What's new in Linux Kernel 5.18?

Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, announced the release of Linux Kernel 5.18 in a short email to the Linux Kernel Mailing List. So what's new in Linux Kernel 5.18? Find out more details with TipsMake in the following article!

New Features of Linux Kernel 5.18

One of the big changes in the Linux Kernel 5.18 is the inclusion of the Intel Software Defined Silicon (SDSi) driver in the main kernel. This is somewhat controversial, as this driver restricts access to some processor features without a certificate from Intel.

Some fear that SDSi is heralding a new business model whereby CPU functions are disabled until the user pays for a license to unlock them. This is akin to in-app purchases, just for the hardware you bought; all capabilities are available, but they are disabled by default.

But as LWN's Jonathan Corbet explains, there's no technical reason why the SDSi driver shouldn't be included in the Linux Kernel. On the code base, the implementation of support is no different from other drivers available, no matter how Intel can use the features it provides.

In addition, Intel has yet to make a clear plan about the CPU features that support SDSi. For now, at least, some of the worries are conjecture and (possibly) slightly exaggerated.

On the hardware front, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W gets full mainstream Linux Kernel support in this release. Upgraded Tesla FSD chip (a Samsung-based ARM SoC that the company is using in its fully self-driving cars) gets an upgrade; also has a regular product range for newer AMD and Intel processors in development.

Drivers are tweaked to support a wide range of Razer Blackwidow keyboards that are not HID-compliant, Imagis touchscreens, ACPI profiles work on AMD-powered ThinkPads, and further efforts to improve support for Apple's Magic Keyboard , which includes FN key mapping for first and 2015 generation models.

What's new in Linux Kernel 5.18? Picture 1

Some other new features

Other new features in Linux 5.18 include:

1. New Driver Hardware Feedback Interface (HFI) for Intel hybrid processors
2. NUMA Updates Balancer Scheduler for AMD EPYC Servers
3. Driver AMD HSMP
4. AMD's many nested virtualization improvements
5. Intel Idle driver support for Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids processors
6. FreeSync is enabled by default in the AMDGPU driver
7. Btrfs supports encrypted I/O and faster fsync
8. Mapping FN keys for MacBook Pro with touch bar

For more details, you can refer to Kernel Newbies page:

https://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_5.18

Linux 5.18 will be available for installation in official release distributions soon. The update will be included in the Pop! _OS at some point in the near future, it is consistent with this distro's policy to ensure users receive new kernels more often than Ubuntu provides.

Kareem Winters

Update 24 May 2022