Linus Torvalds keeps his ‘fingers and toes’ rule by decreeing next Linux will be version 7.0
Penguin emperor Linus Torvalds has announced the next version of the Linux kernel will be version 7.0, a matter of some small interest, because it continues his convention of not using version numbers he can’t count on his fingers and toes, and perhaps cements a numbering convention that sees kernel series end with version 19.
Linux kernel version numbering became more predictable with the 3.x series, which saw the release of 19 kernels before ticking over to 4.0.
Torvalds had some fun along the way, dubbing version 3.11 Linux for Workgroups, a reference to the name Microsoft gave Windows 3.11. He later pondered using version 4.0 as a special release dedicated to cleaning up bugs.
He then released 20 versions of the 4.x kernel series, and chat on the Linux kernel mailing list then included mention of version 4.21, before Torvalds decided to rename the next release version 5.0 because “I ran out of fingers and toes to count on.” He’s also often said that version numbers are essentially meaningless. An x.0 release is no more significant than any other, and usually less important than whichever release kernel maintainers decide will receive long-term support.
The 5.x series ended after 19 releases, and now the 6.x series will do the same as Torvalds on Sunday announced the next release will be version 7.0, again because “I’m getting to the point where I’m being confused by large numbers (almost running out of fingers and toes again).”
Torvalds’ post also references “some random sporting event” that he says will bring the USA “to a complete standstill later today watching the latest batch of televised commercials.”
“The betting man would expect them all to be AI-generated, but maybe some enterprising company decides to buck the trend? Doubtful, but there’s always a slight chance,” he wrote, in what The Register assumes is a reference to the Superbowl.
Torvalds appears not to be a fan, and urges those outside the USA to take version 6.19 of the kernel for a spin.
Per the kernel-watchers at Phoronix, the new release includes a Live Update Orchestrator that allows kernel upgrades without disrupting virtual machines, and adds encrypted comms between PCIe devices and VMs.
As usual, the release includes many additions that improve access to features in recent Intel and AMD silicon, plus improved support for emerging RISC-V and Chinese processors, plus tweaks to filesystems.
Among the many networking changes, one that removes a busy lock means some data transfers could mean queues clear more quickly and data flows up to four times faster than is currently possible under some circumstances.
The release is yours for the downloading here. ®
