Linux 5.2 Kernel Released As The "Bobtail Squid"

Adding to the excitement of 7 July is the release of the Linux 5.2 stable kernel, which also means the opening of the Linux 5.3 merge window.

Linux 5.2.0 made it out today on time without having any extra release candidates for this summer 2019 kernel release. This kicks off the Linux 5.3 merge window and its series of release candidates that then should debut as stable in September.

See our Linux 5.2 feature overview for those wondering about all of the exciting features of this new kernel.

Linus Torvalds released Linux 5.2 under the codename of Bobtail Squid, a group of cephalopods related to cuttlefish. Presumably this codename comes as a result of his latest scuba diving adventure that has kept him busy (and without much Internet) recently.

Torvalds wrote of today's 5.2 release, "there really doesn't seem to be any reason for another rc, since it's been very quiet. Yes, I had a few pull requests since rc7, but they were all small, and I had many more that are for the upcoming merge window. Part of it may be due to the July 4th week, of course, but whatever - I'll take the quiet week as a good sign. So despite a fairly late core revert, I don't see any real reason for another week of rc, and so we have a v5.2 with the normal release timing."