Linux 6.3 debuts after 'nice, controlled release cycle':
Linux 6.3 has arrived after a push that project boss Linus Torvalds characterized as "a nice, controlled release cycle" that required the seven release candidates he prefers and was supported by helpful developer behavior.
"It happens," he added, but also didn't rule out "something nasty couldn't have been lurking all these weeks." Torvalds therefore urged real-world testing to make sure this release really is ready for prime-time consumption.
Holidays and travel are often the cause of delays to kernel releases. Easter didn't slow development this time around.
Version 6.3 won't be a long term support (LTS) release – the last of those was Linux 6.1, and every fifth or sixth release gets LTS status. So while many users will be pleased to see it, 6.3 almost certainly won't be a cut of the kernel that demands adoption or attention.
Which is not to say it doesn't include some interesting goodies.
Among the additions are better support for multi-actuator hard disk drives. Conventional hard disks have one actuator driving a single set of read/write heads. Multi-actuator disks add a second set of heads, which speeds things up nicely. Hyperscale cloud operators are the first big buyers of multi-actuator disks, but they're slowly going mainstream. Now Linux is better able to handle them.
China's Loongson makes RISC-V processors and is working hard and fast to make them an enterprise contender. Linux 6.3 will help that a little by supporting Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization on the company's silicon. This has been around on other architectures for ages – security is helped by having the kernel load into different areas of memory each time it boots, instead of using the same locations and giving attackers a known target.
Microsoft coders contributed updates that add nested hypervisor support for Redmond's own Hyper-V hypervisor.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Joe Desertrat on Wednesday April 26, @12:19AM
Although I suppose that this sort of update would have excited me back when I was still interested in the inner workings of my PC, it doesn't mean much to me now. Now I just want it to work. I still haven't gotten around to upgrading from the last LTS from my distro (20.04 to 22.04 I think) even though it reminds me frequently to do so. Soon, soon. Everything works fine now, although I suppose I should do the backups necessary to do so. I'm semi-retired now and somehow I find my days more filled and less spare time than when I was working full time.
For some reasons this sent chills up my spine.