Linus Torvalds signals the go-ahead to begin Linux 7.1 testing
After a period of meticulous bug fixes and a plethora of flagged issues, the Linux community is now shifting its focus to version 7.1. Linus Torvalds has officially announced that the merge window for this latest iteration has closed, paving the way for public testing. The first release candidate is now available for users eager to explore its new features.
This update is particularly noteworthy, featuring a comprehensive rewrite of the NTFS code that has taken four years to develop. This enhancement promises to significantly improve the experience for those dual-booting between Windows and Linux, making data transfers faster and more secure. Given the growing popularity of dual-boot setups, this improvement is expected to be warmly received by users.
However, the excitement surrounding new features comes with a bittersweet note. Linux 7.1 also marks the gradual phase-out of support for the venerable i486 Intel processor, which has been a staple in computing for nearly four decades. In Torvalds’ own words, the community is taking steps to reduce the maintenance burden by eliminating support for outdated hardware, including some older networking technologies and certain system-on-chip (SoC) configurations that have not gained traction.
For those interested in testing the new release candidate, it can be found in Linus’ Linux Git repository. Users are encouraged to report any bugs encountered during their testing, as this feedback is crucial for refining the kernel before its official release.
