Linux 6.18 Released with Many New Features, Likely This Year's LTS Kernel
11 days ago
- #Kernel
- #Linux
- #Open Source
- Linux 6.18 has been released with many new features and is likely to be this year's LTS kernel.
- Key features include more Apple Silicon upstreaming (M2 Pro/Max/Ultra Device Trees), Intel Wildcat Lake platform support, and the new 'Sheaves' code.
- Nouveau defaults to using NVIDIA GPU System Processor (GSP) firmware on Ampere and Turing GPUs where available.
- XFS online fsck is now enabled by default, and haptic touchpad support has been added.
- Other changes include the merging of dm-pcache and various performance improvements with no major regressions noted.
- Linux 6.18 is expected to be the 2025 LTS kernel, though the exact maintenance period (5-6 years) depends on stakeholder support.
- With Linux 6.18 stable, the focus shifts to the Linux 6.19 merge window, which will bring additional notable features.