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/
126 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.