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Linux 6.12 officially named new LTS kernel

Image source: AI-generated
Image source: AI-generated
Linux kernel 6.12 has been named as the next LTS, or long-term-support, kernel version. This landmark kernel release includes a wide range of new features, and will now be officially supported by the core Linux kernel maintenance team until at least December of 2026.

Linux kernel version 6.12, released in November of 2024, has been named as the next LTS, or long-term support kernel. What this means is that it will receive at least two years of maintenance updates, security fixes, and fine-tuning. This work will be done directly by the core Linux kernel maintenance team, meaning that it's independent of any support from the specific distribution a user happens to have on their machine. This also points to the strong possibility that 6.12 will be the last kernel release of 2024, according to previous patterns. 

The bleeding-edge kernel includes a wide variety of new features, as well as the most up-to-date security patches and stability updates. Arguably the biggest new feature is real-time execution, a feature some 20 years in the making. Real-time execution will give a massive boost to real-time operations, such as industrial applications, by putting an emphasis on certain things happening in a certain timeframe, usually in a span of milliseconds. Normal users may notice a minor speed boost, but the selling point of this change is reliability. Real-time execution of perfectly normal applications will allow near-instantaneous error reporting, calling of pre-requisites and dependencies, and process operations in quick succession. Essentially, it puts the behavior of code running on the kernel on a time crunch, allocating a precise time and resource set for each command. This, in turn, leads to increased reliability, more stable overall behavior, and in some cases, faster operations. 

Other major features of this kernel include improvements to file systems, support for a wider range of hardware than ever before, and error screens with QR codes to help users and support staff alike to streamline the troubleshooting process, so long as they have a smartphone on hand when the error happens. With all of these new features, fixes, compatibility patches, and security updates coming down the pipeline, Linux users should, at this point, feel secure in updating to 6.12. The process is different across different distros, but can usually be done using the command line and your package manager of choice. Ubuntu users, for example, could enter "sudo apt update" to update databases, then "sudo apt upgrade" to update all available packages, including the kernel. 

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Daniel Fuller, 2024-12- 6 (Update: 2024-12- 7)