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This kernel is simply huge: there is so many new and improved features with this particular release that it's mind-boggling. I'm having difficulty remembering such a time a kernel release was so large.
The quick summary of Linux 5.6 changes include: WireGuard, USB4, open-source NVIDIA RTX 2000 series support, AMD Pollock enablement, lots of new hardware support, a lot of file-system / storage work, multi-path TCP bits are finally going mainline, Year 2038 work beginning to wrap-up for 32-bit systems, the new AMD TEE driver for tapping the Secure Processor, the first signs of AMD Zen 3, better AMD Zen/Zen2 thermal and power reporting under Linux, at long last having an in-kernel SATA drive temperature for HWMON, and a lot of other kernel infrastructure improvements.
(Score: 2, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday February 11 2020, @04:20AM (3 children)
Having the necessary functionality for a specific module to even hook into does cause very significant overhead. Having a specific SATA driver, for instance, built as a module is not the same as not even having SATA support in the kernel. If you know you're never going to need any hardware but what you currently have, you can shrink the complete fuck out of the kernel.
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(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday February 11 2020, @02:45PM
That is another useful thing about the kernel, its adaptability for small devices with fixed hardware. Wristwatches. Cameras. RoKu, TiVo. Thermostats. And who knows what else.
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(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday February 11 2020, @10:36PM (1 child)
That makes sense. Having support for the module in the kernel is a non-zero cost, in addition to disk cost of the module.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 12 2020, @02:45AM
Not to mention that some modules and CONFIGs are mutually exclusive.