Linus Torvalds says Linux kernel is out of ‘stabilization phase’ and using ‘much healthier model’ for AI contributions
Yet machine-made patches ‘often get rewritten’
Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, has announced the first release candidate for version 7.4. He believes the project has adopted a "much healthier model" for incorporating AI contributions. The release window is unusually large, containing nearly 20,000 commits compared to the usual 15,000. Torvalds finds the surge of AI-activated work in the merge window more positive than an influx of fixes during the -rc period.
He hopes this indicates the AI fixes are becoming more integrated into the standard development process rather than causing a surge of changes during the stabilization phase. Torvalds also notes that the unusually large number of commits may be due to the release being expected to be the next long-term support (LTS) version, which can sometimes result in larger releases.
Despite the influx of AI patches, Torvalds is not entirely convinced they are all beneficial. He describes this release as "Large, and full of fixes for issues found by AI (and more and more the patches have been suggested by AI too, although they often get rewritten)." The kernel-watchers at Phoronix highlight improved support for AMD, Apple, and Google processors as major inclusions in Linux 7.4.
Other additions include enhancements for virtual machine security, support for the Raspberry Pi 10-inch monitor, and further work to ensure Linux runs smoothly on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 SoC for PCs.
Written by urgent.news from The Register's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
