The GNU Linux-libre project announced the release and general availability of the GNU Linux-libre 6.8 kernel, an option for those prioritizing complete freedom for their GNU/Linux computers and software.
Constructed on the recently released Linux 6.8 kernel series, the GNU Linux-libre 6.8 kernel offers a clean up of new drivers for Intel qat_420xx, Imagination PowerVR, Intel Xe, Chips and Media Wave5, Intel VSC, Aquantia PHY, and Realtek rtw8922a.
The release of the GNU Linux-libre 6.8 kernel also adjusts the cleaning of the coda driver moved in the upstream “source” tree, tidies up new blob names in the ARM and AArch64 devicetree files, eliminates cleaning of the atmel, hermes, orinoco_usb, libertas_cs, and zd1201 drivers in the wake of their removal upstream, adapts wording in .deb packaging, and attempts to fix issues with the Intel i915 driver.
“Last year, we discovered infinite loops on certain i915 hardware variants, as they attempted to revert to earlier blob variants that we had cleaned up to indistinguishable names,” shared the developers. “We resolved this issue and even submitted the patch upstream. It wasn’t accepted, but their response to our patch led to other alterations in the driver, which significantly increased noise in our situation. Booting with i915.enable_guc=0 will circumvent the apparent freeze on systems affected by this issue.”
The GNU Linux-libre kernel is targeted at software freedom lovers and Linux purists who want to build a 100% free GNU/Linux computer without any proprietary drivers or code. You can download the latest release’s compressed tarballs right now from the official website.
Ready-to-use binary packages for Debian-based (DEB) and Red Hat-based (RPM) distributions can be found at the Freesh project and RPM Freedom. The GNU Linux-libre kernel can be installed on virtually any GNU/Linux distribution alongside or as a replacement for the standard kernel.
Image credits: GNU Linux-libre project
Last updated 15 hours ago