The Best Features Of Linux 3.16

The Linux 3.16 kernel could be released as soon as today with its development having calmed down but if you've refrained from reading up on this new kernel, here's the rundown on the new features and capabilities of this 2014 late-summer kernel debut.

With new features like Nouveau Kepler re-clocking support, Linux 3.16 is a fairly exciting update, albeit we're already anxious for some changes coming down the pipe for Linux 3.17. Here's some of the most interesting changes to find with Linux 3.16:

- Samsung Exynos multi-platform support so that the Samsung ARM SoC kernel support is on-par with many other ARM SoCs and the ability to have a single kernel image support multiple ARM devices.

- Better upstream Jetson TK1 ARM development platform support.

- Broadwell support within Intel's P-State driver.

- Dell free-fall driver support to see if your Latitude laptop is falling.

- A new Synaptics input driver.

- Blk-mq is nearly feature complete as the multi-queue block layer implementation.

- For those still with an old Nokia N900 smart-phone, the modem is now supported by the mainline Linux kernel.

- Initial GK20A support as the NVIDIA Kepler-based GPU within the Tegra K1 SoC. The ARM hardware support in general has improved a fair amount with this new kernel.

- Nouveau support for Kepler GPU re-clocking albeit the support varies and there's more improvements to be made.

- Intel Cherryview support for the upcoming Intel Atom SoC succeeding Bay Trail / Valley View graphics.

- AMD Radeon graphics are faster with DRM improvements made in this latest kernel release.

An overall list of Linux 3.16 changes that interest us can be found in this article and our many other Linux 3.16 articles. We've already done a ton of Linux 3.16 benchmarks and will have more articles out while as soon as 3.16 gets officially christened our focus will turn to Linux 3.17.