With the Linux 6.17-rc1 release this past Sunday, the Linux 6.17 merge window is over. Here is a look back at the most exciting changes that made it for Linux 6.17.
Linux 6.17 is to be another exciting kernel release and will be out as stable by early October. Linux 6.17 brings Intel Xe3 integrated graphics for Panther Lake being enabled by default, Intel SR-IOV being enabled for Battlemage GPUs (but limited to Arc Pro models), the AMD Hardware Feedback Interface (HFI) code was finally merged, more Rust programming language additions, memory management optimizations, Attack Vector Controls for easier administering of CPU security vulnerabilities, Intel IPU7 driver is added, AMD SmartMux support for laptops, Lenovo Legion Gaming Drivers, and the Apple SMC driver for Apple Silicon hardware to be able to reboot Macs.
What you won’t find though in Linux 6.17 are the rejected RISC-V changes and no new Bcachefs feature code. Linus Torvalds hasn’t publicly commented on what is going to happen to Bcachefs in the mainline kernel but sounding like it will be dropped in Linux 6.18.
Processors:
– Linux 6.17 now makes multi-core / SMP support unconditionally enabled.
– Improved NUMA locality for an SMP call rather than deferring to a random CPU core.
– Attack Vector Controls to more easily manage the growing mess of CPU security vulnerabilities/mitigations depending upon your intended use. This is particularly beneficial of easier CPU security management for Linux server administrators.
– More Intel driver maintainer changes due to recent layoffs / restructuring at Intel.
– The in-kernel-tree Turbostat utility can now display L3 cache topology information.
– Intel QuickAssist was demoted by FSCRYPT due to being slow and bug prone.
– Intel QuickAssist/QAT was demoted to lower priority for SKCIPHER and AEAD algorithms due to not benefiting the performance.
– Intel IPU7 driver for web camera support on Lunar Lake and Panther Lake laptops.
– Support for several newer Intel CPU models within the Error Detection And Correction (EDAC) driver code.
– Apple SMC driver support for Apple Silicon systems to be able to reboot M1 and M2 Macs with the mainline kernel.
– AMD Hardware Feedback Interface was finally upstreamed for improved handling of heterogeneous core processors.
– AMD user CPUID faulting support.
– Much better CRC32C performance for modern AVX-512 CPUs.
– Intel Panther Lake perf integration.
– Numerous power management improvements.
– Initial support for the NVIDIA Tegra T264/Thor.
– Mainline support for the ASUS Zenbook A14 Snapdragon X1 Plus/Elite laptops.
– A new driver for Raspberry Pi 5’s RP1 multi-function I/O chip.
– Support for the Andes Tech QiLai RISC-V SoC.
– Arm BRBE support for the Branch Record Buffer Extension.
Graphics:
– Intel Xe3 Panther Lake graphics are enabled by default as a sign of stability and the integrated graphics being in good shape ahead of the Core Ultra Series 3 laptops debuting in the coming months.
– Initial support for Wildcat Lake integrated graphics as a cut-down/low-power alternative to Panther Lake.
– SR-IOV support for Intel Battlemage GPUs but limited to the Arc Pro graphics cards.
– Intel is also working on multi-GPU support as part of their Project Battlematrix efforts.
– Intel’s experimental flip queue support for Panther Lake and Lunar Lake graphics but currently disabled by default.
– A new driver for powering on the T-HEAD TH1520 RISC-V SoC’s GPU due to needing a special power sequence.
– AMD SmartMux support for hybrid GPU laptops.
– Faster hibernation and resume for AMD Instinct multi-GPU servers.
– Intel IVPU driver support for the Wildcat Lake NPU as well as a new “turbo mode” NPU feature.
– Other improvements to the smaller DRM graphics drivers.
