc1 (release candidate 1) has been officially announced by Linus Torvalds, marking the conclusion of the merge window.
Described as notably “tiny” compared to previous release cycles, this development reflects the impact of the holiday season on developers’ schedules.
Despite its relative size, the release still comprises significant updates half a million lines of code changes and over 10,000 commits, with approximately 9,300 non-merge commits.
According to Torvalds, the reduced size of this cycle is mainly attributed to the holiday timing, which proved effective in allowing a more balanced workflow.
The majority of changes (50% of the code diff) pertain to driver updates, while the remaining contributions span architectural updates, filesystems, tooling, and documentation.
As usual, subsystem maintainers submitted a diverse array of updates, showcasing a robust mix of contributions from across the kernel’s core areas:
While Torvalds remains optimistic about a smooth and efficient stabilization period, he acknowledges the unpredictability of development cycles.
The smaller size might pave the way for fewer issues during this critical phase, a desirable outcome for maintainers and contributors.
Prominent maintainers like Andrew Morton, Greg Kroah-Hartman, and Rafael Wysocki have contributed to core updates in memory management (MM), power management, and driver subsystems, ensuring broad coverage of critical areas.
The release also introduces updates to emerging technologies, such as Compute Express Link (CXL) and bcachefs.
Looking forward, contributors and testers are encouraged to participate actively in identifying and resolving any potential issues during the RC phase.
With its reduced size and a broad but focused scope, Linux 6.14-rc1 is set to further mature and deliver a well-rounded kernel for its final release.
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