Latest Linux Hardware Reviews, Open-Source News & Benchmarks

Linus Torvalds Reviews The Bcachefs File-System Code
Linus Torvalds Reviews The Bcachefs File-System Code
4 Hours Ago - Linux Storage - Linus Torvalds On Bcachefs - 11 Comments

The long-in-development Bcachefs file-system driver was submitted for Linux 6.5 but never merged this cycle due to various technical issues and developer in-fighting. Linus Torvalds himself has now gotten around to reviewing the proposed code and chiming in on the situation.

Intel Speed Select Linux Tool Updated To Handle 32 Socket Servers
Intel Speed Select Linux Tool Updated To Handle 32 Socket Servers
4 Hours Ago - Intel - intel-speed-select - 2 Comments

The intel-speed-select tool that lives within the Linux kernel source tree has seen a set of patches prepared for the upcoming Linux 6.6 merge window. Arguably most interesting with this updated Intel Speed Select tool is now the ability to work with more than eight CPU sockets per platform -- the new limit is 32.

8 August

Six New Stable Linux Kernel Updates For Intel DOWNFALL & AMD INCEPTION
Six New Stable Linux Kernel Updates For Intel DOWNFALL & AMD INCEPTION
8 August 04:11 PM EDT - Linux Kernel - Security Vulnerabilities - 21 Comments

As a result of the AMD INCEPTION and Intel DOWNFALL speculative execution vulnerabilities published this Patch Tuesday, Linux 6.5 Git quickly picked up the patches on embargo expiration and now there are six new stable point releases for back-porting these CPU security vulnerabilites to the supported stable kernel series.

Intel 20230808 Microcode Published For DOWNFALL, Other Security & Functional Issues
Intel 20230808 Microcode Published For DOWNFALL, Other Security & Functional Issues
8 August 02:33 PM EDT - Intel - Intel Microcode - 1 Comment

In addition to the Linux kernel patches for GDS/Downfall for reporting the mitigated state and handling around Intel's latest speculative execution vulnerability, the updated CPU microcode has now been published on GitHub. In addition to having the Downfall mitigations for Skylake through Icelake/Tigerlake, there are also other security updates and functional issues resolved by this Intel 20230808 CPU microcode release.

Intel DOWNFALL: New Vulnerability Affecting AVX2/AVX-512 With Big Performance Implications
Intel DOWNFALL: New Vulnerability Affecting AVX2/AVX-512 With Big Performance Implications
8 August 01:00 PM EDT - Computers - 28 Comments

This Patch Tuesday brings a new and potentially painful processor speculative execution vulnerability... Downfall, or as Intel prefers to call it is GDS: Gather Data Sampling. GDS/Downfall affects the gather instruction with AVX2 and AVX-512 enabled processors. At least the latest-generation Intel CPUs are not affected but Tigerlake / Ice Lake back to Skylake is confirmed to be impacted. There is microcode mitigation available but it will be costly for AVX2/AVX-512 workloads with GATHER instructions in hot code-paths and thus widespread software exposure particularly for HPC and other compute-intensive workloads that have relied on AVX2/AVX-512 for better performance.

AMD "INCEPTION" CPU Vulnerability Disclosed
AMD "INCEPTION" CPU Vulnerability Disclosed
8 August 12:33 PM EDT - AMD - INCEPTION - 6 Comments

AMD has kicked off a busy Patch Tuesday by disclosing INCEPTION, a new speculative side channel attack affecting Zen 3 and Zen 4 processors that require new microcode while prior Zen CPUs require a kernel-based solution.

Intel Begins Posting GCC Compiler Patches For AVX10.1
Intel Begins Posting GCC Compiler Patches For AVX10.1
8 August 06:08 AM EDT - Intel - Intel AVX10.1 - 1 Comment

Last month Intel announced APX and AVX10 as the successor to AVX-512 that will see both P and E cores in the future supporting this updated Advanced Vector Extensions implementation. Delightfully, today Intel engineers began posting GCC compiler patches for beginning to enable AVX10 support.

7 August

Linux Decides To Disable RNG On All AMD fTPMs
Linux Decides To Disable RNG On All AMD fTPMs
7 August 05:04 PM EDT - AMD - Random Number Generator - 37 Comments

As a follow-up to the first-on-Phoronix article last month that highlighted Linus Torvalds' frustrated views on the AMD fTPM random number generator continuing to cause problems for users even with updated firmware/BIOS, as of today the Linux kernel has gone ahead and blanket disabled RNG use for all current AMD fTPMs.

Google May Reconsider JPEG-XL Image Support Within Chrome
Google May Reconsider JPEG-XL Image Support Within Chrome
7 August 10:55 AM EDT - Google - JPEG-XL Back In Chrome??? - 44 Comments

Last year Google decided to deprecate JPEG-XL image support within their Chrome/Chromium web browser. They expressed not enough interest and other factors for so quickly removing JPEG-XL support from their browser. They went ahead and removed the support for this next-gen JPEG standard while now a half-year later they may be having second thoughts.

Sourceware Looking To Expand Services, Diversify Partners
Sourceware Looking To Expand Services, Diversify Partners
7 August 09:30 AM EDT - Free Software - Sourceware.org - Add A Comment

Sourceware.org that provides the open-source hosting for projects like GCC, Cygwin, and more had long been sponsored by Red Hat and a rather opaque organization. Earlier this year SourceWare.org became part of the Software Freedom Conservancy. In addition to now calling the SFC home, they are planning other changes ahead to expand their hosting services, diversifying hardware and software partners, and other changes.

Linux 6.6 Will Be Able To Handle Temperature Reporting When Having More Than 32 DIMMs
Linux 6.6 Will Be Able To Handle Temperature Reporting When Having More Than 32 DIMMs
7 August 06:37 AM EDT - Hardware - Memory Temperatures - 12 Comments

The Linux kernel's "dimmtemp" driver allows for reporting memory temperatures with capable memory modules and when exposed by the Intel processor's PECI (Platform Environment Control Interface). Currently though the DIMM temperature driver is hard-coded to only allow reporting up to 32 DIMMs while a change queued for Linux 6.6 will extend that limit.

GNOME 45's Mutter Implements A Dedicated KMS Thread
GNOME 45's Mutter Implements A Dedicated KMS Thread
7 August 06:10 AM EDT - GNOME - KMS Thread - 5 Comments

Recently merged to GNOME's Mutter compositor development code is implementing a dedicated kernel mode-setting (KMS) thread and allows for pointer motions to bypass the main thread during cursor sprite movements. Ultimately this effort is around lower-latency cursor movements.

6 August

LoongArch Implementing More Kernel Features For Linux 6.6
LoongArch Implementing More Kernel Features For Linux 6.6
6 August 08:22 AM EDT - Linux Kernel - LoongArch + Linux 6.6 - 3 Comments

In addition to Loongson preparing Loongson Binary Translation (LBT) for LoongArch to help with MIPS / x86 / Arm binary translation on this domestic Chinese CPU architecture, additional LoongArch features are also now slated for introduction in the upcoming Linux 6.6 kernel cycle.

5 August

4 August

Intel Arrow Lake & Lunar Lake Sound Support Ongoing With Linux 6.6
4 August 01:31 PM EDT - Intel - Linux 6.6 Sound - 2 Comments

Back in Linux 6.4 there were Intel HD audio additions for Lunar Lake processors, ACE2.x integration with Lunar Lake has also been worked on as part of the SoundWire support, and also early preparations on the Sound Open Firmware side. With Linux 6.6 there are more audio bits coming together for Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake processors.

KDE Neon Experimental Lets You Run Plasma 6 With KF6 Apps Today
4 August 10:37 AM EDT - KDE - KDE Neon Experimental - 31 Comments

With KDE Plasma 6 development going well and a beta potentially in a few months, the KDE Neon Linux distribution crew has created a new archive with the latest Plasma 6 and KDE Frameworks 6 components to help developers and enthusiasts in testing out this leading-edge open-source desktop code.

New Linux Optimization Patches Reduced TLB Flushes By Over 50% In Some Cases
4 August 06:19 AM EDT - Linux Kernel - TLB Flushing Overhead - 4 Comments

SK engineer Byungchul Park noticed costly migration overhead especially with TLB shoot-downs hurting performance while he was working with Compute Express Link (CXL) on Linux. That led to some optimization patches to reduce TLB flushes under some select cases that in turn led to a 50% reduction in full flushes and has the possibility of helping performance.

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