The latest Linux kernel release closes out the 6.x era – and it’s a gift to cloud admins
The latest Linux kernel release closes out the 6.x era – and it’s a gift to cloud admins
https://www.zdnet.com/article/latest-linux-kernel-ends-6x-era-cloud-admins/
Publish Date: 2026-02-10 08:28:00
Source Domain: www.zdnet.com
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Linux 6.19 is ready for deployment, while 7.0 is now in the works.
- This release boasts several performance boosts.
- The single biggest improvement is for clouds.
Ring the bells, sound the trumpet, the Linux 6.19 kernel has arrived. Linus Torvalds announced that “6.19 is out as expected — just as the US prepares to come to a complete standstill later today, watching the latest batch of televised commercials.” Because while the big news in Linux circles might be a new Linux release, Torvalds recognizes that for many people, the “big news [was] some random sporting event.”
American football, what can you do? Getting back to what’s really important, Torvalds described the final week of the cycle as uneventful, with no last‑minute surprises. This period of calm allowed the release to land on schedule and immediately open the merge window for the next kernel.
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With 6.19, the 6.x line ends on .19, mirroring the 3.x and 5.x series before the project increments to 4.0, 6.0, and now 7.0. Mind you, Torvalds confirmed that the next kernel after 6.19 will be branded Linux 7.0, not because of any major upgrades, but because “I’m getting to the point where I’m being confused by large numbers (almost running out of fingers and toes again), so the next kernel is going to be called 7.0.”
What’s included in Linux 6.19?
What Linux 6.19 brings to the table is initial support for Intel’s linear address‑space separation (LASS). This hardware feature is designed to enable operating systems to block side-channel security exploits, such as the infamous Meltdown and Spectre security holes.
LASS achieves this block by more strictly isolating kernel and user memory to mitigate speculative execution and privilege‑escalation attacks. The release also adds support for Arm’s Memory System…
