Linux 5.1 Has Been Released With Plenty Of New Features

As was expected, Linus Torvalds just tagged the Linux 5.1 stable kernel.

After seven release candidates, Linux 5.1 is ready to meet the world and subsequently Linux Git moves on to tracking Linux 5.2 developments beginning with the two week merge window. Linux 5.2 is looking especially interesting but that won't be out for stable users until July so for now we have Linux 5.1.

Linux 5.1 is bringing many exciting changes like a new I/O interface, Habana Labs Goya AI processor support, new ACPI support, a lot of new hardware support, and more. See our Linux 5.1 feature overview for a complete overview.

The Linux 5.1 codename remains the same as recent kernel releases, the "Shy Crocodile" with Torvalds seeming to have lost interest in his codename fun.

Linus Torvalds commented after tagging Linux 5.1, "So it's a bit later in the day than I usually do this, just because I was waffling about the release. Partly because I got some small pull requests today, but mostly just because I wasn't looking forward to the timing of this upcoming 5.2 merge window." The timing wasn't working in his favor due to the college graduation of his oldest daughter next week complicating his Linux 5.2 merge window due to being offline for a few days. If necessary, he'll end up extending Linux 5.2's merge window by a few days.