Features Published So Far In The Linux 4.4 Kernel

We're half-way through the Linux 4.4 kernel merge window so here's a recap of the features that have made it thus far for this next open-source kernel cycle.

Of the mailing list and Git activity I've been monitoring, highlights for Linux 4.4 changes include:

- The big DRM update with AMD Stoney support, the Raspberry Pi KMS driver, the VirtIO Virgl DRM drivers, and many other improvements to all of the DRM/KMS drivers.

- A big networking update that includes VHT MESH support for ath10k, support for non-root eBPF programs, persistent maps/programs for eBPF, a new Realtek rtl8xxxu driver, and other changes.

- Intel Lewisburg sound support and other audio driver enhancements.

- Better Skylake Windows 8 precision touch-pad support and new hardware supported by HID driver updates.

- Google Fiber TV remote control support.

- Toshiba laptop improvements.

- Important EXT4 fixes when it comes to the file-system's native encryption support.

- Fixes for Btrfs, including for RAID 5/6 operation.

- Better stability and performance for the Flash-Friendly File-System (F2FS).

- A lot of x86 KVM work.

- More than 2,400 patches for the Linux kernel's staging area.

- Numerous 64-bit ARM changes.

- A persistent reservation API for block devices.

- LightNVM / Open-Channel SSD support.

- Various ACPI and power management updates.

- More mature TPM 2.0 support.

- Additional UEFI 2.5 functionality, including better EFI on ARM64 work.

- The continued process of rewriting x86 Assembly in C.

- Optimized crypto code for using Intel SHA Extensions.

- Clustered RAID1 and Journaled RAID5 support within the MD code.

Of course, stay tuned to Phoronix as there's still just less than one of the 4.4 merge window remaining. Of course, there will be many Phoronix performance tests of Linux 4.4 to come and to complement all of the daily Git kernel benchmarking of the upstream mainline kernel code on Ubuntu and Fedora done over at LinuxBenchmarking.com.