Linux 6.0 is expected to arrive soon. The next version of the Linux kernel is jumping version numbers, with some performance gains, but it’s not a major change all the same: What was previously planned to be version 5.20 is now Linux 6.0 according to Linux 5.19 announcement.
There will be new hardware support. Especially Support for the RISC-V architecture continues to accrue, with changes that improve the new platform’s support for handling for Docker containers and apps packaged with Ubuntu’s Snap system, plus page-based memory types.
There is one big ticket feature has made it for the Linux 6.0 kernel: the Runtime Verification infrastructure for running Linux on safety-critical systems. Over last few years researchers have been exploring the possibility of verifying the Linux kernel behavior using Runtime Verification. Runtime Verification (RV) is a lightweight (yet rigorous) method that complements classical exhaustive verification techniques (such as model checking and theorem proving) with a more practical approach for complex systems. RV works by analyzing the trace of the system’s actual execution, comparing it against a formal specification of the system behavior. The usage of deterministic automaton for RV is a well-established approach.
Information sources and links to more information:
Ready for the Linux 6.0 splashdown? Here are some of the highlights
Don’t panic if you’re not a fan of big changes… it’s 5.20 by another name
https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/08/linux_6_point_0_highlights/
Linux Kernel 6.0 is Likely the Next Version Upgrade With Initial Rust Code
Linux Kernel’s next upgrade is going to be 6.0, instead of Linux 5.20. That’s what Linus Torvalds is going with. Sounds good!
https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-0-reveal/
Linux 6.0 Adding Run-Time Verification For Running On Safety Critical Systems
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.0-Runtime-Verification
De Oliveira, Daniel Bristot; Cucinotta, Tommaso; De Oliveira, Romulo Silva. *Efficient formal verification for the Linux kernel.* In: International Conference on Software Engineering and Formal Methods. Springer, Cham, 2019. p. 315-332.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-30446-1_17
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/rostedt/linux-trace.git/tree/Documentation/trace/rv/runtime-verification.rst?h=for-next&id=ff0aaf671230d409a68fd7400f41e9eb3ac61dd8
https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAHk-=wgrz5BBk=rCz7W28Fj_o02s0Xi0OEQ3H1uQgOdFvHgx0w@mail.gmail.com/
139 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linux 6.8 Now Enables -Wstringop-overflow To Warn About Buffer Overflows
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.8-Wstringop-overflow
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linux 6.8 Adds Input Driver For Adafruit Seesaw Gamepad
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.8-Adafruit-Seesaw
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://morioh.com/a/95492345bca6/linux-boot-process-work#google_vignette
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/16/torvalds_complicates_his_indents/
quality metrics says:
Very interesting and helpful post. Thank you for sharing it!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linux Kernel 6.9 Released — And It’s Packed with Improvements
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/05/linux-kernel-6-9-features#google_vignette
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://news.itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-9-release/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/05/13/linux-6-9-release-main-changes-arm-risc-v-and-mips-architectures/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.10-Prints-Memory-Slots
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Torvalds-Arithmetic-Overflows
Tomi Engdahl says:
Version 256 of systemd boasts ’42% less Unix philosophy’
And it’s subsuming another bit of Linux by replacing sudo
https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/13/version_256_systemd/
The latest version of the systemd init system is out, with the openly confrontational tag line: “Available soon in your nearest distro, now with 42 percent less Unix philosophy.”
As Lennart Poettering’s announcement points out, this is the first version of systemd whose version number is a nine-bit value.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://news.itsfoss.com/debian-13-tmp-mounting/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.makeuseof.com/linux-need-be-computer-wiz-misconceptions-debunked/#Echobox=1718726511
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/06/18/lindroid-promises-true-linux-on-android/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Project Lets You Run Linux as an App on Android
Linux can run in all forms and sizes. And, that’s true.
https://news.itsfoss.com/lindroid/
There’s no denying that Android is the most popular open-source operating system in the world, (sorry Arch Linux users) that uses a highly customized version of the Linux kernel to provide users with a powerful smartphone experience.
Of course, not everyone likes the “Google” aspect of Android, and usually opt for De-Googled alternatives like LineageOS, CalyxOS, etc.
However, in a recent announcement, two developers, Erfan Abdi and Luka Panio introduced a very interesting project called “Lindroid”, which aims to let users run Linux in “a new way on Android devices”.
With this, users can run various Linux distributions on native hardware, on their Android installation, with the lead developer, Erfan, calling it “a reverse Waydroid”.
As you can see above, that’s Debian 12 running on a Xiaomi Pad 6 equipped with LineageOS, showing off how Lindroid makes it effortless to run Linux distros on native hardware.
The default/recommended compositor for Lindroid is KWin, with Wayland enabled by default, and experimental support for X11.
Before you do that, you need to know that you will require a rooted Android device alongside some AOSP patches to be able to run Lindroid. It is not possible to run it without root access because the underlying architecture uses LXC with access to host drivers.
https://hackaday.com/2024/06/18/lindroid-promises-true-linux-on-android/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/06/the-x-window-system-is-40-archaic-as-heck-and-still-relevant/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.howtogeek.com/will-linux-run0-command-run-sudo-out-of-town/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linux Looking To Make 5-Level Paging Support Unconditional For x86_64 Kernel Builds
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-Unconditional-5-Level-x86
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.howtogeek.com/things-you-didnt-know-run-on-linux/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://betanews.com/2024/07/13/google-linux/
Google has taken a proactive step to bolster Linux security with the introduction of the counted_by attribute for flexible array members. This enhancement addresses a critical vulnerability in C programming related to buffer overflows, particularly those involving flexible array members whose sizes are determined at runtime.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The graying open source community needs fresh blood
Deep experience of the older tech crowd is nothing short of vital, yet projects need new devs to move forward
https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/15/opinion_open_source_attract_devs/
OPINION A “Youth and Open Source” panel was held at the United Nations (UN) Open Source Program Office (OSPO) for Good conference in the UN building in Manhattan. There was only one little problem with it. To quote Ruth Ikegah, a young Nigerian open source project manager, “We need more young people here because I see a lot of old people here.”
She nailed it.
Even as an old guy myself, I noticed this. Indeed, Jim Jagielski, Salesforce’s Head of OSPO, and I had talked about how gray the conference was. Part of that was the nature of the meeting, where most of the people were senior government, NGO, and open source leaders. But, if we’re going to change the world for good with open source, we need to grab the attention of people who haven’t turned 30 yet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
GNU Linux-Libre 6.10 Kernel Is Here for Those Seeking 100% Freedom for Their PCs
This kernel is targeted at those who want to build a 100% free computer that doesn’t include any proprietary code.
https://9to5linux.com/gnu-linux-libre-6-10-kernel-is-here-for-those-seeking-100-freedom-for-their-pcs
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/07/15/linux-6-10-release-notable-changes-arm-risc-v-and-mips-architectures/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Torvalds-Runtime-Const-6.11
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.itprotoday.com/linux-os/enhance-linux-kernel-security-using-lockdown-mode-and-kernel-self-protection
Tomi Engdahl says:
No more boot loader: Please use the kernel instead
https://pretalx.com/devconf-cz-2024/talk/W3AVCT/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2DtkUev5R7YhbEYNTU-QqNZxOPcDBoU5QW2QlidOZzpC_Xw0b_b57kvas_aem_wm609NL0rB9rlN1BByxvDg
We are working on a new scheme to replace the GRUB bootloader with a fast, secure, Linux-based, user-space solution: nmbl (for no more boot loader).
Most people are familiar with GRUB, a powerful, flexible, fully-featured bootloader that is used on multiple architectures (x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le OpenFirmware). Although GRUB is quite versatile and capable, its features create complexity that is difficult to maintain, and that both duplicate and lag behind the Linux kernel while also creating numerous security holes. On the other hand, the Linux kernel, which has a large developer base, benefits from fast feature development, quick responses to vulnerabilities and greater overall scrutiny.
We (Red Hat boot loader engineering) will present our solution to this problem, which is to use the Linux kernel as its own bootloader. Loaded by the EFI stub on UEFI, and packed into a unified kernel image (UKI), the kernel, initramfs, and kernel command line, contain everything they need to reach the final boot target. All necessary drivers, filesystem support, and networking are already built in and code duplication is avoided.
We will showcase the work done so far, and ask you for your feedback and use cases.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AlmaLinux vs. Rocky Linux: a comparison and guide
https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/10652/22/almalinux-vs-rocky-linux-a-comparison-and-guide/
Both AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are free open-source Linux distributions that are compatible with RHEL, and they have gained popularity for several years since the discontinuation of CentOS in December 2020. This article aims to explore AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux, comparing their features, development philosophies, and future trajectories. It offers readers a comprehensive guide to choosing the Linux distribution that best suits their needs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Open-Source AMD GPU Linux Kernel Graphics Driver Nears 5.8 Million Lines
https://www.phoronix.com/news/AMD-Kernel-GPU-5.8-Million
Last August I wrote an article about the open-source AMD GPU kernel driver crossing 5 million lines of code — including their overzealous header files — and following the recent Linux 6.11 merge window curiosity got the best of me with how much larger the kernel driver is now that the initial RDNA4 support is merged… Well, it’s about to cross 5.8 million lines, or about a 16% increase just over the past year.
The AMDGPU/AMDKFD kernel driver code for modern AMD Radeon/Instinct hardware remains the largest kernel driver within the kernel source tree. Running cloc on the Linux Git state as of this morning, the kernel is at around 37.1 million lines in total — 28,004,898 lines of code detected, 4,467,874 comment lines detected, and 4,672,184. So from this loose metric, the modern AMD kernel graphics driver represents around 15.6% of the entire kernel codebase.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/16433-erilaisia-linuxeja-on-ollut-reilusti-yli-tuhat
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pohditko, mikä on paras käyttöjärjestelmä virtuaalipalvelimelle? Yksi mielenkiintoinen vaihtoehto on CloudLinux.
CloudLinux tuo virtuaalipalvelimen käyttäjälle valmiit ratkaisut eristämisen suhteen (tietoturva & suorituskyky) sekä resurssien hallintaan (vakaus).
CloudLinux tarjoaa esimerkiksi käyttöön CageFS-tiedostojärjestelmän, joka eristää käyttäjän tiedostot ja estää heitä näkemästä toistensa tietoja. Tällä on huomattava vaikutus turvallisuuteen ja se vähentää myös haittaohjelmien ja tietomurtojen aiheuttamaa riskiä.
Lue linkin takaa lisää CloudLinuxin mielenkiintoisimmista ominaisuuksista!
https://www.xetnet.fi/cloudlinux-virtuaalipalvelin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.xetnet.fi/cloudlinux-virtuaalipalvelin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.xda-developers.com/run-os-on-ram/
Key Takeaways
Installing the OS comes last in PC-building. Flash ISO to USB for Linux. Can run Linux on live USB before storage drive install.
Alpine Linux and Ubuntu run from RAM is possible. Easy setup command.
Running OS from RAM is fast, but apps are gone post-reboot. Not ideal for most users, better SSD option for PC responsiveness.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linux 6.12 To Optionally Display A QR Code During Kernel Panics
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.12-DRM-Panic-QR-Code
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/embedded-linux-2050-shaping-future-pravin-jogdand
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linus Torvalds talks AI, Rust adoption, and why the Linux kernel is ‘the only thing that matters’
In a wide-ranging conversation with Verizon open-source officer Dirk Hohndel, ‘plodding engineer’ Linus Torvalds discussed where Linux is today and where it may go tomorrow.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-talks-ai-rust-adoption-and-why-the-linux-kernel-is-the-only-thing-that-matters/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pienin Linux sopii kolmeen megatavuun
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/16596-pienin-linux-sopii-kolmeen-megatavuun
Erilaisia Linux-versioita on käytössä satoja, aktiivisena joidenkin tietojen mukaan yli 600 erilaista. Pienimmillään Linux sopii vain 11 megatavuun, kuten Tiny Core Linux. Ilman graafista ympäristöä paketti kutistuu vain 3 megatavuun.
Koodistoltaan toiseksi pienimmäksi on listattu Damn Small Linux, jonka koko asennettuna on 50 megatavua. Se perustuu Knoppixiin, joka puolestaan perustuu Debianiin. DSL:ää ei kuitenkaan enää aktiivisesti ylläpidetä.
Kolmanneksi tiukimmaksi on arvioitu SliTaz, joka on niin ikään noin 50 megatavun paketti. Sitä voidaan ajaa ns. liveversiona suoraan SUB-tikulta, jos käytössä on 256 megatavua RAM-muistia.
Tiny Core Linux on kuitenkin tässä vertailussa omaa luokkaansa. Sen tarkoituksena on tarjota vain perustavanlaatuinen ympäristö, johon käyttäjä voi asentaa juuri ne ohjelmistot, joita hän tarvitsee. Sitäkin voidaan ajaa suoraan RAM-muistissa liver-versiona, joten periaatteessa käyttöjärjestelmää voi kantaa tikulla mukanaan.
TCL vaatii noin 48 megatavua RAM-muistia. Sitä voi käyttää myös graffisen käyttöliittymän yli, jolloin RAM-tarve kasvaa huikeaan 128 megatavuun. Perusversiossa on kuitenkin erittäin vähän esiasennettuja ohjelmia: vain komentorivityökalut ja kevyt ikkunaohjelma (GUI), kuten FLWM tai JWM.
Koska TCL toimii suoraan RAM-muistista, se on erittäin nopea, varsinkin vanhalla tai vähäisillä resursseilla varustetulla laitteistolla. Tiny Core Linux käyttää omaa TCE-pakettihallintajärjestelmää (Tiny Core Extensions)
http://tinycorelinux.net/
Tomi Engdahl says:
20 years later, real-time Linux makes it to the kernel – really
The work done on real-time Linux has benefitted the open-source OS for years, but it was only this week that Linus Torvalds admitted its last piece into the mainline kernel. Exactly what took so long?
https://www.zdnet.com/article/20-years-later-real-time-linux-makes-it-to-the-kernel-really/
VIENNA — After 20 years, Real-Time Linux (PREEMPT_RT) is finally — finally — in the mainline kernel. Linus Torvalds blessed the code while he was at Open Source Summit Europe. Why is this a big deal? Let’s start by explaining what a real-time operating system (RTOS) is and what it’s good for.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linus Torvalds declares war on the passive voice
Linux contributors told to sort out their grammar lest they be actively corrected
https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/08/linus_torvalds_grammar_complaint/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://betanews.com/2024/10/04/nitrux-linux-3-7-0-next-os/