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A new version of the Linux kernel
is available with a collection of major hardware, performance, and security improvements
. Announcing version 6.2 of the Linux kernel
on the Linux kernel developer mailing list (LKML), creator Linus Torvalds urges people to try it out, noting, “Maybe it’s not a sexy LTS release like 6.1 ended up being, but all those regular pedestrian grains also want a little test love.”
As you know, the Linux kernel is developed and maintained by a worldwide community of engineers and enthusiasts. While a large number of those who contribute to the Linux kernel do so as part of their daily work, many others do so in their spare time of their own free will and on their own terms, and to them we are grateful!
With that gratitude in mind, let’s take a closer look at what’s new in Linux 6.2
… Linux 6.2
: New Features
Appropriately for this year’s first kernel release, Linux 6.2 offers a substantial set of new hardware enablement, most notably out-of-the-box support for Intel Arc graphics and, following Intel, support for Intel’s On-Demand driver (its ‘in-app purchases for additional CPU features’ feature) on 4th generation Xeon CPUs.
Older Intel Skylake CPUs get a performance boost with call depth tracking, a feature Phoronix describes as a “less expensive mitigation” than indirect branch restricted speculation (IBRS) also designed to address the Retbleed CPU speculative execution vulnerability on these chips.
Linux
6.2 is the first version of the Linux kernel to offer mainline support for the Apple M1 Pro, Max, and Ultra chips, as the work done by Asahi Linux developers was improved. This inclusion is formative, so those looking for the best possible Linux experience on Apple Silicon should continue to use Asahi Linux kernel builds.
An update to the NTFS3 kernel driver includes a new hidedotfiles mount option (to hide files when viewed in Windows); a new case-insensitive mount option to enable non-case-sensitive folders/files; and a new mount windows_names option that prevents files/folders from receiving names not allowed in Windows.
On the “
new controllers” front there is support for Sony DualShock 4 gamepads on the Playstation HID controller; support for sensors and fans on the OneXPlayer gaming handheld; support for Habana Labs’ Gaudi2 AI accelerator; and a host of hardware monitoring sensors on ASUS motherboards, including the Rog Crosshair VIII Exteme.
Other notable features in Linux 6.2:
Early support for
- NVIDIA RTX 30/Ampere GPU in Nouveau
- Updated Zstd compression code Miscellaneous
- Btrfs performance
- improvements New mounting options for Squashfs file systems
- Critical work to support Wi-Fi 7 and 800Gbps networks
- Faster file/folder creation in the
- exFAT driver RISC-V support for persistent memory devices
- Intel IFS driver is now stable
- Modest power saving for Intel Alder Lake N/Raptor Lake P
- 4 Wake-on-Connect/Disconnect
- for ChromeOS Human Presence Sensor (HPS) Support
- Raspberry Pi 4K @ 60Hz display
USB
support Support
Want more information about the latest version? Take a look at the Phoronix feature overview for higher-level information, or dive into the details with the LWN 1 merger report and the LWN 2 merger report.
Getting this
update
Linux 6.2 is available for download as source code right now, so you can download and compile by hand.
As a fixed release distribution, Ubuntu does not make new kernel versions available to existing versions as a software update (although LTS releases get regular updates of the new kernel that are ported from later versions).
However, you can use the main Canonical repository to install Linux 6.2 on Ubuntu-based distributions. This is not recommended as major builds do not undergo testing or quality control, do not come with support, and may not be trouble-free, i.e. used at your own risk.
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Home / News / Linux Kernel 6.2 released, this is what’s new
