Minimal distro Linux From Scratch 12.4 launches with 49 package updates and the 6.16.1 kernel

Born in December 1999 as a Linux installation and book written by Gerard Beekmans, Linux From Scratch, also known as LFS, reached version 12.4 yesterday. Mostly maintained by Bruce Dubbs, the book allows even beginners to build a Linux system from source that would match their needs while being as lightweight as possible. Obviously, this guide, known as Beyond Linux From Scratch (BLFS), is freely available to all those interested via the Linux From Scratch website. In addition to it, the same website also provides for free other similar books, such as Automated Linux From Scratch and Gaming Linux From Scratch.

Compared to the previous stable release, Linux From Scratch 12.4 sports a total of 146 commits. The list of major changes includes toolchain updates to binutils-2.45, gcc-15.2.0, and glibc-2.42, all on top of a refreshed kernel, now at version 6.16.1. Since the last release, 49 packages have received updates. All changes are also found in the book, which is available online or in a few downloadable formats.

Those interested in the security advisories should be aware that this section hasn't been updated yet, and it's still showing the changes performed in early March 2025, when version 12.3 was unleashed. However, it shouldn't take long for it to reflect the book changes. It should also be noted that two different book versions are available, each covering one of the two init choices documented by this project, namely systemd and SysV.